Sessions

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic and stressful experiences that include abuse, neglect, and family disruption. These experiences create biologic changes in the brain and body and are linked to a multitude of poor outcomes later in life, including substance use disorder. It has been estimated that up to 67% of drug use problems can be attributed to ACEs. This session will describe what ACEs are, their neurobiologic and physiologic effects, the link to poor outcomes, and strategies to prevent and respond to them.

The realities of poverty, homelessness, social isolation, safety, and access to food and transportation deeply impact too many of North Carolina’s young children and their families. Upstream interventions addressing a family’s non-medical drivers of health and trauma are important strategies for improving the health of all North Carolinians and preventing and treating opioid misuse and substance use disorders. This session will highlight the strategic thinking of the NC Early Childhood Action Plan, and the State’s Healthy Opportunities Initiative, all with the goal of changing outcomes for North Carolina’s families.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic or stressful events experienced before age 18 and include eight categories of childhood abuse and household dysfunction, such as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; adult substance abuse; and household domestic violence. A growing body of evidence shows that these early experiences are common and can have long-lasting effects on mental and physical wellbeing. Findings from a sentinel ACE Study demonstrated a strong, graded relationship between ACEs and several poor health outcomes in adulthood. Results showed that as the number of ACEs a person had experienced increased, so did the risk for substance use disorder, obesity, suicidality, depression, intimate partner violence, heart disease, and a range of other poor health outcomes in adulthood. But ACEs are not destiny, and early trauma does not have to dictate a life story. Research shows that protective factors can cushion the impact of adversity. This breakout session will highlight three community examples to build resilient, trauma-informed communities. Panelist will share how they are working in their communities and provide practical strategies.

Panelists Include:

• Elizabeth Troutman, Charlotte Resilience Project
• Ennis Baker, Orange RESILIENCE Initiative
• Moderator: Catherine Joyner

Statewide, parental substance misuse was a contributing factor to children entering foster care in 39 percent of cases in SFY 2016-17, a 50 percent increase since SFY 2007-08. This presentation will discuss recent data, the impact on child well-being, and closing the health insurance coverage gap as a policy solution to give parents the prevention and treatment options they need to provide safe, stable environments for their children.

Communities can benefit from understanding the impact of childhood trauma on children, families, and providers. This presentation will provide a brief overview on child trauma, the impact of trauma on child development, and the behavioral and emotional effects including opioid and other substance abuse. This interactive presentation will target all professionals working with children and families from first responders to child welfare workers to mental health providers.

This session will provide an overview of housing support in North Carolina, including the range of housing options available for people who use drugs. The Housing First approach will be explored, including diversion, low barrier shelter, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing. The session also will cover the impacts of unstable housing on health and how Housing First relates to substance use.

Since the NC Opioid Action Plan was launched in June 2017, significant progress has been made on many of the strategies listed. At the halfway mark of the plan’s inception, we are building on the strategic plan built through the Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) to reflect on lessons learned and show how the epidemic has shifted and changed over the past two years.

At the upcoming Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit, we will launch NC Opioid Action Plan 2.0. The updated plan was created in with the input of numerous partners and stakeholders to be impactful and implementable and will be distributed publicly for feedback before the summit. This version will include a menu of local menu of strategies that counties, local coalitions and stakeholders can implement. Some examples of local strategies include; improve naloxone access, advance supportive housing, work with local employers to implement supportive policies, promote public awareness and stigma reduction, and other actions to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

What families need to know, be prepared for and expect when their loved one needs or returns from treatment.

Harm Reduction strategies like syringe exchange programs (SEPs) have been employed for decades to mitigate the harms associated with drug use, but it was only a couple of years ago that SEPs were made legal in North Carolina. While many of us may be familiar with some of the public health interventions commonly associated with Harm Reduction, few are as familiar with the ethos of Harm Reduction or with the movement for the rights of people who use drugs (PWUD) that is an essential part of it. This session will provide participants with an understanding of Harm Reduction: it’s history, underlying principles, and evidence that shows it’s effectiveness in a variety of areas.”

This session will present two key perspectives on medical and social service provider access and engagement with people who use drugs. Panelists will discuss direct service considerations and best practices when working with drug users and other vulnerable populations. Using a harm reduction approach, panelists will also share lessons and recommendations for agencies and institutions seeking to make services and spaces more accessible and welcoming for people who use drugs.

Full Un-Truncated Session Title: “Meet Us Where We’re At” — Cultural Humility and Positive Engagement with People Who Use Drugs

While the nation’s main focus may currently be on the opioid epidemic, North Carolina data show an increasing number of overdose deaths involving other substances like cocaine, benzodiazepines, and psychostimulants. Statewide surveillance data also indicate varied drug combinations responsible for a growing number of overdose deaths in our state, suggesting a need to include polysubstance use prevention efforts in our work to combat this epidemic. This session will examine the data around polysubstance use and discuss on-the-ground service provision perspectives and lessons learned from working with people engaged in polysubstance use to support individuals and organizations in developing and providing sustainable, in-demand services in their communities.

This session will present on the intersection of faith and harm reduction and how to engage with faith leaders. Speakers will share feedback from faith leaders across the state about their role and contributions to practicing harm reduction principles in their communities. Using a harm reduction approach, speakers will share recommendations for agencies and institutions looking to partner with faith communities.

This session will provide an overview of housing support in North Carolina, including the range of housing options available for people who use drugs. The Housing First approach will be explored, including diversion, low barrier shelter, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing. The session also will cover the impacts of unstable housing on health and how Housing First relates to substance use.

Communities can benefit from understanding the impact of childhood trauma on children, families, and providers. This presentation will provide a brief overview on child trauma, the impact of trauma on child development, and the behavioral and emotional effects including opioid and other substance abuse. This interactive presentation will target all professionals working with children and families from first responders to child welfare workers to mental health providers.

Shabbar Ranapurwala will talk about the opioid overdose death risk among formerly incarcerated individuals in North Carolina and factors associated with opioid overdose deaths among this population including mental health disorders and restrictive housing during incarceration.

Gary Junker, PhD, HSP-P will be speaking on the challenges of providing mental health services and substance use treatment within prisons. He will also review current substance use treatment programs both within prisons and at residential facilities. Dr. Junker will review a MAT pilot project planned at three prison re-entry facilities and efforts to provide naloxone at various exit points from the prison system. Research collaboration with UNC and DHHS will also be referenced.

Maggie Brewer and Karen Buck will discuss Community Corrections journey educating all staff regarding co-occurring disorders (severe mental health and substance abuse disorders) and our lesson learned with the MAT pilots in Wilkes and Iredell. We will also discuss the implementing NARCAN as part of our probation officer safety package and the experiences in the field the past couple of years along with the sustainability plan.

This session will explore two innovative programs that utilize a public health approach within the traditional criminal justice system to improve the health outcomes of justice-involved populations. Attendees will learn how these initiatives utilize public health data and harm reduction strategies as the cornerstone of the programming.

Since the NC Opioid Action Plan was launched in June 2017, significant progress has been made on many of the strategies listed. At the halfway mark of the plan’s inception, we are building on the strategic plan built through the Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) to reflect on lessons learned and show how the epidemic has shifted and changed over the past two years.

