Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMOU - Greater Columbia Regional Municipalites to Est. Opioid Abatement CouncilMEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GREATER COLUMBIA REGION MUNICIPALITIES TO ESTABLISH AN OPIOID ABATEMENT COUNCIL Whereas, the people of the State of Washington and its communities have been harmed by entities within the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain who manufacture, distribute, and dispense prescription opioids; Whereas, certain Local Governments, through their elected representatives and counsel are engaged in litigation seeking to hold these entities within the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain of prescription opioids accountable for the damage they have caused to the Local Governments; Whereas, Local Governments and elected officials share a common desire to abate and alleviate the impacts of harms caused by these entities within the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain throughout the State of Washington, and strive to ensure that principals of equity and equitable service delivery are factors considered in the allocation and use of Opioid Funds; Whereas, Certain Local Governments engaged in litigation and the other cities and counties in Washington desire to agree on a form of allocation for Opioid Funds they receive from entities within the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain; Whereas, Local Governments who receive funds that are governed by the August 2022 One Washington Memorandum of Understanding are required to participate in an Opioid Abatement Council to oversee and approve the plans for the spending of those funds; Now therefore, the Local Governments within the Greater Columbia Region enter into this Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") relating to the formation of an Opioid Abatement Council. A. Definitions As used in this MOU: 1. "Administering Agency" shall mean the Greater Columbia Behavioral Health, LLC. 2. "Approved Purposes" shall mean the strategies specified and set forth in the Opioid Abatement Strategies attached as Exhibit A. 3. "Greater Columbia Region" shall mean the allocation region as determined by the August 2022 One Washington Memorandum of Understanding between Washington Municipalities (One Washington MOU) made up of the following counties: Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Kittitas, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima. 4. "Participating Local Governments" shall mean those local governments that have chosen to sign on to the One Washington MOU. The Participating Local Governments for this MOU are: Asotin County, Benton County, Columbia County, Franklin County, Garfield County, Kittitas County, Walla Walla County, Whitman County, Yakima County, Kennewick, Richland, West Richland, Pasco, Ellensburg, Walla Walla, Pullman, Grandview, Sunnyside and Yakima. 5. "Opioid Abatement Council (OAC)" shall mean the group of representatives from the municipalities receiving funds within the Greater Columbia Region to oversee Opioid fund allocation, distribution, expenditures and dispute resolution as well as other responsibilities laid out in this MOU. See also One Washington MOU. 6. "Opioid Funds" shall mean monetary amounts obtained through a Settlement as defined in the One Washington MOU. B. Opioid Abatement Council a. All Participating Local Governments may have one representative on the OAC subject to the requirements detailed in the One Washington MOU.. b. The OAC shall meet on a quarterly basis or as needed, as determined by the Administering Agency. c. All Participating Local Governments will submit a spending plan to the OAC that complies with the Approved Purposes as outlined in Exhibit A, prior to the Participating Local Governments' expenditure of any Opioid funds. d. Responsibilities of the OAC: i. Overseeing distribution of Opioid Funds from Participating Local Governments to programs and services within the Allocation Region for Approved Purposes. ii. Annual review of expenditure reports from Participating Local Jurisdictions within the Allocation Region for compliance with Approved Purposes and the terms of this MOU and any Settlement. To facilitate this process, each Participating Local Government shall submit monthly expenditure reports for each month that funds were distributed. iii. Reporting and making publicly available all decisions on Opioid Fund allocation applications, distributions and expenditures by the OAC or directly by Participating Local Governments. iv. Developing and maintaining a centralized public dashboard or other repository for the publication of expenditure data from any Participating Local Government that receives Opioid Funds, and for expenditures by the OAC in that Allocation Region, which it shall update at least annually. v. Hearing complaints by Participating Local Governments within the Allocation Region regarding alleged failure to: 1. Use Opioid Funds for Approved Purposes or 2. Comply with reporting requirements. vi. If necessary, requiring and collecting additional outcome related data from Participating Local Governments to evaluate the use of Opioid Funds, and all Participating Local Governments shall comply with such requirements. e. If the OAC concludes that a Participating Local Government's expenditure of its allocation of Opioid Funds did not comply with the Approved Purposes listed in Exhibit A or the terms of this MOU, or that the Participating Local Government otherwise misused its allocation of Opioid Funds, the OAC may take remedial action against the alleged offending Participating Local Government. Such remedial action is left to the discretion of the OAC and may include withholding future Opioid Funds owed to the offending Participating Local Government or requiring the offending Participating Local Government to reimburse improperly expended Opioid Funds back to the OAC to be re -allocated to the remaining Participating Local Governments within the Region. f. All Participating Local Governments and the CAC shall maintain all records related to the receipt and expenditure of Opioid Funds for no less than five (5) years and shall make such records available for review by any other Participating Local Government or CAC, or the public. Records requested by the public shall be produced in accordance with Washington's Public Records Act RCW 42.56.001 et seq. Records requested by another Participating Local Government or an OAC shall be produced within twenty-one (21) days of the date the record request was received. This requirement does not supplant any Participating Local Government or CAC's obligations under Washington s Public Records Act RCW 42.56.001 et seq. g. Each Participating Local Government may elect to have its share re -allocated to the OAC. The OAC will then utilize this share for the benefit of Participating Local Governments within the Allocation Region, consistent with the Approved Purposes set forth in Exhibit A. A Participating Local Government's election to forego its allocation of Opioid Funds shall apply to all future allocations unless the Participating Local Government notifies the OAC otherwise. If a Participating Local Government elects to forego its allocation of the Opioid Funds, the Participating Local Government shall be excused from the reporting requirements set forth in this Agreement. L In the case where Participating Local Governments chose to forego their allocation of Opioid fund, the CAC shall be responsible for: 1. Approving or denying proposals by Participating Local Governments or community groups to the OAC for use of Opioid Funds within the Allocation Region. 2. Directing the Trustee to distribute Opioid Funds for use by Participating Local Governments or community groups whose proposals are approved by the CAC. 3. Administrating and maintaining records of all OAC decisions and distributions of Opioid Funds. h. Participating Local Governments will reserve 10% of the Opioid Funds received for administrative costs related to the CAC. The CAC will provide an annual accounting for actual costs, and any remaining funds may then be used for the Participating Local Government's Approved purpose. The Administering Agency will be responsible for providing staffing and administrative support for the OAC. