The work we do in overdose prevention has always been difficult, but added stressors continue to cause unprecedented levels of toxic stress and burnout. Oftentimes we hear in our culture that we need to practice “self-care” but that terminology can be challenging for many of us.  Maybe we feel selfish or undeserving. Or maybe we feel we already have so much on our plates, how are we supposed to add that to the list? In this web forum, The Power of Connection on February 12, 2025 we heard from Brooke Briggance, Program Director at Cypress Resilience Project to learn about “collective care” and “community care” and which stems directly from the brain’s need for healthy connection. Brooke explored what healthy connection looks like, its role in healing and how we can access it to support our well-being. This Web Forum is sponsored by the National Overdose Prevention Network, a program of PHI Center for Health Leadership & Impact and produced by Dialogue4Health.

The California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN), based at the PHI Center for Health Leadership and Impact (CHLI), is pleased to release a funding opportunity for local overdose prevention coalitions to reduce overdose deaths from illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other drugs through implementation of overdose prevention, treatment and harm reduction strategies. Multi-sector coalitions are encouraged to apply for this opportunity to fortify and sustain strategies that are responsive to local needs in their community and/or region. Please join us on October 22 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm PT to learn more about the funding opportunity. Applications open following the information session on October 22, 2024.

PHI Center for Health Leadership & Impact is pleased to announce our upcoming COPN Accelerator 6.0 cohort program for local multi-sector teams and coalitions. Accelerator 6.0 is designed to help your coalition develop a customized messaging plan for your community. The program is structured to support your coalition’s efforts in overdose prevention, strengthen partnerships, build buy-in from local stakeholders, continue innovative interventions, achieve your coalition goals, and manage pushback locally. Join our information session on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm PT to learn more about the program and application process. We will include a live Q&A session to address any questions about the program and application process. Applications will open after the event.

In this Web Forum, ChangeLab Solutions will introduce two essential policy guides: one offering 11 evidence-based strategies at the state, local, and institutional levels, and the other created in partnership with the Network for Public Health Law providing guidance on the policymaking process for effective and equitable implementation. Participants will discover how these resources can support their work to advance policy changes that address community needs. This Web Forum is sponsored by the National Overdose Prevention Network and produced by Dialogue4Health.

Join us on Tuesday, July 23 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm PT for a conversation with Arlene Brown, member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe and creator of the National Harm Reduction Coalition’s new Native Harm Reduction Toolkit. This toolkit was developed to empower Native communities, recognizing the need for Indigenized and decolonized approaches to public health overdose prevention interventions. This web forum will provide an overview of the toolkit, featured resources, and case examples of how it can be put into practice. We will also include interactive polling features for you to engage with the speaker and ask questions. Register today, and please spread the word with Native and Indigenous partners in your community. This Web Forum is sponsored by the National Overdose Prevention Network, a program of PHI Center for Health Leadership & Impact and produced by Dialogue4Health. 

Join us as we reflect on a strong year of commitment to overdose prevention and community well-being. This webinar will showcase highlights from our 2023 NOPN webinar series, from strategies to engage faith-based partners in harm reduction to what you need to know about Xylazine. We will provide a recap of the major themes we explored as a learning community over the past year, and celebrate our collective resilience, compassion, and ongoing fight to save lives. This webinar is sponsored by the National Overdose Prevention Network, a program of PHI Center for Health Leadership & Impact and produced by Dialogue4Health.

The work we do in overdose prevention has always been difficult, but added stressors brought on by the pandemic, natural disasters, and systemic racism have caused unprecedented levels of toxic stress and burnout. We will hear from Jasmine Nakagawa-Wong, a certified trainer in Mental Health First Aid on the seven types of rest you can implement to manage stress and burnout. Join us and register today!

Over the past six years, the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC) has partnered with Faith in Harm Reduction (FIHR) to provide support and resources for those who use drugs connected through communities of faith. Now, the FIHR is striking out on its own as an independent nonprofit. Join us on Tuesday, August 22 from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM PT to hear from Reverend Erica Poellot and Hill Brown about how you can incorporate strategic partnerships with faith-based organizations into your overdose prevention work.

The PHI Center for Health Leadership and Impact is pleased to announce our upcoming COPN Accelerator 5.0 program for local, multi-sector teams. This year’s cohort will focus on sustainability in overdose prevention. The program is designed to help California communities embed sustainability principles and practices to strengthen their response to fentanyl and other drugs. Eligible applicants include formal and informal teams, collaboratives, or coalitions interested in substance use and/or overdose including those focused on youth, harm reduction, and/or overdose prevention.