At the upcoming Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit, we will launch NC Opioid Action Plan 2.0. The updated plan was created in with the input of numerous partners and stakeholders to be impactful and implementable and will be distributed publicly for feedback before the summit. This version will include a menu of local menu of strategies that counties, local coalitions and stakeholders can implement. Some examples of local strategies include; improve naloxone access, advance supportive housing, work with local employers to implement supportive policies, promote public awareness and stigma reduction, and other actions to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

In this session participants will hear about the latest drug trends and surveillance from several key data sources around stimulants, alcohol and other drugs. Modernizing and expanding our current systems to address future needs will be discussed. In addition, we will describe and discuss leveraging existing state data, opioid research agenda, data gaps/needs and associated data governance. Lastly, this session will discuss moving from data to action for prevention.

The opioid misuse and overdose crisis affects everyone in a community. This interactive panel discussion will provide insight on the importance of working together from professionals within the field of prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. The panel will also discuss any challenges, lessons learned and successes when working together to (1) prevent misuse and abuse; (2) improve access to early intervention and treatment; (3) and provide a community environment conducive to recovery and personal wellness.

Addiction, high-risk use, problematic use and experimentation – all descriptors for student substance abuse at the collegiate level. News venues tend to focus on one particular substance, but does it matter? In this session you will hear the data about substance use on college campuses, the concern and the trends. Learn how campuses approach the substance abuse phenomenon and address the risk no matter the drug of choice.

In this session, we will discuss key findings from a recent study looking at the impact of a NC community-based naloxone distribution program on county opioid overdose death rates. We will also examine results of a cost-benefit analysis of the program. Finally, we will explore key pieces of the recently released North Carolina Naloxone Distribution Toolkit, which was developed to guide local health departments, coalitions, and community organizations through the process of implementing a naloxone distribution standing order

This session will highlight the infectious complications of drug use. There will be a specific focus on viral hepatitis, and endocarditis, disease transmission and population overlap.

This presentation will discuss best practices for developing genuine collaborations between people who use drugs (PWUD) and community-based researchers who study drug-related harm. Jon Zibbell is a medical anthropologist at RTI International with two decades of field experience conducting community-based research with people who inject drugs. Louise Vincent is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Survivors Union (NCSU), a drug user-union in Greensboro. Louise and Jon have been research partners since 2013, collaborating on numerous studies examining illicit drug markets, point-of-use drug checking, injection drug use behavior, and injection-related health outcomes. In this presentation, they will share practical strategies for developing genuine and meaningful collaborations between drug researchers and drug consumers. They will present examples of meaningful collaboration that go far beyond PWUD serving as ‘peer navigators’ or ‘peer educators.’ They will explain why it is critical to address the power imbalance between researcher and researched if inclusion and community ownership of the research process is to occur. The importance of having PWUD engaged in every area of research and programmatic development will be addressed and strategies for including PWUD in research design, delivery and evaluation will be offered. Louise and Jon will show that it is possible to increase health outcomes and save lives while building community resilience and encouraging civic participation.

This session will explore the conditions that led to the Scott County HIV outbreak, the state’s (lack of) response, the grass roots response, the problematic legislation that sanctioned SSP’s, lessons learned, and next steps necessary to protect Hoosiers from on-going syndemic.

Communities across the state are coming together to create an effective response to the significant increase in overdose deaths in recent years. Post-overdose response teams (PORTs) are an emerging strategy to meaningfully engage with people who have experienced an overdose. These teams follow up with patients who have experienced an overdose within 72 hours. Teams seek to link the patient with appropriate care ranging from harm reduction services to treatment to recovery supports.

These PORT Trainings will equip participants to start or continue development of programs led by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and/or a harm reduction community-based organization. In addition to EMS, teams will learn to meaningfully engage with persons with lived experience or in recovery and other harm reduction specialists when developing and operating PORTs. It covers how everyone can work together to be a part of a post overdose response team (PORT) including all first responders (dispatch, fire, EMS, LEOs), the MCO, mobile crisis, peers, behavioral health providers, the faith community, congregational nurses, shelters, public health, etc. and get people connected to a variety of harm reduction, treatment, and recovery options.

Program Objectives:

• Take a critical look at our understanding of substance use disorders (SUDs), addiction science, and people who use drugs (PWUD).
• Gain an understanding of more appropriate interventions, treatment, and linkage to care options for PWUD.
• Examine what prevents people from seeking treatment.
• Provide first responders and community partners with strategies aimed to identify resources in their community to support their team and how to make referrals to these agencies.
• Equip you to develop a post-overdose response team to serve as a strategic approach to address overdose within your community.

This session on “Community Strategies: The Role of Local Health Departments for Linkages to Care” will be a panel discussion with three local health department/district (LHD) grantees from NC Division of Public Health funding. The session will begin with an overview of how the request for applications funding process was developed, including a brief description of the NC Association of Local Health Directors Opioid Workgroup. Then, three of the LHD grantees will share highlights of local partnerships and how they’ve implemented their selected strategies to develop linkages to care for those at risk of overdose. The strategies include development or expansion of: syringe exchange programs, EMS-/Peer-led post-overdose response teams, and jail-based linkage to care programs. The session will conclude with opportunities to ask questions and discussion.

This session will explore the use of peer support specialists within the emergency department to help engage patients in long-term treatment for their substance use disorder. Participants will learn about the ED Peer Support Pilot Project, funded by DHHS and administered by NCHA and the impact of the program on patients within six pilot EDs across the state.

What families need to know, be prepared for and expect when their loved one needs or returns from treatment.

This session will provide an overview of the newly launched NC Collegiate Recovery Leadership Academy, hosted by S.A.F.E. Project (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic), APNC (Addiction Professionals of North Carolina) and UNC- Chapel Hill. This six-month fellowship program paired students and mentors to work on impact projects that impact collegiate recovery, leadership, and service. Students will share their fabulous projects, and their insight on what is working well in North Carolina to support Collegiate Recovery and Wellness, and what barriers we still need to overcome.

The understanding of the role of buprenorphine in changing and saving lives has evolved since it became available in 2002. This session will focus on Best Practices as defined by New York State Department of Health and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Counseling, polysubstance use, initial assessment and diversion of the medication will be discussed.  Participants will be encouraged to discuss their experiences with buprenorphine including, but not limited to, their roles as providers and patients.

Opioid Treatment Centers (OTP) and Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) practices are not new. However, with the opioid crisis continuing and in some areas worsening, we are hearing more about these clinics. We are seeing more of them open as we recognize the impact and importance of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Opioid Use Disorder. There are significant differences between the OTP and OBOT style of clinic and we will explore these.

By the end of this presentation, participants will have a better knowledge of:

• OTP and OBOT and definitions relevant to each one
• Differentiation of the two styles of these clinics
• Federal regulations, legal responsibilities and obligations
• Staff training and education
• DATA 2000 and the “X” license as it relates to these two types of clinics.
• Medications that are prescribed in these settings

This session on “Community Strategies: The Role of Local Health Departments for Linkages to Care” will be a panel discussion with three local health department/district (LHD) grantees from NC Division of Public Health funding. The session will begin with an overview of how the request for applications funding process was developed, including a brief description of the NC Association of Local Health Directors Opioid Workgroup. Then, three of the LHD grantees will share highlights of local partnerships and how they’ve implemented their selected strategies to develop linkages to care for those at risk of overdose. The strategies include development or expansion of: syringe exchange programs, EMS-/Peer-led post-overdose response teams, and jail-based linkage to care programs. The session will conclude with opportunities to ask questions and discussion.

