From Awareness to Action: CCHE’s Work in Overdose Prevention

August 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day, a global campaign to end overdoses, remember loved ones who have been harmed and died from drug overdose, and support families and friends impacted by substance use. Overdose continues to affect communities nationwide, but dedicated partners and innovative strategies make a difference. CCHE is proud to highlight two initiatives:

Virtual Practice Facilitation and Opioid Safety Committees

CCHE recently collaborated with the Accelerating Care Transformation (ACT) Center to support primary care clinics in launching multidisciplinary opioid safety committees, which focused not only on opioids but whole-person care for those experiencing persistent pain. The project used virtual practice facilitation as a strategy for quality improvement and collaborated with patient partners to design, create, and edit materials. 

• A published article details feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of implementing this approach with clinics, amplifying their ability to improve opioid safety through structured, data-driven processes. 
• Early outcomes from this program were presented at AcademyHealth’s annual research meeting, highlighting clinic progress and lessons learned in implementing opioid safety practices and promoting whole-person care.
• A practical toolkit to support individuals in managing persistent pain regardless of opioid use was recently published. The toolkit acknowledges that managing pain is most effectively addressed through a combination of medical guidance, self-management strategies, and ongoing support. 

Public Health Institute’s Center for Health Leadership and Impact (CHLI)’s overdose prevention programs

Since 2020, CCHE has partnered with the Center for Health Leadership and Impact (CHLI) to evaluate and strengthen overdose prevention programs. Most recently, our evaluations found:

• National Overdose Prevention Network – a national network connecting coalitions, organizations, and individuals across the country working at the forefront of the overdose epidemic – increased participants’ skills and abilities to advance overdose prevention work and added value to their networks (as detailed in the 2024 report.)
• California Overdose Prevention Network’s Accelerator Program – a program uniting California-based coalitions to share ideas and discover the latest methods and strategies to prevent new addictions and stop overdose deaths in their communities –successfully strengthened coalitions in areas such as developing strategic partnerships, using data, and sustainability, as outlined in the Accelerator 5.0 report. This year’s program focuses on effective messaging.

• We encourage you to engage with CHLI’s resources and stories of impact: https://nopn.org/california/stories-impact.

  CCHE remains committed to sharing stories, resources, and strategies that prevent overdoses, honor lives lost, support people and families struggling with substance use, and strengthen community health and wellbeing.