Articles

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...
Post-Overdose Outreach and Warm Handoff Models That Prevent Repeat Events and Build Engagement
Non-fatal overdoses are among the strongest predictors of future fatal overdose. This article explains how counties design post-overdose outreach and warm handoff models that operate at real-world speed—linking EMS and ED touchpoints to follow-up, naloxone reinforcement, and voluntary treatment access without coercion. Read more...
Overdose Prevention Outreach for People Using Alone: Practical System Design Beyond Generic Messaging
Many overdose deaths occur when people use alone, making “bystander response” impossible. This article explains how counties design outreach, wellness-check, and technology-enabled supports that reduce risk for people using alone—while staying rights-respecting, non-punitive, and auditable for funders. Read more...
Building Syringe Services and Safer Use Supply Systems That Improve Health Outcomes and Strengthen Community Trust
Syringe services programs (SSPs) and safer use supply distribution reduce HIV/HCV transmission, prevent wound complications, and create high-trust engagement pathways. This article explains how counties design SSP and safer supply systems that are operationally robust, governed for safety, and integrated with care without undermining harm reduction principles. Read more...
Designing Drug Checking and Rapid Alert Systems That Reduce Overdose Risk Without Creating Governance Gaps
Drug checking can prevent deaths when it is treated as a governed public health function: clear workflow, defined thresholds for alerts, and coordinated response across outreach, providers, and public information channels. This article explains how counties and partners implement drug checking and rapid alert systems that are operationally reliable, privacy-safe, and defensible to funders. Read more...
Embedding Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Into Shelters, Supportive Housing, and Congregate Settings
Shelters and supportive housing settings often sit at the center of local overdose risk, but many lack governed overdose prevention practice. This article explains how operators and counties embed harm reduction into congregate settings through protocols, training, escalation, and auditable response systems that protect residents and staff. Read more...
Real-Time Overdose Surveillance and Spike Response Playbooks for Counties and Providers
Overdose prevention systems work best when they can see risk emerging and respond within days, not months. This article explains how counties build real-time overdose surveillance, define spike thresholds, and activate coordinated response playbooks across EMS, EDs, outreach, and harm reduction partners with auditable governance. Read more...
Designing Countywide Naloxone Distribution Systems That Actually Reach High-Risk Populations
Naloxone saves lives, but only when distribution systems are designed around real patterns of overdose risk and access barriers. This article explains how counties build naloxone distribution models that move beyond passive supply, integrate partners, and create auditable coverage across high-risk populations. Read more...
Designing a County Harm Reduction System That Reduces Overdose Without Losing Public Trust
Harm reduction works when it is designed as a system, not a set of isolated initiatives. This article explains how counties build overdose prevention infrastructure—naloxone distribution, outreach integration, data-driven targeting, and safety governance—so interventions are scalable, auditable, and trusted by communities and funders. Read more...