This session will explore the conditions that led to the Scott County HIV outbreak, the state’s (lack of) response, the grass roots response, the problematic legislation that sanctioned SSP’s, lessons learned, and next steps necessary to protect Hoosiers from on-going syndemic.

Communities across the state are coming together to create an effective response to the significant increase in overdose deaths in recent years. Post-overdose response teams (PORTs) are an emerging strategy to meaningfully engage with people who have experienced an overdose. These teams follow up with patients who have experienced an overdose within 72 hours. Teams seek to link the patient with appropriate care ranging from harm reduction services to treatment to recovery supports.

These PORT Trainings will equip participants to start or continue development of programs led by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and/or a harm reduction community-based organization. In addition to EMS, teams will learn to meaningfully engage with persons with lived experience or in recovery and other harm reduction specialists when developing and operating PORTs. It covers how everyone can work together to be a part of a post overdose response team (PORT) including all first responders (dispatch, fire, EMS, LEOs), the MCO, mobile crisis, peers, behavioral health providers, the faith community, congregational nurses, shelters, public health, etc. and get people connected to a variety of harm reduction, treatment, and recovery options.

Program Objectives:

• Take a critical look at our understanding of substance use disorders (SUDs), addiction science, and people who use drugs (PWUD).
• Gain an understanding of more appropriate interventions, treatment, and linkage to care options for PWUD.
• Examine what prevents people from seeking treatment.
• Provide first responders and community partners with strategies aimed to identify resources in their community to support their team and how to make referrals to these agencies.
• Equip you to develop a post-overdose response team to serve as a strategic approach to address overdose within your community.

This session will explore the use of peer support specialists within the emergency department to help engage patients in long-term treatment for their substance use disorder. Participants will learn about the ED Peer Support Pilot Project, funded by DHHS and administered by NCHA and the impact of the program on patients within six pilot EDs across the state.

Payers play a critical role in responding to the opioid epidemic. In this session, two of North Carolina’s major payers, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, will discuss efforts they are making to prevent opioid addiction and overdose and to increase access to treatment for opioid use disorder. This session will also include discussion of a new alternative payment model NC DHHS will pilot to pay for medication-assisted treatment.

This session will spotlight a pilot initiative aimed at improving health equity issues in Ashe County. Presenters will take a look at the complex root causes of behavioral health inequities, the relationship between community readiness and acknowledgement of the issues, and reflect on the challenges and successes in carrying out the initiative.

Statewide, parental substance misuse was a contributing factor to children entering foster care in 39 percent of cases in SFY 2016-17, a 50 percent increase since SFY 2007-08. This presentation will discuss recent data, the impact on child well-being, and closing the health insurance coverage gap as a policy solution to give parents the prevention and treatment options they need to provide safe, stable environments for their children.

This session will present two key perspectives on medical and social service provider access and engagement with people who use drugs. Panelists will discuss direct service considerations and best practices when working with drug users and other vulnerable populations. Using a harm reduction approach, panelists will also share lessons and recommendations for agencies and institutions seeking to make services and spaces more accessible and welcoming for people who use drugs.

Full Un-Truncated Session Title: “Meet Us Where We’re At” — Cultural Humility and Positive Engagement with People Who Use Drugs

This session will focus on highlighting three media campaigns that have been implemented in NC in response to the Opioid Epidemic including: Lock Your Meds, CDC Rx Awareness Campaign, and More Powerful NC.

The CDC Rx Awareness Campaign focused on increasing the awareness and knowledge on the risks of opioids and to discourage inappropriate use among adult 25+. This presentation will focus on the campaign results and lessons learned.

The More Powerful NC Campaign works to raise awareness of the epidemic as a whole, encourage people to safely dispose of unneeded medication, and feel empowered to make a difference in their own community. It is a public private partnership among NCDOJ, NCDHHS, Atrium Heath, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina, and other partners. This presentation will focus on how the campaign came together and next steps.

The Lock Your Meds Campaign targets parents of youth and focuses on the importance of proper medication storage and disposal. We will focus on the resources made available through this campaign, it’s success in implementation to date, and how one can get involved in the campaign. Lock Your Meds is supported by NCDHHS-MHDDSAS, Opioid STR/Cures Grant and, SPF-RX.

This session will explore two innovative programs that utilize a public health approach within the traditional criminal justice system to improve the health outcomes of justice-involved populations. Attendees will learn how these initiatives utilize public health data and harm reduction strategies as the cornerstone of the programming.

Since the NC Opioid Action Plan was launched in June 2017, significant progress has been made on many of the strategies listed. At the halfway mark of the plan’s inception, we are building on the strategic plan built through the Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) to reflect on lessons learned and show how the epidemic has shifted and changed over the past two years.

At the upcoming Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit, we will launch NC Opioid Action Plan 2.0. The updated plan was created in with the input of numerous partners and stakeholders to be impactful and implementable and will be distributed publicly for feedback before the summit. This version will include a menu of local menu of strategies that counties, local coalitions and stakeholders can implement. Some examples of local strategies include; improve naloxone access, advance supportive housing, work with local employers to implement supportive policies, promote public awareness and stigma reduction, and other actions to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

During this session, the presenters will discuss some of the trends that Service Members and Veterans face in regards to SUD. They will provide some information on the invisible wounds of war (Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Additionally, they will share some of the resources (for active duty service members and Veterans both DOD/VA/ and community) and have some dialogue regarding the path forward.

In this session, participants will learn about several promising prevention approaches that have been implemented across North Carolina to reduce prescription drug misuse. Through the Strategic Prevention Framework for Prescription Drugs (SPF-Rx) project, participants will learn about the online dispenser educational modules that were done in collaboration with the North Carolina Association of Pharmacist (NCAP) and the Governor’s Institute. Burke County will share information on Burke Substance Abuse Network, a community collaborative with a membership of 150 individuals and RxEAP (Prescription Education Awareness and Prevention) taskforce, which have taken on various initiatives in an effort to reduce opioid misuse throughout Burke County. New Hanover County will share information on their prescriber outreach initiative that provides support for accessible prescriber trainings in rural communities and their physician toolkit that promotes physician patient discussions around secure storage, safe disposal and increased access to treatment through physician referrals.

In this session participants will hear about the latest drug trends and surveillance from several key data sources around stimulants, alcohol and other drugs. Modernizing and expanding our current systems to address future needs will be discussed. In addition, we will describe and discuss leveraging existing state data, opioid research agenda, data gaps/needs and associated data governance. Lastly, this session will discuss moving from data to action for prevention.

OPEN is a faith-based organization that aims to foster regular communication between clergy, the medical/prescriber community, and non-pharmacological pain management practitioners in order to expand opioid prevention efforts from the supply side of the opioid equation to the “demand side.” This network in Mitchell County, North Carolina, was launched through CURES and SPF/RX funding that has been co-managed by RHA and PATH under the Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force.

