State and local government officials, as well as researchers and stakeholders came together to discuss how to stem the tide of the opioid crisis.
An expert panel took questions from state and local government officials, private businesses, non-profit providers, and other stakeholders looking to understand how policy and practices can protect residents from opioids. Discussion topics ranged from both ends of the spectrum where individuals with a substance use disorder can fall and everywhere in between. The sprawling nature of the conversation depicted just how widespread and pervasive the crisis has proven. This understanding substantiated why collaboration across divisions and departments at the state and local level is so valuable.
Major takeaways focused on the absolute need for all-hands-on-deck in this fight and how important it is to prevent loss of life and the entry of new users into the opioid market. From the discussion, two major strategies to meet those ends were discussed – overdose prevention methods and educational programs in schools to prevent impressionable youth from becoming new users. As opioid restitution money continues to flow to local and state governments, the use of these dollars will need to becoming increasingly more focused.
ICYMI@kishadavismd: ‘There is a much broader and bigger problem of substance use disorder and also of mental health disorders…we have to make sure that we are reaching in on every level and not just focusing in on only those folks who are overdosing.’https://t.co/QMZb9P9I2M
— Montgomery County DHHS (@MoCoDHHS) August 17, 2023
More about MACo’s Summer Conference:
