This is a policy brief from Carnevale Associates that discusses the short- and long-term need for substance use prevention and offers recommendations on how prevention professionals can safely continue work during the coronavirus pandemic. 

This brief from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) presents key takeaway messages from a mixed-methods study examining how substance use affects child welfare systems across the country. It highlights that, generally, counties with higher overdose death and…

This academic paper outlines a study which investigated the impact of supervised injection facilities on individuals who use injected drugs. The authors implemented a systematic review of existing studies on this specific topic and concluded that supervised injection facilities reduce the risk…

This is a report from the Urban Institute that summarized interviews with national experts and site visits to two Appalachian communities on the impact of the opioid crisis on children and families. The problems that systems face to address the opioid crisis, promising programs and approaches,…

This is a report from the National Council on Mental Wellbeing that aims to help harm reduction organizations, treatment providers, and other organizations that serve people who use drugs overcome challenges associated with implementing telehealth and technology-assisted services and leverage…

This is the abstract of a peer-reviewed article about the implementation of evidence-based opioid interventions in the face of opposition. This paper uses the experience of the first syringe exchange in North Carolina, which is considered the first program of its kind in a red state.

This is an issue brief from the Baker Institute for Public Policy, written to influence policymakers in Texas, that gives an overview of the evidence for syringe service programs (SSP) and provides case studies of different states that have implemented SSPs. 

These are slides from a webinar by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health that gives an overview of implementation, sustainability, and funding for syringe services programs (SSP). The experiences of Kentucky, North Carolina, and New Mexico with SSPs are discussed in detail.

This is a report from the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) that provides guidelines to assist state and local health department jurisdictions that want to implement or expand existing syringe service programs and link injection drug users to vital prevention,…

These are the slides from a webinar by several federal organizations, including the CDC, HRSA, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, that discuss the importance of syringe service programs (SSP) as a public health intervention to address the opioid crisis. An overview of evidence…

This is a report published by the Centers for Disease Control. It provides a broad framework for new and existing syringe service programs to ensure needs-based service delivery, reduce harms related to injection drug use, and link participants to services that support their health and wellness…

This 2013 SAMHSA report describes the core elements of screening, brief intervention, brief treatment, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) programs and provides general administrative and managerial information relevant to implementing SBIRT services, including: SBIRT effectiveness; implementation…

This is an academic paper that provides commentary on the emergence of fentanyl in opioids, creating an unsafe illicit drug supply. The benefits of innovative and controversial policies, such as low-threshold opioid distribution programs and safe injection facilities, are discussed. 

This is a report from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) that explores innovative approaches Louisiana, New York, and West Virginia have taken to address co-occurring HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) infections and substance use disorder (SUD) – providing both rural and urban…

This is an academic paper that provides an overview of naloxone take-home programs implemented across the United States and best practices for these programs as well as a summary of their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. 

This is an academic paper that gives a review on primary prevention interventions delivered during childhood and adolescence to reduce individuals’ later risk for opioid and other drug use disorders. Different types of evidence-based prevention strategies are discussed. 

This is an academic paper that documents the currently available opioid-related smartphone apps and reviews past and existing technology solutions that address opioid use disorder (OUD), including educational apps for prescribers, wearable sensors, and GPS locator apps. 

This paper analyzes the current state of telehealth services at the federal and state levels, as well as the benefits and limitations of telehealth technology use. It also offers public policy recommendations to improve telehealth services in the United States. 

This is a report from SAMHSA that reviews the literature on the effectiveness of telehealth modalities for the treatment of severe mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorder (SUD), distills the research into recommendations for practice, and provides examples of how practitioners use these…

This is a CADTH Rapid Response Report that gives a critical appraisal on providing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) via telemedicine. The report summarizes the evidence for telehealth-delivered MOUD and provides evidence-based guidelines, a cost-effective analysis, and guidance on…