The South Dakota Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team has made significant progress in expanding access to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) and improving data quality through strong collaboration at local and state levels. Before 2022, ODMAP participation in South Dakota was limited to just three local agencies and two state agencies. Today, 61 agencies—including 43 law enforcement departments, six emergency medical service agencies, four hospital organizations with emergency departments, two post-overdose response teams and a Coroner/Forensic Examiner—have signed up for ODMAP. In three South Dakota counties—Pennington, Minnehaha and Roberts—multi-sector partnerships have enabled agencies to integrate their data, creating a more comprehensive view of overdose trends. For instance, Project Recovery, a post-overdose response team operating in western South Dakota, previously faced barriers with data-sharing and referrals. By collaborating with the South Dakota Fusion Center, a statewide public safety intelligence agency, the Fusion Center now receives real-time alerts when law enforcement in Pennington County responds to an overdose. Through the shared ODMAP platform, both agencies can securely exchange basic victim information and coordinate follow-up care. The SD ORS team strengthened data-sharing efforts by fostering key partnerships and collaboration. The ORS team facilitated meetings with the Fusion Center, helped Project Recovery secure ODMAP access through the Department of Social Services and led discussions on data-sharing. These efforts ultimately gained law enforcement approval and reinforced multi-sector cooperation at state and local levels. Since this partnership began, follow-up referrals have increased by 63.6 percent. The SD ORS team has also fostered strong relationships with tribal communities, working to integrate ODMAP as a tool for overdose prevention and response. On the Lake Traverse Reservation, home to the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, first responders and treatment professionals now meet quarterly with the ORS team to review and input cases into ODMAP. In 2024, the system captured a full year of data for the first time, providing a more accurate and complete picture of overdose trends. Given that the Reservation spans seven counties across both North and South Dakota, ODMAP has proven especially valuable in identifying cross-county and cross-state overdose patterns. Further strengthening these efforts, the SD ORS team is collaborating with the Department of Tribal Relations and the South Dakota Tribal Law Enforcement Liaison to develop an ODMAP training video specifically designed for tribal communities. This initiative aims to enhance awareness and ensure effective use of ODMAP as a resource for overdose prevention and response across South Dakota.

“…Through the work underway with the [South Dakota] ORS team, Tribal Leadership has been and is able to alert the community about current and emerging threats when there are documented emergency response clusters. First responders in Roberts County, where most of the fatal overdoses have occurred, participated this past year and we look forward to expanding in the future to include first responders from other counties that share geography with the Lake Traverse Reservation.”

• Sara DeCoteau, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate (SWO) Project Director for the Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grant

“The Fusion Center is our top post-overdose program referral partner, comprising 63.6% of all referrals to date. Since January 2025 alone, the Fusion Center has referred 10 individuals to our program. This collaboration is an actionable step toward reducing overdose deaths by rapidly linking at-risk individuals with life-saving, evidence-based addiction treatment and harm reduction resources.”

• Kendra Joswiak, South Dakota Clinical Practice Director