OPEN has provided members of the faith community with training on medical information, such as the effect of opioids on brain chemistry, in order to shift community perceptions away from regarding addiction as a moral failure and towards gaining community support for positive action. OPEN has also served to provide members of the medical community with increased awareness of the deeper spiritual causes of the ongoing medical epidemic associated with opioid misuse. Thus, OPEN has increased sensitivity within the medical community to the types of spiritual supports that are available for their patients. The network was launched after a training at a local church that was held for community members on the opioid crisis and a working dinner that led to the design of a community forum that fostered a conversation between clergy and doctors. OPEN sponsored a clergy panel for the medical community on issues tied to opioid use, such as emotional pain, shame and the deep need for support. OPEN also hosted a training for clergy on alternative non-pharmacological pain management approaches, such as acupuncture, chiropractics, massage, mindful movement, resiliency tools, and yoga. The aim of this training was to provide clergy with sufficient information about alternative pain management modalities, so that they can help members of their congregations access local resources. OPEN is currently hosting listening sessions at rural churches in the network on personal responses and community needs associated with opioid prevention and recovery.

This interactive session will cover pharmacy-based, opioid misuse prevention strategies being utilized in North Carolina, as well as other states. Come hear about these innovative approaches and engage in dialogue on integrated community-based services, which facilitate pharmacists, as a first line of defense, in the battle to reduce opioid misuse and negative health outcomes associated with opioid substance use disorders.

The opioid misuse and overdose crisis affects everyone in a community. This interactive panel discussion will provide insight on the importance of working together from professionals within the field of prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. The panel will also discuss any challenges, lessons learned and successes when working together to (1) prevent misuse and abuse; (2) improve access to early intervention and treatment; (3) and provide a community environment conducive to recovery and personal wellness.

This session will serve as an opportunity to explore planning processes for community impact related to opioids and other substances. Participants will be encouraged to share successes and barriers specific to their community’s and/or organization’s primary prevention efforts.

Presenters will share the lessons learned, interventions and outcomes regarding use and associated consequences from North Carolina’s first Partnerships for Success (PFS) 2013-2018 grant award addressing prescription drug misuse ages 12 to 25. Participants will also learn about the new PFS 2018-2023 project, community selection, and anticipated state and community level interventions to be implemented addressing underage drinking, e-cigarettes and marijuana prevention.

In this session, we will discuss key findings from a recent study looking at the impact of a NC community-based naloxone distribution program on county opioid overdose death rates. We will also examine results of a cost-benefit analysis of the program. Finally, we will explore key pieces of the recently released North Carolina Naloxone Distribution Toolkit, which was developed to guide local health departments, coalitions, and community organizations through the process of implementing a naloxone distribution standing order

This session will highlight the infectious complications of drug use. There will be a specific focus on viral hepatitis, and endocarditis, disease transmission and population overlap.

In this session we will discuss the existing literature regarding the potential implications of parental opioid use and opioid use disorders for child safety and wellbeing, review the epidemiology and trends of substance use during pregnancy and neonatal abstinence syndrome, and describe the North Carolina Plan of Safe Care, a statewide program in response to federal legislation that is designed to address the complex needs of infants with prenatal substance exposure and their caregivers.

What families need to know, be prepared for and expect when their loved one needs or returns from treatment.

Despite the existence of safe and effective medications for opioid use disorder, relatively few patients are treated with these medications. One of the reasons is that training of physicians and many other healthcare professionals has focused very little on substance use disorder in general and opioid use disorder in particular. This session will focus on the partial agonist buprenorphine, identifying current barriers and strategies to incorporate Medication Assisted Treatment training into curriculums and describe efforts NC medical schools, residencies and advance practice programs are making to increase capacity through training and clinical exposure for students and residents.

The understanding of the role of buprenorphine in changing and saving lives has evolved since it became available in 2002. This session will focus on Best Practices as defined by New York State Department of Health and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Counseling, polysubstance use, initial assessment and diversion of the medication will be discussed.  Participants will be encouraged to discuss their experiences with buprenorphine including, but not limited to, their roles as providers and patients.

Opioid Treatment Centers (OTP) and Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) practices are not new. However, with the opioid crisis continuing and in some areas worsening, we are hearing more about these clinics. We are seeing more of them open as we recognize the impact and importance of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Opioid Use Disorder. There are significant differences between the OTP and OBOT style of clinic and we will explore these.

By the end of this presentation, participants will have a better knowledge of:

• OTP and OBOT and definitions relevant to each one
• Differentiation of the two styles of these clinics
• Federal regulations, legal responsibilities and obligations
• Staff training and education
• DATA 2000 and the “X” license as it relates to these two types of clinics.
• Medications that are prescribed in these settings

Since the NC Opioid Action Plan was launched in June 2017, significant progress has been made on many of the strategies listed. At the halfway mark of the plan’s inception, we are building on the strategic plan built through the Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) to reflect on lessons learned and show how the epidemic has shifted and changed over the past two years.

At the upcoming Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit, we will launch NC Opioid Action Plan 2.0. The updated plan was created in with the input of numerous partners and stakeholders to be impactful and implementable and will be distributed publicly for feedback before the summit. This version will include a menu of local menu of strategies that counties, local coalitions and stakeholders can implement. Some examples of local strategies include; improve naloxone access, advance supportive housing, work with local employers to implement supportive policies, promote public awareness and stigma reduction, and other actions to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

Shabbar Ranapurwala will talk about the opioid overdose death risk among formerly incarcerated individuals in North Carolina and factors associated with opioid overdose deaths among this population including mental health disorders and restrictive housing during incarceration.

Gary Junker, PhD, HSP-P will be speaking on the challenges of providing mental health services and substance use treatment within prisons. He will also review current substance use treatment programs both within prisons and at residential facilities. Dr. Junker will review a MAT pilot project planned at three prison re-entry facilities and efforts to provide naloxone at various exit points from the prison system. Research collaboration with UNC and DHHS will also be referenced.

Maggie Brewer and Karen Buck will discuss Community Corrections journey educating all staff regarding co-occurring disorders (severe mental health and substance abuse disorders) and our lesson learned with the MAT pilots in Wilkes and Iredell. We will also discuss the implementing NARCAN as part of our probation officer safety package and the experiences in the field the past couple of years along with the sustainability plan.

This session will explore two innovative programs that utilize a public health approach within the traditional criminal justice system to improve the health outcomes of justice-involved populations. Attendees will learn how these initiatives utilize public health data and harm reduction strategies as the cornerstone of the programming.

This session will focus on highlighting three media campaigns that have been implemented in NC in response to the Opioid Epidemic including: Lock Your Meds, CDC Rx Awareness Campaign, and More Powerful NC.

The CDC Rx Awareness Campaign focused on increasing the awareness and knowledge on the risks of opioids and to discourage inappropriate use among adult 25+. This presentation will focus on the campaign results and lessons learned.

The More Powerful NC Campaign works to raise awareness of the epidemic as a whole, encourage people to safely dispose of unneeded medication, and feel empowered to make a difference in their own community. It is a public private partnership among NCDOJ, NCDHHS, Atrium Heath, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina, and other partners. This presentation will focus on how the campaign came together and next steps.

The Lock Your Meds Campaign targets parents of youth and focuses on the importance of proper medication storage and disposal. We will focus on the resources made available through this campaign, it’s success in implementation to date, and how one can get involved in the campaign. Lock Your Meds is supported by NCDHHS-MHDDSAS, Opioid STR/Cures Grant and, SPF-RX.

During this session, the presenters will discuss some of the trends that Service Members and Veterans face in regards to SUD. They will provide some information on the invisible wounds of war (Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Additionally, they will share some of the resources (for active duty service members and Veterans both DOD/VA/ and community) and have some dialogue regarding the path forward.

