PR ORS Team Training in Caguas Leads to Life Saving Overdose Intervention
In May 2026, as part of a collaborative public health and public safety initiative, the Puerto Rico Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team delivered specialized opioid overdose recognition and response training to 36 officers from the Caguas Municipal Police Department. Coordinated by the Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Training […]
Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Efforts in Worcester, MA
Following a fatal overdose at an apartment complex, the Massachusetts Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team and partners delivered naloxone training to five building staff, equipping them to recognize the signs of an opioid-related overdose and respond effectively. In addition, through in-service training at the Worcester Police Department, the MA ORS team trained all officers on […]
WI ORS Team and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Host Five Overdose Prevention Summits for First Responders
First responders play a critical role in overdose response, yet they may have limited opportunities to connect across agencies and share strategies. To address this gap, the Wisconsin Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) Public Health Analyst (PHA) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) hosted the first annual Overdose Prevention Summits for First Responders in […]
The Risks Are Real: The Truth about Fentanyl and Fake Pills National Virtual School Assembly
Pictured from left to right are founder of demandZERO Lisa Deane, CT DIO Bobby Lawlor, CT PHA Anna Gasinski, The Rendon Group Senior Producer Ellie Barkett, The Rendon Group Senior Vice President Tricia Raynard, The Rendon Group Director of Youth Marketing Kari Johnston, The Rendon Group Co-founder/Senior Partner Rick Rendon. Today’s youth face an evolving […]
ONDCP and CDC Highlight the Critical Role of the Overdose Response Strategy
In a joint statement released by the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) recognized the Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) as the only national program specifically designed to strengthen overdose prevention through coordinated public health and public safety partnerships. The statement highlights how ORS […]
ORS and ASTHO Advance Overdose Spike Response Preparedness Across States
In 2025, Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) teams in multiple states partnered with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to strengthen overdose spike preparedness through the Overdose Spike Exercise-in-a-Box Toolkit pilot program. Selected as part of a five-state cohort, ORS teams collaborated with public health, public safety and behavioral health partners to plan […]
ORS and Syracuse University Distinguished Humphrey Fellowship Collaboration
Pictured from left to right are ORS partners and staff including NY PHA Lisa Worden, NY DIO Jim Hawley, ORS Technical Advisor Nava Bastola, HIDTA Deputy National Coordinator Chris Jakim and NY/NJ HIDTA Director Chauncey Parker, National Police Lt. Sonthor Prum (Cambodia), National Authority for Combatting Drugs Deputy Director Chumnith Meas (Cambodia), Ministry of Interior […]
Art, Ethics and Action: ORS Brings Silence on the Streets to the University of Rhode Island
Pictured left to right are New England HIDTA Deputy Director Dave Kelley, Peer Recovery Coach Donald Rose, Sharece Sellem-Hannah, David Hannah, CT PHA Anna Gasinski, CT DIO Bobby Lawlor, New England HIDTA ORS Coordinator Jack Foster, URI Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Wolfe, URI President Marc Parlange and RI PHA Tom […]
South Dakota Expands Naloxone Access at the Nation’s Largest Motorcycle Rally
Demonstrating how collaboration can turn funding into impactful action, South Dakota is expanding access to naloxone through innovative partnerships, resource investments and coordinated community engagement. Using opioid settlement funds, the Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Social Services and Emily’s Hope (a non-profit organization) acquired 20,000 naloxone kits. Emily’s Hope spearheaded the first statewide distribution […]
Multi-State Collaboration Leads to Rapid Overdose Response in Appalachia
When a suspected opioid overdose case in southwest Virginia raised alarms about a potentially dangerous substance spreading across state lines, the Tennessee and Virginia Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) teams enabled rapid cross-state coordination that strengthened partnerships and sparked efforts to improve overdose response processes. In September 2025, emergency department staff at a community hospital in […]