Articles

Building Public Safety Partnership Protocols for Overdose Scenes That Protect Trust, Improve Response, and Avoid Criminalization Drift
Overdose prevention work breaks when public safety and outreach operate in parallel or in conflict at overdose scenes. This article explains how counties build governed public safety partnership protocols—roles, non-interference rules, data limits, and escalation pathways—so EMS, law enforcement, and harm reduction teams protect life while preserving trust and engagement. Read more...
Designing ED and Hospital Harm Reduction Consult Teams That Reduce Repeat Overdose and Improve Follow-Through
ED and inpatient settings are high-yield intervention points, but many hospitals still rely on informal, inconsistent harm reduction practice. This article explains how counties and health systems build governed harm reduction consult teams—workflows, role clarity, referral closure, and QA—so overdose risk is addressed in real time and follow-through becomes measurable. Read more...
Building Sustainable Funding and Contracting Models for Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Systems
Harm reduction systems often rely on short-term grants that undermine workforce stability and long-term planning. This cornerstone guide explains how counties design blended funding strategies, performance-aligned contracts, and audit-ready reporting frameworks that sustain overdose prevention services without distorting frontline practice. Read more...
Designing County-Level Overdose Prevention Workforce Models That Balance Clinical Oversight and Street-Level Agility
Overdose prevention systems fail when workforce design swings between rigid clinical control and ungoverned outreach autonomy. This cornerstone guide explains how counties structure harm reduction workforce models—roles, supervision, escalation pathways, and QA—so street-level agility coexists with clinical accountability, safety, and measurable impact. Read more...
Designing Data Sharing and Consent Workflows for Harm Reduction Outreach That Stand Up to Oversight
Harm reduction systems break when information cannot move safely between outreach teams, providers, and public health—yet over-collection destroys trust. This cornerstone guide explains how counties design consent and minimum-necessary data workflows, role rules, and audit controls so outreach-to-care coordination is defensible, fundable, and operationally usable. Read more...
Building Harm Reduction Service Navigation Pathways That Move People Into Care Without Coercion
Harm reduction services can be the most trusted entry point into care, but navigation fails when referrals are informal and follow-up is optional. This cornerstone guide explains how counties build governed, “no wrong door” navigation pathways—roles, workflows, data sharing, and QA—so harm reduction contact reliably converts into voluntary care engagement. Read more...
Designing Public Health–Led Overdose Data Dashboards That Drive Action Rather Than Optics
Overdose dashboards are increasingly common, yet many fail to drive operational response. This article explains how counties design public health dashboards that integrate EMS, ED, toxicology, and outreach data into governed decision-making workflows—transforming visibility into timely, measurable overdose prevention action. Read more...
Designing Pharmacy-Based Naloxone Access Pathways That Expand Coverage Without Creating Governance Gaps
Pharmacy naloxone access laws expand availability, but access alone does not ensure coverage or impact. This article explains how counties design pharmacy-integrated naloxone pathways that align standing orders, reimbursement, data capture, and outreach coordination—so expanded access becomes measurable overdose prevention rather than symbolic policy. Read more...
Building EMS-Linked Overdose Follow-Up Programs That Convert 911 Contacts Into Engagement Pathways
EMS encounters are critical overdose intervention points, yet many systems lack structured follow-up. This article explains how counties design EMS-linked outreach programs that transform 911 overdose responses into governed, accountable engagement pathways aligned with harm reduction, treatment access, and funder expectations. Read more...
Designing County-Level Overdose Fatality Review Systems That Drive Real-Time Prevention Action
Overdose fatality reviews (OFRs) often become retrospective discussions rather than operational prevention tools. This article explains how counties design OFR systems that convert case insight into real-time action—linking EMS, public health, harm reduction, and treatment providers through governed workflows, audit trails, and measurable prevention impact. Read more...
Measuring Harm Reduction System Performance: Practical Metrics, Audit Trails, and Continuous Improvement
Harm reduction systems are often judged on distribution volume, but credible performance management requires measures that reflect reach, safety, timeliness, and learning. This article explains how counties build a practical metrics pack, audit trails, and improvement cycles that satisfy oversight without distorting frontline delivery. Read more...
Operating Overdose Prevention in Rural and Frontier Counties: Mobile Harm Reduction, EMS Integration, and Coverage Assurance
Rural overdose prevention fails when services are designed like urban drop-ins. This article explains how rural and frontier counties build mobile harm reduction, EMS-linked follow-up, and defensible coverage assurance so prevention reaches isolated high-risk residents reliably. Read more...