Statewide, parental substance misuse was a contributing factor to children entering foster care in 39 percent of cases in SFY 2016-17, a 50 percent increase since SFY 2007-08. This presentation will discuss recent data, the impact on child well-being, and closing the health insurance coverage gap as a policy solution to give parents the prevention and treatment options they need to provide safe, stable environments for their children.

This session will present two key perspectives on medical and social service provider access and engagement with people who use drugs. Panelists will discuss direct service considerations and best practices when working with drug users and other vulnerable populations. Using a harm reduction approach, panelists will also share lessons and recommendations for agencies and institutions seeking to make services and spaces more accessible and welcoming for people who use drugs.

Full Un-Truncated Session Title: “Meet Us Where We’re At” — Cultural Humility and Positive Engagement with People Who Use Drugs

This session will present on the intersection of faith and harm reduction and how to engage with faith leaders. Speakers will share feedback from faith leaders across the state about their role and contributions to practicing harm reduction principles in their communities. Using a harm reduction approach, speakers will share recommendations for agencies and institutions looking to partner with faith communities.

This session will provide an overview of housing support in North Carolina, including the range of housing options available for people who use drugs. The Housing First approach will be explored, including diversion, low barrier shelter, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing. The session also will cover the impacts of unstable housing on health and how Housing First relates to substance use.

For the past two years, North Carolina has implemented the evidence based Lock Your Meds Educational Media Campaign Statewide to reduce prescription drug misuse and abuse. Come learn about how 50 plus counties and organizations have succeeded in educating their communities through creative media strategies and community collaborations. Also learn how your organization can get involved and/or sustain this campaign in your community.

In this session participants will hear about the latest drug trends and surveillance from several key data sources around stimulants, alcohol and other drugs. Modernizing and expanding our current systems to address future needs will be discussed. In addition, we will describe and discuss leveraging existing state data, opioid research agenda, data gaps/needs and associated data governance. Lastly, this session will discuss moving from data to action for prevention.

Addiction, high-risk use, problematic use and experimentation – all descriptors for student substance abuse at the collegiate level. News venues tend to focus on one particular substance, but does it matter? In this session you will hear the data about substance use on college campuses, the concern and the trends. Learn how campuses approach the substance abuse phenomenon and address the risk no matter the drug of choice.

In this session, we will discuss key findings from a recent study looking at the impact of a NC community-based naloxone distribution program on county opioid overdose death rates. We will also examine results of a cost-benefit analysis of the program. Finally, we will explore key pieces of the recently released North Carolina Naloxone Distribution Toolkit, which was developed to guide local health departments, coalitions, and community organizations through the process of implementing a naloxone distribution standing order

This presentation will discuss best practices for developing genuine collaborations between people who use drugs (PWUD) and community-based researchers who study drug-related harm. Jon Zibbell is a medical anthropologist at RTI International with two decades of field experience conducting community-based research with people who inject drugs. Louise Vincent is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Survivors Union (NCSU), a drug user-union in Greensboro. Louise and Jon have been research partners since 2013, collaborating on numerous studies examining illicit drug markets, point-of-use drug checking, injection drug use behavior, and injection-related health outcomes. In this presentation, they will share practical strategies for developing genuine and meaningful collaborations between drug researchers and drug consumers. They will present examples of meaningful collaboration that go far beyond PWUD serving as ‘peer navigators’ or ‘peer educators.’ They will explain why it is critical to address the power imbalance between researcher and researched if inclusion and community ownership of the research process is to occur. The importance of having PWUD engaged in every area of research and programmatic development will be addressed and strategies for including PWUD in research design, delivery and evaluation will be offered. Louise and Jon will show that it is possible to increase health outcomes and save lives while building community resilience and encouraging civic participation.

This session on “Community Strategies: The Role of Local Health Departments for Linkages to Care” will be a panel discussion with three local health department/district (LHD) grantees from NC Division of Public Health funding. The session will begin with an overview of how the request for applications funding process was developed, including a brief description of the NC Association of Local Health Directors Opioid Workgroup. Then, three of the LHD grantees will share highlights of local partnerships and how they’ve implemented their selected strategies to develop linkages to care for those at risk of overdose. The strategies include development or expansion of: syringe exchange programs, EMS-/Peer-led post-overdose response teams, and jail-based linkage to care programs. The session will conclude with opportunities to ask questions and discussion.

Payers play a critical role in responding to the opioid epidemic. In this session, two of North Carolina’s major payers, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, will discuss efforts they are making to prevent opioid addiction and overdose and to increase access to treatment for opioid use disorder. This session will also include discussion of a new alternative payment model NC DHHS will pilot to pay for medication-assisted treatment.

Despite the existence of safe and effective medications for opioid use disorder, relatively few patients are treated with these medications. One of the reasons is that training of physicians and many other healthcare professionals has focused very little on substance use disorder in general and opioid use disorder in particular. This session will focus on the partial agonist buprenorphine, identifying current barriers and strategies to incorporate Medication Assisted Treatment training into curriculums and describe efforts NC medical schools, residencies and advance practice programs are making to increase capacity through training and clinical exposure for students and residents.

The understanding of the role of buprenorphine in changing and saving lives has evolved since it became available in 2002. This session will focus on Best Practices as defined by New York State Department of Health and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Counseling, polysubstance use, initial assessment and diversion of the medication will be discussed.  Participants will be encouraged to discuss their experiences with buprenorphine including, but not limited to, their roles as providers and patients.

Opioid Treatment Centers (OTP) and Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) practices are not new. However, with the opioid crisis continuing and in some areas worsening, we are hearing more about these clinics. We are seeing more of them open as we recognize the impact and importance of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Opioid Use Disorder. There are significant differences between the OTP and OBOT style of clinic and we will explore these.

By the end of this presentation, participants will have a better knowledge of:

• OTP and OBOT and definitions relevant to each one
• Differentiation of the two styles of these clinics
• Federal regulations, legal responsibilities and obligations
• Staff training and education
• DATA 2000 and the “X” license as it relates to these two types of clinics.
• Medications that are prescribed in these settings

This presentation will discuss best practices for developing genuine collaborations between people who use drugs (PWUD) and community-based researchers who study drug-related harm. Jon Zibbell is a medical anthropologist at RTI International with two decades of field experience conducting community-based research with people who inject drugs. Louise Vincent is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Survivors Union (NCSU), a drug user-union in Greensboro. Louise and Jon have been research partners since 2013, collaborating on numerous studies examining illicit drug markets, point-of-use drug checking, injection drug use behavior, and injection-related health outcomes. In this presentation, they will share practical strategies for developing genuine and meaningful collaborations between drug researchers and drug consumers. They will present examples of meaningful collaboration that go far beyond PWUD serving as ‘peer navigators’ or ‘peer educators.’ They will explain why it is critical to address the power imbalance between researcher and researched if inclusion and community ownership of the research process is to occur. The importance of having PWUD engaged in every area of research and programmatic development will be addressed and strategies for including PWUD in research design, delivery and evaluation will be offered. Louise and Jon will show that it is possible to increase health outcomes and save lives while building community resilience and encouraging civic participation.

This session will highlight the infectious complications of drug use. There will be a specific focus on viral hepatitis, and endocarditis, disease transmission and population overlap.

