We want to make you aware of an upcoming event on Thursday, October 22, 2020, at 2pm EST. CDC's upcoming Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) webinar on this date will feature subject matter experts from CDC, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) to highlight existing resources and exceptions for clinicians who prescribe medications for opioid use disorder, increase awareness of existing community-based linkage to care resources, and discuss the outpatient telemedicine experience from a front-line provider perspective. You can find more information about this call, including the webinar link and dial-in numbers, at this link: https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2020/callinfo_102220.asp

Many of you who have been attending our monthly external stakeholder listening sessions have expressed the importance of increasing awareness on these topics among providers and identifying additional resources for the communities you serve. We are excited about the forum this call will provide and hope that it can spurn additional conversations through our recurring listening sessions. Our next session is scheduled for October 30th at 1pm, and we hope you all can join us as we continue to discuss opportunities to enhance resources and linkage to care among persons who use drugs or have substance use disorder.

Many thanks for the incredible work you all do.

Best,

Amy Board, Unit Lead
Persons Who Use Drugs or Have Substance Use Disorder
Disproportionately Affected Populations Team
Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force
CDC COVID-19 Response
ocg3@cdc.gov