COLLABORATE. SHARE. INFORM & HELP.

OUR HISTORY

2023
December 2023
ONDCP Funding

ONDCP invested funding for all 61 DIO positions, including a DIO position the District of Columbia (D.C.).

August 2023
CDC invested $11.6 million

CDC invested $11.6 million to continue funding all 60 PHA positions, and add a PHA position in the District of Columbia (D.C.), for a total of 61 PHA positions.

February 2023
ONDCP Designation

ONDCP designated the ORS as a HIDTA National Initiative.

2022
August 2022
CDC invested $8.4 million

CDC invested $8.4 million to continue funding all 60 PHA positions, as well as additional staffing and resources to support the growth of the program.

April 2022
Biden-Harris Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy highlighted the ORS

The Biden-Harris National Drug Control Strategy highlighted the ORS under Principle 1B, which focuses on improving information sharing, vertically and horizontally, between public health and public safety entities to improve health outcomes and build health equity.

2021
August 2021
CDC invested $7.2 million

CDC invested $7.2 million to continue supporting 30 PHAs and expand the program to add 30 additional PHA positions. The ORS is recognized as a national program.

2020
September 2020
ONDCP Funding

ONDCP invested $5 million in baseline funding to hire DIOs in every state.

August 2020
CDC Funding

CDC invested $3.765 million to continue funding 11 PHA positions and add 19 PHA positions, for a total of 30.

July 2020
1st Annual Report

ORS released its first annual program report, a publication highlighting major activities and accomplishments throughout the preceding year.

2019
August 2019
CDC Funds 11 PHA Positions

CDC funded 11 PHA positions through a $1.7 million cooperative agreement with the CDC Foundation to build capacity for the public health arm of the program and join the ORS as a formal partner.

2018
April 2018
Program Changes its Name

The Heroin Response Strategy became the Opioid Response Strategy to encompass the larger challenge of fatal and nonfatal overdoses beyond heroin overdose. In July 2018, the program broadened its scope again to become the Overdose Response Strategy (ORS).

2017
November 2017
HRS Symposium

HRS held the first “HRS Symposium” in Atlanta, GA with approximately 300 attendees.

October 2017
1st Cornerstone Project

First Cornerstone Project – ”911 Good Samaritan Laws” – was implemented.

September 2017
Increased Funding for Pilot Projects

CDC allocated additional funding to start up the first round of HRS pilot projects in three states.

April 2017
Strategic Directions

HRS formally established its goals, mission, strategic direction and logic model.

March 2017
CDC joined HRS

CDC joined HRS to lead the public health arm of the program.

2016
August 2016
Increased Funding for New HIDTA Regions

ONDCP allocated additional funding to HRS to include the Ohio, Michigan and Atlanta/Carolinas HIDTAs.

June 2016
State of the Region Public Health/Public Safety Symposium

ONDCP and HIDTA hosted the first “State of the Region Public Health/Public Safety Symposium” in Baltimore, MD to bring together HIDTA, CDC and other partners to discuss the need for cross-sector collaboration to address the opioid epidemic.

2015
August 2015
HIDTA Funding

ONDCP funded 5 HIDTAs (Appalachia, New England, New York/New Jersey, Liberty Mid-Atlantic and Washington/Baltimore) to create the Heroin Response Strategy (HRS), a cross-disciplinary initiative that brings together Public Health (PH) and Public Safety (PS) partners to reduce drug overdose fatalities.