New ORN Impact Data

The Opioid Response Network is reaching more people in effort to help states, organizations and individuals address the opioid crisis at the community level through free education and training. Since the beginning of the initiative (February 2018 - January 2020) we have reached 3,020,695 people. 

Lessons Learned

Over 35 States Represented in Rhode Island on Treating Opioid Use Disorder in Corrections Settings 

What started as a technical assistance request from the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) became a national conference for department of corrections staff and others in the justice system to learn promising models in implementing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD).

The free, 2.5-day meeting was held from January 28-30, 2020 in Providence, RI. It highlighted RIDOC's model (one of the first states to incorporate MOUD state-wide, offering all three FDA approved medications), as well as other evidence-based delivery models from around the country.

Over 230 people, representing 34 states, attended the conference, which featured plenary sessions with leading behavioral health, clinical, justice and corrections experts followed by skills development workshops. Read More 

Conferences and Events

Pilot Projects Uses Standardized Patients to Train Clinicians

In an effort to help providers with the waiver to prescribe medications and to enhance their comfort level, the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), an ORN partner organization, hosted a pilot project using standardized patients. The intent was to help prescribers feel more confident in prescribing medications to treat opioid use disorders.

The training was held on January 25, 2020 and included a small group of physicians, a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner. All were waivered, but have not yet prescribed. Participants were asked to run an assessment for opioid use disorder and then develop a treatment plan. The training provided an opportunity for the prescribers to ask the standardized patient/actor questions and learn from an experienced prescriber.

According to PAEA's John Lopes, DHSc, PA-C, all participants indicated that the experience helped improve their..... Read More

Addressing Stigma in the Emergency Room

On January 23, 2020, ORN partner organization, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), convened a summit called Addressing Opioid Stigma in the Emergency Department. The 46 attendees included federal partners from the Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Drug Enforcement Agency and National Institute on Drug Abuse, as well as health care physicians, providers and leaders in the field of medicine.

The summit was an opportunity to discuss and share lessons learned and ideas about how to limit the impact of stigma on the care of emergency room patients with opioid use disorder. From the session, ACEP is developing a policy statement, a policy resource and education paper, and a paper on the role of stigma in the emergency department and how to effectively eliminate it. Read more.

Read the full ORN Bulletin