In this session, we will discuss key findings from a recent study looking at the impact of a NC community-based naloxone distribution program on county opioid overdose death rates. We will also examine results of a cost-benefit analysis of the program. Finally, we will explore key pieces of the recently released North Carolina Naloxone Distribution Toolkit, which was developed to guide local health departments, coalitions, and community organizations through the process of implementing a naloxone distribution standing order

In this session we will discuss the existing literature regarding the potential implications of parental opioid use and opioid use disorders for child safety and wellbeing, review the epidemiology and trends of substance use during pregnancy and neonatal abstinence syndrome, and describe the North Carolina Plan of Safe Care, a statewide program in response to federal legislation that is designed to address the complex needs of infants with prenatal substance exposure and their caregivers.

Data dashboards are an opportunity to collect and condense public health data, mobilize coalitions, and educate interested stakeholders about public health topics. The NC Opioid Action Plan (OAP) Data Dashboard officially launched in May 2018 and has received over 16,000 views in its first year. This session will discuss the dashboard development process, changes made based on user feedback, behind the scenes workings of the dashboard, and lessons learned on ways to effectively communicate overdose data to the public. Attendees will also get an in-depth look at the changes coming for the launch of the OAP 2.0 Dashboard.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic and stressful experiences that include abuse, neglect, and family disruption. These experiences create biologic changes in the brain and body and are linked to a multitude of poor outcomes later in life, including substance use disorder. It has been estimated that up to 67% of drug use problems can be attributed to ACEs. This session will describe what ACEs are, their neurobiologic and physiologic effects, the link to poor outcomes, and strategies to prevent and respond to them.

This session will present two key perspectives on medical and social service provider access and engagement with people who use drugs. Panelists will discuss direct service considerations and best practices when working with drug users and other vulnerable populations. Using a harm reduction approach, panelists will also share lessons and recommendations for agencies and institutions seeking to make services and spaces more accessible and welcoming for people who use drugs.

Full Un-Truncated Session Title: “Meet Us Where We’re At” — Cultural Humility and Positive Engagement with People Who Use Drugs

Since the NC Opioid Action Plan was launched in June 2017, significant progress has been made on many of the strategies listed. At the halfway mark of the plan’s inception, we are building on the strategic plan built through the Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) to reflect on lessons learned and show how the epidemic has shifted and changed over the past two years.

At the upcoming Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit, we will launch NC Opioid Action Plan 2.0. The updated plan was created in with the input of numerous partners and stakeholders to be impactful and implementable and will be distributed publicly for feedback before the summit. This version will include a menu of local menu of strategies that counties, local coalitions and stakeholders can implement. Some examples of local strategies include; improve naloxone access, advance supportive housing, work with local employers to implement supportive policies, promote public awareness and stigma reduction, and other actions to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

In this session, participants will learn about several promising prevention approaches that have been implemented across North Carolina to reduce prescription drug misuse. Through the Strategic Prevention Framework for Prescription Drugs (SPF-Rx) project, participants will learn about the online dispenser educational modules that were done in collaboration with the North Carolina Association of Pharmacist (NCAP) and the Governor’s Institute. Burke County will share information on Burke Substance Abuse Network, a community collaborative with a membership of 150 individuals and RxEAP (Prescription Education Awareness and Prevention) taskforce, which have taken on various initiatives in an effort to reduce opioid misuse throughout Burke County. New Hanover County will share information on their prescriber outreach initiative that provides support for accessible prescriber trainings in rural communities and their physician toolkit that promotes physician patient discussions around secure storage, safe disposal and increased access to treatment through physician referrals.

In this session participants will hear about the latest drug trends and surveillance from several key data sources around stimulants, alcohol and other drugs. Modernizing and expanding our current systems to address future needs will be discussed. In addition, we will describe and discuss leveraging existing state data, opioid research agenda, data gaps/needs and associated data governance. Lastly, this session will discuss moving from data to action for prevention.

The understanding of the role of buprenorphine in changing and saving lives has evolved since it became available in 2002. This session will focus on Best Practices as defined by New York State Department of Health and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Counseling, polysubstance use, initial assessment and diversion of the medication will be discussed.  Participants will be encouraged to discuss their experiences with buprenorphine including, but not limited to, their roles as providers and patients.

What families need to know, be prepared for and expect when their loved one needs or returns from treatment.

This session will provide an overview of the newly launched NC Collegiate Recovery Leadership Academy, hosted by S.A.F.E. Project (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic), APNC (Addiction Professionals of North Carolina) and UNC- Chapel Hill. This six-month fellowship program paired students and mentors to work on impact projects that impact collegiate recovery, leadership, and service. Students will share their fabulous projects, and their insight on what is working well in North Carolina to support Collegiate Recovery and Wellness, and what barriers we still need to overcome.

Despite the existence of safe and effective medications for opioid use disorder, relatively few patients are treated with these medications. One of the reasons is that training of physicians and many other healthcare professionals has focused very little on substance use disorder in general and opioid use disorder in particular. This session will focus on the partial agonist buprenorphine, identifying current barriers and strategies to incorporate Medication Assisted Treatment training into curriculums and describe efforts NC medical schools, residencies and advance practice programs are making to increase capacity through training and clinical exposure for students and residents.

The understanding of the role of buprenorphine in changing and saving lives has evolved since it became available in 2002. This session will focus on Best Practices as defined by New York State Department of Health and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Counseling, polysubstance use, initial assessment and diversion of the medication will be discussed.  Participants will be encouraged to discuss their experiences with buprenorphine including, but not limited to, their roles as providers and patients.

Opioid Treatment Centers (OTP) and Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) practices are not new. However, with the opioid crisis continuing and in some areas worsening, we are hearing more about these clinics. We are seeing more of them open as we recognize the impact and importance of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Opioid Use Disorder. There are significant differences between the OTP and OBOT style of clinic and we will explore these.

By the end of this presentation, participants will have a better knowledge of:

• OTP and OBOT and definitions relevant to each one
• Differentiation of the two styles of these clinics
• Federal regulations, legal responsibilities and obligations
• Staff training and education
• DATA 2000 and the “X” license as it relates to these two types of clinics.
• Medications that are prescribed in these settings

Harm Reduction strategies like syringe exchange programs (SEPs) have been employed for decades to mitigate the harms associated with drug use, but it was only a couple of years ago that SEPs were made legal in North Carolina. While many of us may be familiar with some of the public health interventions commonly associated with Harm Reduction, few are as familiar with the ethos of Harm Reduction or with the movement for the rights of people who use drugs (PWUD) that is an essential part of it. This session will provide participants with an understanding of Harm Reduction: it’s history, underlying principles, and evidence that shows it’s effectiveness in a variety of areas.”

This session will present two key perspectives on medical and social service provider access and engagement with people who use drugs. Panelists will discuss direct service considerations and best practices when working with drug users and other vulnerable populations. Using a harm reduction approach, panelists will also share lessons and recommendations for agencies and institutions seeking to make services and spaces more accessible and welcoming for people who use drugs.

Full Un-Truncated Session Title: “Meet Us Where We’re At” — Cultural Humility and Positive Engagement with People Who Use Drugs

This session will present on the intersection of faith and harm reduction and how to engage with faith leaders. Speakers will share feedback from faith leaders across the state about their role and contributions to practicing harm reduction principles in their communities. Using a harm reduction approach, speakers will share recommendations for agencies and institutions looking to partner with faith communities.

