One-thousand overdose deaths occurred in King County, Washington in 2022 – approximately doubling the number of overdose deaths that occurred in 2020. To help address the crisis, Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) is applying for Components A, B (with ME/C funding option), and C of the CDC Overdose to Action: LOCAL funding opportunity. Our 3-part application is configured to be able to quickly adapt to a dynamic local, state, and national landscape while centering the voices of individuals with lived and living experience and addressing racial/ethnic and social disparities. With OD2A: LOCAL support, PHSKC will (1) embed six care navigators within community and healthcare partner agencies; (2) build a care coordination hub to foster enhanced cross-sector and cross-agency communications and information exchange; (3) enhance PHSKC distribution of naloxone and harm reduction supplies; (4) increase the training resources available pertaining to opioid prescribing guidance, stigma reduction, overdose prevention, and harm reduction strategies; and (5) enhance public health surveillance of fatal and non-fatal overdose, King County drug supply, and linkage and retention in substance use disorder programs. These activities will be implemented in close collaboration with public safety, community, and healthcare agencies.
