This is an academic paper that evaluates a community prescription medication take-back/drug disposal drive that was led by surgeons in a city in Michigan. Results were impressive as a total of 74,363 dosing units of unused medication, most commonly hydrocodone (an opioid), were brought in from the homes of 104 event participants. Those surveyed who took part in the event indicated that unused opioids were frequently available in homes with children or youth. This initiative was co-led by Michigan OPEN. 

This is a report from the National League of Cities and Policy Research, Inc. that details the various co-responder models available to city and county leaders to respond to behavioral health crises. These innovate models are cost-effective options to divert individuals away from the criminal justice system. Specific models implemented across the United States are highlighted. 

This is a policy brief from the National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center that highlights that the opioid crisis has impacted American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) more than other groups. Causes mentioned are overprescribing and a high prevalence of trauma in AI/AN. The brief calls for tribes to respond with a multifaceted, collaborative approach to address this complex problem. 

This is a report from the Partnership to End Addiction that gives an overview of what prevention is, why it is a critical component of a comprehensive response to addiction, and the importance of delivering evidence-based prevention strategies earlier and broader. Research and practice recommendations are provided. 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Healthy Communities website discusses the role that communities play in health outcomes, with a focus on social determinants of health, public health, and disparities. 

This report from USDA and ONDCP is a compilation of qualitative data collected from numerous community organizations, which provides an overview of the key challenges rural communities face when addressing the consequences of prescription opioid misuse and the use of illicit substances, divided into sections on unique rural challenges, prevention, treatment, and recovery. There is also a supplement that showcases localized efforts implemented to help mitigate the impact of substance use disorder.

This is a toolkit from the ONDCP and USDA that serves as a guide to resources that can help make a difference in rural communities in addressing the opioid crisis and substance use in general. It features a comprehensive funding clearinghouse, interactive tools to assess the opioid problem at the county level, a treatment and services locator, a links to technical assistance and trainings. 

This is a working paper from the Maine Rural Health Research Center (authors Gale, Hansen, and Williamson) and is a qualitative study based on interviews with key stakeholders in Indiana, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington State that explores promising state and community strategies to tackle the opioid crisis in rural communities and identifies rural challenges to the provision of opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Specific promising program models are highlighted in this document. 

A toolkit from Rural Health Information Hub to help organizations implement, evaluate, and sustain prevention and treatment solutions to address substance use disorders. This resource also highlights existing promising programs and models to replicate. 

This is a toolkit from the Rutgers School of Pharmacy that provides educational information on prevention strategies for opioid misuse, opioid use disorder, and opioid overdoses, specifically targeted towards pharmacist and prescribers. There are also supplementary materials that can be used for interventions by a wide array of stakeholders. 

This is a manual entitled “RxStat” that is targeted to municipal and country leaders on how to best address drug use problems in their jurisdictions. It focuses on combining a public health and public safety approach and is derived from experience by the New York City's Department of Health and Human Hygiene.  

This toolkit from the SAFE Project provides a step-by-step process of how to organize, evaluate, and create change in your community to impact the opioid crisis. It provides guidance on finding the right team of community constituents, identifying priorities, and putting a plan into action using
examples from other communities around the country.