Join our information session on Wednesday, August 9, 2022 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM PT to learn more about the program and application process. We will include a live Q&A session to address any questions about the program and application process. Applications will open after the event. Spread the word and register today!

It is estimated that California will receive approximately $2.05 billion from the California opioid settlement agreements over the next 18 years. Do you want a better understanding of how these funds will be utilized in California? Join us for an informative webinar presented by our partners at the California Department of Health Care Services and Aurrera Health Group. The webinar will provide an overview of how settlement funds are being distributed across the state, guidelines for their use on high-impact interventions, and ways you can connect with leaders in your community on local investment of funds. Come with your questions!

Data can help power local-level work to combat overdose. With data, we can raise awareness, tailor interventions, encourage policy support, and gain vital intelligence on the nature of the local overdose problem. The Spring 2023 COPN Convening will be a data summit on ways you can harness data to help achieve your aims.

The COPN Data Summit will feature key data sources and platforms needed for local decision-making; success stories from communities across California who will share how they’re leveraging data; a conversation about equity considerations with overdose data; and small-group breakout discussions on creating your own community surveys, forming strong and sustainable data partnerships, and ideas for new data systems to strengthen overdose prevention activities in California.

The COPN Data Summit promises to be a lively exchange of ideas for how we can all better marshal data to support our local work to combat overdose.

Join us for the second session of our COPN webinar series on youth overdose prevention. This session will focus on opportunities for substance use prevention, treatment and harm reduction with teens and adolescents.

Participants will hear from leaders of the California Youth Opioid Response (YOR California) who will provide an overview of the current landscape of prevention, treatment and recovery services for teens. The session will also feature on-the-ground strategies, policies and practices being used in Marin County including a youth prevention and harm reduction curriculum and Narcan distribution in schools. Finally, a representative from the Youth Peer Mentor Program (YPMP) will talk about prevention and treatment groups for transitional age youth in and out of custody. Participants will come away with tactical opportunities for local coalitions and other leaders in overdose prevention to partner with schools, community partners, and youth themselves. Spread the word and register today!

The recent elimination of the X-Waiver, a burdensome requirement for clinicians to prescribe addiction treatment, is gone ... what’s next? Dr. Roneet Lev, an emergency and addiction physician who served as the first Chief Medical Officer of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy joined us for a conversation breaking down the new legislative move, what it means for providers, and steps you can take to get more clinicians to prescribe addiction treatment in your community.

There are currently 65 syringe services programs (SSPs) operating in 33 counties across California that collectively serve more than 100,000 people each year. Join us on Wednesday, April 12 for a webinar that will showcase the important work of California’s syringe services programs and opportunities for you to build strong partnerships with local harm reduction leaders. Our speaker, Loris Mattox, from the California Department of Public Health will outline the work and impact of these key programs and ways to effectively partner with local harm reduction programs to reach people who use drugs.

Many successful programs are underway in California to expand access to addiction treatment. Join us for the first webinar in our series where we will talk about CA Bridge, an innovative program that provides training, technical assistance, and coaching to hospitals to treat substance use disorder like any other life-threatening condition. We will hear from Sherrie Cisneros, the Navigator Program Director for CA Bridge who will discuss the program model, its impact to date, and opportunities for local partners to collaborate with Substance Use Navigators (SUNs) in Bridge hospitals. Spread the word and register today!

Many people use fentanyl, whether by choice or by accident. With overdose-related deaths continuing to rise, how do we keep people safe? This second session in our webinar series on fentanyl will focus on harm reduction strategies and options for people who use fentanyl. We will hear from a harm reduction specialist on key strategies and opportunities to center people who use drugs and save lives.

Join us for the first session of our upcoming COPN webinar series on youth overdose prevention strategies. This first session in the series will focus on opportunities for early childhood and feature examples on whole child school-based systems of care. Participants will also learn about how to explore opportunities for local coalitions and other leaders in overdose prevention to engage with schools and after school programs. Spread the word and register today!

Communities across California developed innovative strategies over the past year. In this webinar you will hear from local overdose prevention coalitions who utilized local data to develop innovative interventions focused on youth engagement and harm reduction in their communities. These coalitions will share their process and implementation of their interventions.

