Tuesday, May 21, 2024
5/21/2024
The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), University of Missouri-Kansas City/Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network, Columbia University and a coalition of over 40 national interprofessional health, behavioral health, harm reduction and justice-involved organizations form the Opioid Response Network (ORN). ORN provides technical assistance (TA) to State Opioid Response (SOR) grantees, Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grantees, organizations, communities and individuals addressing opioid use disorder (OUD), stimulant use disorder (StUD), and other substance use disorders (SUDs) and co-occurring psychiatric disorders across all 50 states and nine territories. ORN is uniquely and ideally positioned to understand and respond to the nation's SUD prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery needs. Overdose mortality is at the highest level ever (over 107,000 individuals dies from overdose in 2021 (CDC, 2022)) and concerns are growing over the poisoned drug supply due to fentanyl now impacting most the U.S. More work is needed to expand the capacity of practitioners, organizations and healthcare systems to advance state and local responses but also provide support to a workforce overwhelmed with the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health crises occurring simultaneously. ORN has a system that responds immediately and effectively to meet diverse local needs. In addition to regional considerations, ORN is equipped to support individuals and communities who bear and disproportionate burden from OUD and StUD, including youth and young adults, Black and Indigenous communities, LGBTQ+ people, rural communities and individuals involved in the legal system. ORN Technology Transfer Specialists (TTS) facilitate ORN's on-the-ground TA with prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery consultants including physicians, nurses and allied health professionals with expertise in addiction-related care. ORN partner organization also facilitate TA across their memberships, constituents and communities based on identified needs. All ORN activities are channeled through formal vetting possesses to ensure for the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate, state-of-the-art, evidence-based TA. ORN is committed to reducing pervasive stigma attached to substance use disorders and improving racial, ethnic, cultural and linguistic competence, and well as awareness and competencies for effectively responding to OUD and StUD is rural, underserved and under-resourced communities that often experience persistent health disparities. ORN has strategically expanded capacity to deliver culturally responsive TA to TOR grantees. The primary goal of the SOR consortium is to provide SOR and TOR grantees, sub-recipients and other addressing OUDs/StUDs across the U.S. with direct access to local experts who can provide localized TA and evidence-based practices (EBPs) across prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery support programs/services. Since March 2018, ORN has responded to over 4,000 requests through its established TA request system (www.OpioidResponseNetwork.org) which responds to requests for education and training with one business day. Approximately 75,000 people have participated in ORN activities to date. By September 30, 2024, ORN will provide TA in evidence-based prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery support services to an additional 50,000 individuals. ORN's performance measures include the number of individuals/practitioners who 1) initiate training in EBPs, 2) are trained on EBPs, and 3) implement training in EBPs for OUD and StUD prevention, treatment, recovery, overdose recognition and naloxone use.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
