Denver Metro Overdose Prevention Collaborative - Young People in Recovery (YPR) will establish the Denver Metro Overdose Prevention Collaborative, a regional initiative serving Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson Counties to strengthen overdose prevention infrastructure through coordinated community partnerships, expanded access to FDA-approved opioid overdose reversal medications (OORMs), healthcare provider education, peer navigation, and a bilingual counterfeit pill prevention campaign. The project will focus on adolescents and young adults ages 14–26 at elevated risk for overdose, including individuals actively using substances, those with a history of nonfatal overdose, justice-involved youth, young adults leaving treatment, individuals experiencing housing instability, and young people exposed to fentanyl through counterfeit pills. Capacity-building activities will also engage healthcare providers, pharmacies, schools, first responders, faith communities, public health agencies, and families. YPR will implement the project through the Denver Metro Overdose Prevention Collaborative, a regional backbone model that coordinates healthcare systems, public health agencies, schools, pharmacies, recovery organizations, and community partners. Strategies include purchasing and distributing OORMs; training lay persons and healthcare professionals; conducting bilingual community outreach; implementing a counterfeit pill prevention campaign through social media, digital advertising, and community education; establishing regional referral pathways and peer navigation; convening a Youth Advisory Council and multidisciplinary workgroups; and using the Pathwell electronic performance management system to support SPARS reporting and continuous quality improvement. Project Goals Reduce opioid overdose morbidity and mortality; strengthen regional overdose prevention infrastructure; and build sustainable organizational and community capacity. Annual Measurable Objectives • Purchase and distribute at least 2,500 FDA-approved OORM kits annually. • Train at least 1,500 lay persons and 500 healthcare professionals annually. • Conduct at least 150 community outreach events and educate 2,500 unduplicated participants annually. • Reach at least 10,000 community members through bilingual prevention campaigns and outreach annually. • Enroll at least 400 participants in peer navigation with a 75% referral completion rate. • Maintain 10–15 implementation partners and convene quarterly Community Prevention Collaborative meetings.
