The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), in collaboration with the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), developed the Preventing Opioid Misuse in the States and Territories framework to provide a public health-facilitated approach for states and territories to respond to the nation’s opioid crisis. Used effectively, this tool will help states and territories organize resources and look across their jurisdictions to identify where planning is strong, where there are gaps, and where they can expand collaboration and engage in strategic conversations with partners across sectors to coordinate planning.
This framework recognizes the critical role of public health leaders and partners in carrying out a comprehensive, cross-sector response to the opioid crisis. With effective leadership and cross-sector partnerships, states and territories can leverage four key strategies in their work, including (1) training and education; (2) monitoring and surveillance; (3) treatment, recovery and harm reduction; and (4) primary and overdose prevention. Each element of the framework was assessed for the level of evidence supporting the recommendation.
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