This session will provide an overview of housing support in North Carolina, including the range of housing options available for people who use drugs. The Housing First approach will be explored, including diversion, low barrier shelter, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing. The session also will cover the impacts of unstable housing on health and how Housing First relates to substance use.

Shabbar Ranapurwala will talk about the opioid overdose death risk among formerly incarcerated individuals in North Carolina and factors associated with opioid overdose deaths among this population including mental health disorders and restrictive housing during incarceration.

Gary Junker, PhD, HSP-P will be speaking on the challenges of providing mental health services and substance use treatment within prisons. He will also review current substance use treatment programs both within prisons and at residential facilities. Dr. Junker will review a MAT pilot project planned at three prison re-entry facilities and efforts to provide naloxone at various exit points from the prison system. Research collaboration with UNC and DHHS will also be referenced.

Maggie Brewer and Karen Buck will discuss Community Corrections journey educating all staff regarding co-occurring disorders (severe mental health and substance abuse disorders) and our lesson learned with the MAT pilots in Wilkes and Iredell. We will also discuss the implementing NARCAN as part of our probation officer safety package and the experiences in the field the past couple of years along with the sustainability plan.

This session will explore two innovative programs that utilize a public health approach within the traditional criminal justice system to improve the health outcomes of justice-involved populations. Attendees will learn how these initiatives utilize public health data and harm reduction strategies as the cornerstone of the programming.

Since the NC Opioid Action Plan was launched in June 2017, significant progress has been made on many of the strategies listed. At the halfway mark of the plan’s inception, we are building on the strategic plan built through the Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) to reflect on lessons learned and show how the epidemic has shifted and changed over the past two years.

At the upcoming Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit, we will launch NC Opioid Action Plan 2.0. The updated plan was created in with the input of numerous partners and stakeholders to be impactful and implementable and will be distributed publicly for feedback before the summit. This version will include a menu of local menu of strategies that counties, local coalitions and stakeholders can implement. Some examples of local strategies include; improve naloxone access, advance supportive housing, work with local employers to implement supportive policies, promote public awareness and stigma reduction, and other actions to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

During this session, the presenters will discuss some of the trends that Service Members and Veterans face in regards to SUD. They will provide some information on the invisible wounds of war (Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Additionally, they will share some of the resources (for active duty service members and Veterans both DOD/VA/ and community) and have some dialogue regarding the path forward.

In this session participants will hear about the latest drug trends and surveillance from several key data sources around stimulants, alcohol and other drugs. Modernizing and expanding our current systems to address future needs will be discussed. In addition, we will describe and discuss leveraging existing state data, opioid research agenda, data gaps/needs and associated data governance. Lastly, this session will discuss moving from data to action for prevention.

The opioid misuse and overdose crisis affects everyone in a community. This interactive panel discussion will provide insight on the importance of working together from professionals within the field of prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. The panel will also discuss any challenges, lessons learned and successes when working together to (1) prevent misuse and abuse; (2) improve access to early intervention and treatment; (3) and provide a community environment conducive to recovery and personal wellness.

In this session, we will discuss key findings from a recent study looking at the impact of a NC community-based naloxone distribution program on county opioid overdose death rates. We will also examine results of a cost-benefit analysis of the program. Finally, we will explore key pieces of the recently released North Carolina Naloxone Distribution Toolkit, which was developed to guide local health departments, coalitions, and community organizations through the process of implementing a naloxone distribution standing order

This presentation will discuss best practices for developing genuine collaborations between people who use drugs (PWUD) and community-based researchers who study drug-related harm. Jon Zibbell is a medical anthropologist at RTI International with two decades of field experience conducting community-based research with people who inject drugs. Louise Vincent is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Survivors Union (NCSU), a drug user-union in Greensboro. Louise and Jon have been research partners since 2013, collaborating on numerous studies examining illicit drug markets, point-of-use drug checking, injection drug use behavior, and injection-related health outcomes. In this presentation, they will share practical strategies for developing genuine and meaningful collaborations between drug researchers and drug consumers. They will present examples of meaningful collaboration that go far beyond PWUD serving as ‘peer navigators’ or ‘peer educators.’ They will explain why it is critical to address the power imbalance between researcher and researched if inclusion and community ownership of the research process is to occur. The importance of having PWUD engaged in every area of research and programmatic development will be addressed and strategies for including PWUD in research design, delivery and evaluation will be offered. Louise and Jon will show that it is possible to increase health outcomes and save lives while building community resilience and encouraging civic participation.

This session will explore the conditions that led to the Scott County HIV outbreak, the state’s (lack of) response, the grass roots response, the problematic legislation that sanctioned SSP’s, lessons learned, and next steps necessary to protect Hoosiers from on-going syndemic.

Communities across the state are coming together to create an effective response to the significant increase in overdose deaths in recent years. Post-overdose response teams (PORTs) are an emerging strategy to meaningfully engage with people who have experienced an overdose. These teams follow up with patients who have experienced an overdose within 72 hours. Teams seek to link the patient with appropriate care ranging from harm reduction services to treatment to recovery supports.

These PORT Trainings will equip participants to start or continue development of programs led by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and/or a harm reduction community-based organization. In addition to EMS, teams will learn to meaningfully engage with persons with lived experience or in recovery and other harm reduction specialists when developing and operating PORTs. It covers how everyone can work together to be a part of a post overdose response team (PORT) including all first responders (dispatch, fire, EMS, LEOs), the MCO, mobile crisis, peers, behavioral health providers, the faith community, congregational nurses, shelters, public health, etc. and get people connected to a variety of harm reduction, treatment, and recovery options.

Program Objectives:

• Take a critical look at our understanding of substance use disorders (SUDs), addiction science, and people who use drugs (PWUD).
• Gain an understanding of more appropriate interventions, treatment, and linkage to care options for PWUD.
• Examine what prevents people from seeking treatment.
• Provide first responders and community partners with strategies aimed to identify resources in their community to support their team and how to make referrals to these agencies.
• Equip you to develop a post-overdose response team to serve as a strategic approach to address overdose within your community.

This session on “Community Strategies: The Role of Local Health Departments for Linkages to Care” will be a panel discussion with three local health department/district (LHD) grantees from NC Division of Public Health funding. The session will begin with an overview of how the request for applications funding process was developed, including a brief description of the NC Association of Local Health Directors Opioid Workgroup. Then, three of the LHD grantees will share highlights of local partnerships and how they’ve implemented their selected strategies to develop linkages to care for those at risk of overdose. The strategies include development or expansion of: syringe exchange programs, EMS-/Peer-led post-overdose response teams, and jail-based linkage to care programs. The session will conclude with opportunities to ask questions and discussion.

This session will explore the use of peer support specialists within the emergency department to help engage patients in long-term treatment for their substance use disorder. Participants will learn about the ED Peer Support Pilot Project, funded by DHHS and administered by NCHA and the impact of the program on patients within six pilot EDs across the state.

Payers play a critical role in responding to the opioid epidemic. In this session, two of North Carolina’s major payers, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, will discuss efforts they are making to prevent opioid addiction and overdose and to increase access to treatment for opioid use disorder. This session will also include discussion of a new alternative payment model NC DHHS will pilot to pay for medication-assisted treatment.