Wednesday, October 26 | 1:00 - 2:00pm ET

Many people use fentanyl, whether by choice or by accident. With overdose-related deaths continuing to rise, how do we keep people safe? This first session in our webinar series on fentanyl will focus on treatment options for people who use fentanyl. We will hear from a clinician on key strategies and opportunities to center people who use drugs and save lives.

Wednesday, September 7 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET

After years of litigation, several major opioid settlement agreements are being finalized with states and communities across the country. There are important spending requirements common to all participating states. But where will states’ opioid settlement spending plans differ?

Join us for a discussion with Christine Minhee, founder of OpioidSettlementTracker.com, who will break down the current status of the major settlements, demystify what happens next, and discuss what these funds mean for your work in overdose prevention going forward.

Thursday, August 18 | 2:30 - 3:30 PM ET

With the recent launch of the new 988 hotline, people struggling with mental health emergencies will have 24/7 access to a crisis counselor. Join us for a discussion on the rollout of this service, including how to align mental health response services with your own work in overdose prevention.

Wednesday, June 22 | 2:00 - 3:00pm ET

The evidence behind effective overdose prevention strategies is constantly evolving. Being willing to pivot is a key skill that organizations must adapt in order to keep its overdose prevention strategies current and effective. This webinar, with substance use disorder expert Dr. Joshua Barocas of the University of Colorado, highlights the importance of being willing to pivot our overdose prevention practices in a rapidly changing crisis.

A lack of accessibility to overdose prevention resources presents large challenges, particularly in rural communities. Join the National Overdose Prevention Network for this discussion with Dr. Maridee Shogren from Don't Quit the Quit, a program that supports pregnant and postpartum women in rural Northern Dakota who are in recovery. This conversation will explore ways to reach people where they’re at, whether that’s rural America or other underserved communities. Be sure to join this important conversation. 

Successful overdose prevention strategies require cooperation from a range of stakeholders within your community. Join us for this comprehensive session on how to build strategic partnerships and integrate a variety of specialties in your overdose prevention efforts. 

Are you interested in learning how Fentanyl test strips can help prevent overdoses in your community? Join us for an informative session led by Matt Curtis, a Harm Reduction Specialist at the California Department of Public Health. The session will cover how fentanyl test strips work, address questions around their legality, and provide strategies for local distribution. We’ll also hear from local leaders in a rural and urban community on their approach for getting test strips into the hands of people who use drugs. Spread the word and register today!

Substance use, trauma, and mental health disorders are intrinsically linked, generating a growing demand for trauma-informed care. Join us for the final session in this 3-part series on trauma-informed practice, which will focus on how to utilize de-escalation tactics when handling conflict in your organization.

Substance use, trauma and mental health disorders are intrinsically linked, generating a growing demand for trauma-informed care. Join us for an interactive discussion on the fundamentals of trauma informed practice and steps you can take to integrate it into your work.

Join us for an overview of vicarious or secondary trauma – what is it, how does it impact our overall health and what can we do to support ourselves as we manage it? As we all continue to grapple with the secondary impacts of COVID-19, wildfires, and rising overdose rates, now more than ever we need to practice radical self-care. In this workshop, we’ll explore what the brain needs to rest and heal, and we’ll offer some practical things we can do to manage toxic stress.

Adolescence is a time of uncertainty, when young people are establishing their independence and discovering their place in the world. Because of the challenges posed by the cognitive and developmental changes that mark adolescence, treatment for adolescent substance use requires a distinctive approach. Understanding the role of the pediatrician in linking children and adolescents to clinical and behavioral health treatment, partnering with families, and linking to public health systems can play a meaningful role in supporting overdose prevention.

Join us for the next webinar in our Meet the Partner series for a live discussion with Sharon Levy, MD, MPH, Director of the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program for Boston Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor in Pediatrics for Harvard Medical School. We will speak with Dr. Levy about how adolescent clinical services, research, and training reduce and prevent substance use disorders and related behaviors in children and adolescents.

Many parts of young people’s lives remain hidden in plain sight, they may have unsupported behavioral health concerns, challenges, and/or experienced family instability, abuse, violence, and rejection. Youth engagement and providing stability can play a meaningful role in supporting overdose prevention and linkages to treatment. Join us for the next webinar in our Meet the Partner series for a live discussion with Graciela Razo, Harm Reduction Coordinator for Safe Horizon’s Streetwork Project in New York City. We will speak with Graciela about the role harm reduction and youth outreach play in overdose prevention, how to partner effectively, and what strategies look like in action. Register today.