Harm Reduction
Policy

As a consultancy group with expertise in organizational development and research, OTCG can contribute to creating an agenda towards solving the opioid crisis by:

  1. Providing training and technical assistance: OTCG can provide training and technical assistance to organizations working on the opioid crisis to help them develop effective strategies and programs. This can include assistance with grant writing and management, technical development, and decision support tools.

  2. Conducting research and evaluation: OTCG can conduct research and evaluation on opioid-related programs and policies to help organizations better understand what works and what doesn’t. This can include empirical research design and monitoring and evaluation of programs.

  3. Facilitating collaboration and networking: OTCG can facilitate collaboration and networking among organizations working on the opioid crisis to promote knowledge sharing and best practices. This can include mediation and negotiation services to help organizations work together to address common challenges.

  4. Providing advocacy and communications support: OTCG can provide advocacy and communications support to help organizations working on the opioid crisis raise awareness and build support for their work. This can include website design and branding, as well as other communication strategies to reach a wider audience.

Overall, OTCG can help create an agenda towards solving the opioid crisis by providing a range of services and expertise to support organizations working in this field. By leveraging scientific methods and analysis and promoting participatory decision-making, OTCG can contribute to more effective and sustainable solutions to this critical public health issue.

About

The United States is currently experiencing a drug epidemic that has been ongoing for several decades. The opioid crisis is one aspect of this epidemic, which is particularly severe. Opioids are a class of drugs that include both legal prescription painkillers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl, as well as illegal drugs like heroin. In recent years, the over-prescription of opioids has led to widespread addiction, overdose, and death. The epidemic has been described as a public health crisis, and it has affected individuals and communities across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdose deaths in the United States increased from about 16,000 in 2010 to nearly 70,000 in 2019. In 2020, there were over 93,000 drug overdose deaths, with opioids being involved in over 60% of those cases.

The opioid crisis has been driven by a range of factors, including pharmaceutical marketing and lobbying, inadequate prescribing practices, and limited access to addiction treatment. Poverty, social isolation, and hopelessness have also been identified as contributing factors, particularly in areas where economic opportunities have declined. While efforts have been made to address the crisis, including the expansion of access to overdose-reversing drugs like naloxone, the implementation of prescription drug monitoring programs, and the development of alternative pain management strategies, the epidemic continues to have a significant impact on communities across the United States. (Sources: CDC, “Drug Overdose Deaths,” 2021; National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Opioid Overdose Crisis,” 2021)

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OrganizingTogether technical experts and scientists help grassroots organizations, nonprofits, and municipal and state governmental departments in developing research methods for public policy creation and evaluation of existing programs. If you have problem in your community, please complete the form with a brief description of your problem, location, and funding (if any).