Presenters will share the lessons learned, interventions and outcomes regarding use and associated consequences from North Carolina’s first Partnerships for Success (PFS) 2013-2018 grant award addressing prescription drug misuse ages 12 to 25. Participants will also learn about the new PFS 2018-2023 project, community selection, and anticipated state and community level interventions to be implemented addressing underage drinking, e-cigarettes and marijuana prevention.

For the past two years, North Carolina has implemented the evidence based Lock Your Meds Educational Media Campaign Statewide to reduce prescription drug misuse and abuse. Come learn about how 50 plus counties and organizations have succeeded in educating their communities through creative media strategies and community collaborations. Also learn how your organization can get involved and/or sustain this campaign in your community.

In this session, participants will learn about several promising prevention approaches that have been implemented across North Carolina to reduce prescription drug misuse. Through the Strategic Prevention Framework for Prescription Drugs (SPF-Rx) project, participants will learn about the online dispenser educational modules that were done in collaboration with the North Carolina Association of Pharmacist (NCAP) and the Governor’s Institute. Burke County will share information on Burke Substance Abuse Network, a community collaborative with a membership of 150 individuals and RxEAP (Prescription Education Awareness and Prevention) taskforce, which have taken on various initiatives in an effort to reduce opioid misuse throughout Burke County. New Hanover County will share information on their prescriber outreach initiative that provides support for accessible prescriber trainings in rural communities and their physician toolkit that promotes physician patient discussions around secure storage, safe disposal and increased access to treatment through physician referrals.

OPEN is a faith-based organization that aims to foster regular communication between clergy, the medical/prescriber community, and non-pharmacological pain management practitioners in order to expand opioid prevention efforts from the supply side of the opioid equation to the “demand side.” This network in Mitchell County, North Carolina, was launched through CURES and SPF/RX funding that has been co-managed by RHA and PATH under the Mitchell-Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force.

OPEN has provided members of the faith community with training on medical information, such as the effect of opioids on brain chemistry, in order to shift community perceptions away from regarding addiction as a moral failure and towards gaining community support for positive action. OPEN has also served to provide members of the medical community with increased awareness of the deeper spiritual causes of the ongoing medical epidemic associated with opioid misuse. Thus, OPEN has increased sensitivity within the medical community to the types of spiritual supports that are available for their patients. The network was launched after a training at a local church that was held for community members on the opioid crisis and a working dinner that led to the design of a community forum that fostered a conversation between clergy and doctors. OPEN sponsored a clergy panel for the medical community on issues tied to opioid use, such as emotional pain, shame and the deep need for support. OPEN also hosted a training for clergy on alternative non-pharmacological pain management approaches, such as acupuncture, chiropractics, massage, mindful movement, resiliency tools, and yoga. The aim of this training was to provide clergy with sufficient information about alternative pain management modalities, so that they can help members of their congregations access local resources. OPEN is currently hosting listening sessions at rural churches in the network on personal responses and community needs associated with opioid prevention and recovery.

The opioid misuse and overdose crisis affects everyone in a community. This interactive panel discussion will provide insight on the importance of working together from professionals within the field of prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. The panel will also discuss any challenges, lessons learned and successes when working together to (1) prevent misuse and abuse; (2) improve access to early intervention and treatment; (3) and provide a community environment conducive to recovery and personal wellness.

In this session participants will hear about the latest drug trends and surveillance from several key data sources around stimulants, alcohol and other drugs. Modernizing and expanding our current systems to address future needs will be discussed. In addition, we will describe and discuss leveraging existing state data, opioid research agenda, data gaps/needs and associated data governance. Lastly, this session will discuss moving from data to action for prevention.

This session will spotlight a pilot initiative aimed at improving health equity issues in Ashe County. Presenters will take a look at the complex root causes of behavioral health inequities, the relationship between community readiness and acknowledgement of the issues, and reflect on the challenges and successes in carrying out the initiative.

This interactive session will cover pharmacy-based, opioid misuse prevention strategies being utilized in North Carolina, as well as other states. Come hear about these innovative approaches and engage in dialogue on integrated community-based services, which facilitate pharmacists, as a first line of defense, in the battle to reduce opioid misuse and negative health outcomes associated with opioid substance use disorders.

Addiction, high-risk use, problematic use and experimentation – all descriptors for student substance abuse at the collegiate level. News venues tend to focus on one particular substance, but does it matter? In this session you will hear the data about substance use on college campuses, the concern and the trends. Learn how campuses approach the substance abuse phenomenon and address the risk no matter the drug of choice.

This session will serve as an opportunity to explore planning processes for community impact related to opioids and other substances. Participants will be encouraged to share successes and barriers specific to their community’s and/or organization’s primary prevention efforts.

Communities can benefit from understanding the impact of childhood trauma on children, families, and providers. This presentation will provide a brief overview on child trauma, the impact of trauma on child development, and the behavioral and emotional effects including opioid and other substance abuse. This interactive presentation will target all professionals working with children and families from first responders to child welfare workers to mental health providers.

This session will present on the intersection of faith and harm reduction and how to engage with faith leaders. Speakers will share feedback from faith leaders across the state about their role and contributions to practicing harm reduction principles in their communities. Using a harm reduction approach, speakers will share recommendations for agencies and institutions looking to partner with faith communities.

This session will focus on highlighting three media campaigns that have been implemented in NC in response to the Opioid Epidemic including: Lock Your Meds, CDC Rx Awareness Campaign, and More Powerful NC.

The CDC Rx Awareness Campaign focused on increasing the awareness and knowledge on the risks of opioids and to discourage inappropriate use among adult 25+. This presentation will focus on the campaign results and lessons learned.

The More Powerful NC Campaign works to raise awareness of the epidemic as a whole, encourage people to safely dispose of unneeded medication, and feel empowered to make a difference in their own community. It is a public private partnership among NCDOJ, NCDHHS, Atrium Heath, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina, and other partners. This presentation will focus on how the campaign came together and next steps.

The Lock Your Meds Campaign targets parents of youth and focuses on the importance of proper medication storage and disposal. We will focus on the resources made available through this campaign, it’s success in implementation to date, and how one can get involved in the campaign. Lock Your Meds is supported by NCDHHS-MHDDSAS, Opioid STR/Cures Grant and, SPF-RX.

Since the NC Opioid Action Plan was launched in June 2017, significant progress has been made on many of the strategies listed. At the halfway mark of the plan’s inception, we are building on the strategic plan built through the Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) to reflect on lessons learned and show how the epidemic has shifted and changed over the past two years.

At the upcoming Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit, we will launch NC Opioid Action Plan 2.0. The updated plan was created in with the input of numerous partners and stakeholders to be impactful and implementable and will be distributed publicly for feedback before the summit. This version will include a menu of local menu of strategies that counties, local coalitions and stakeholders can implement. Some examples of local strategies include; improve naloxone access, advance supportive housing, work with local employers to implement supportive policies, promote public awareness and stigma reduction, and other actions to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

In this session we will discuss the existing literature regarding the potential implications of parental opioid use and opioid use disorders for child safety and wellbeing, review the epidemiology and trends of substance use during pregnancy and neonatal abstinence syndrome, and describe the North Carolina Plan of Safe Care, a statewide program in response to federal legislation that is designed to address the complex needs of infants with prenatal substance exposure and their caregivers.