Housing's Proactive Role in the Opioid Epidemic: Partnership Building for Increasing Services-Presentation - Housings Proactive Role in the Opioid Epidemic

Presentation - Housings Proactive Role in the Opioid Epidemic

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The document "Housing’s Proactive Role in the Opioid Epidemic: Partnership Building For Increasing Services" by Kristina Clark and Kim Linkel from KM Clark Consulting Group provides a comprehensive overview of the opioid epidemic and practical strategies for housing and community organizations to build effective partnerships to combat opioid use disorder (OUD).

Key points include:

1. <strong>Scope of the Epidemic:</strong> The opioid crisis continues to have devastating effects, with over 136 daily deaths in the US and a nearly 500% increase in opioid overdoses since 2001. The economic burden of prescription opioid misuse is estimated at $78.5 billion annually.

2. <strong>Contributing Factors:</strong> Factors driving OUD include environmental influences, stressors like unemployment and poverty, peer use, genetics, mental health issues, trauma history, and other substance use.

3. <strong>Partnership Building:</strong> Establishing collaborative relationships is essential to expanding services for individuals with OUD. Effective partnerships rely on sustainability, capacity building, clear communication, and community-bound approaches—working with the community rather than imposing on them.

4. <strong>Breaking Silos:</strong> Overcoming organizational silos requires unified vision, shared goals, motivation, evaluation, and true collaboration. Leadership plays a critical role in fostering this culture.

5. <strong>Intentional Action and Communication:</strong> Engaging partners quickly with small, manageable tasks and constant, purposeful communication improves collaboration outcomes. Levels of engagement range from education, consultation, and communication, to full partnership and participation.

6. <strong>Partnership Types and Continuum:</strong> Three types of partners—funding, strategic, and collaborative—must be engaged intentionally. Partnerships evolve from coordination to cooperation, collaboration, and full partnership.

7. <strong>Strategic Adaptations:</strong> Organizations need to regularly assess and adapt strategies to avoid stagnation and overcome bottlenecks.

8. <strong>Four Pillars of Success:</strong> Transparency, intentional action, strategic adaptations, and a community-bound mindset underpin sustainable partnerships.

The session encourages participants to develop actionable plans, engage key stakeholders, and foster trust to increase support and services for people with OUD within housing communities.

Keywords

opioid epidemic

opioid use disorder

housing and community organizations

partnership building

collaboration strategies

organizational silos

community-bound approaches

strategic adaptations

sustainable partnerships

opioid overdose prevention