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GREATER COLUMBIA REGION MUNICIPALITIES TO ESTABLISH AN OPIOID ABATEMENT COUNCIL This Memorandum of Understanding between the Greater Columbia Region Municipalities to Establish an Opioid Abatement Council is signed this _ q day of Ma!,./ 2023 by: Name & Title Ad,-4 4 �, L i h Ld ✓h (� On Behalf of Exhibit A OPIOID ABATEMENT STRATEGIES Participating Local Governments that receive a direct payment maintain full discretion over the use and distribution of their allocation of Opioid Funds, provided the Opioid Funds are used solely for Approved Purposes. Reasonable administrative costs for a Participating Local Government to administer its allocation of Opioid Funds shall not exceed actual costs or 10% of the Participating Local Government's allocation Opioid Funds, whichever is less. PART ONE: TREATMENT A. TREAT OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD) Support treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder or Mental Health (SUD/MH) conditions. Co -usage, and/or co -addiction through evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Expand availability of treatment for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. Including all forms of Medication -Assisted Treatment (MAT) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2. Support and reimburse services that include the full American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) continuum of care for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, including but not limited to: a. Medication -Assisted Treatment (MAT); b. Abstinence -based treatment; c. Treatment, recovery, or other services provided by states, subdivisions, community health centers; non -for -profit providers; or for -profit providers; d. Treatment by providers that focus on OUD treatment as well as treatment by providers that offer OUD treatment along with treatment for other SUD/MH condition, co -usage, and/or co -addiction; or e. Evidence- informed residential services programs, as noted below. 3. Expand telehealth to increase access to treatment for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, including MAT, as well as counseling, psychiatric support, and other treatment and recovery support services. 4. Improve oversight of Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to assure evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising practices such as adequate methadone dosing. 5. Support mobile intervention, treatment, and recovery services, offered by qualified professional and service providers, such as peer recovery coaches, for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction and for persons who have experienced an opioid overdose. 6. Support treatment of mental health trauma resulting from the traumatic experiences of the opioid user (e.g., violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or adverse childhood experiences) and family members (e.g., surviving family members after an overdose or overdose fatality), and training of health care personnel to identify and address such trauma. 7. Support detoxification (detox) and withdrawal management services for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, including medical detox, referral to treatment, or connections to other services or supports. 8. Support training on MAT for health care providers, students, or other supporting professionals, such as peer recovery coaches or recovery outreach specialists, including telementoringto assist community -based providers in rural or underserved areas. 9. Support workforce development for addiction professionals who work with persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. 10. Provide fellowships for addiction medicine specialists for direct patient care, instructors, and clinical research for treatments. 11. Provide funding and training for clinicians to obtain a waiver under the federal Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) to prescribe MAT for OUD, and provide technical assistance and professional support to clinicians who have obtained a DATA 2000 waiver. 12. Support the dissemination of web -based training curricula, such as the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry's Provider Clinical Support Service-Opioids web - based training curriculum and motivational interviewing. 13. Support the development and dissemination of new curricula, such as the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry's Provider Clinical Support Service for Medication - Assisted Treatment. B. SUPPORT PEOPLE IN TREATMENT AND RECOVERY Support people in treatment for and recovery form OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction through evidenced -based, evidence -informed, or promising programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Provide the full continuum of care of recovery services for OUD and any co0occurrinf SUD/MH condition, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, including supportive housing, residential treatment, medical detox services, peer support services and counseling, community navigators, case management, and connections to community -based services. 2. Provide counseling, peer -support, recovery case management and residential treatment with access to medications for those who need it to persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. 3. Provide access to housing for people with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, including supportive housing, recovery housing, housing assistance programs, or training for housing providers. 4. Provide community support services. Including social and legal services, to assist in deinstitutionalizing persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co - usage, and/or co -addiction. 5. Support or expand peer -recovery centers, which may include support groups, social events, computer access, or other services for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. 6. Provide employment training or educational services for persons in treatment for or recovery form OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co - addiction. 7. Identify successful recovery programs such as physician, pilot, and college recovery programs, and provide support and technical assistance to increase the number and capacity of high -quality programs to help those in recovery. 8. Engage non -profits, faith -based communities, and community coalitions to support people in treatment and recovery and to support family members in their efforts to manage the opioid user in the family. 9. Provide training and development of procedures for government staff to appropriately interact and provide social and other services to current and recovering opioid users, including reducing stigma. 10. Support stigma reduction efforts regarding treatment and support for persons with OUD, including reducing the stigma on effective treatment. C. CONNECT PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP TO THE HELP THEY NEED (CONNECTIONS TO CARE) Provide connections to care for people who have — or are at risk of developing—OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction through evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Ensure that health care providers are screening for OUD and other risk factors and know how to appropriately counsel and treat (or refer if necessary) a patient for OUD treatment. 2. Support Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) programs to reduce the transition from use to disorders. 3. Provide training and long-term implementation of SBIRT in key systems (health, schools, colleges, criminal justice, and probation), with a focus on youth and young adults when transition from misuse to opioid disorder is common. 4. Purchase automated versions of SBIRT and support ongoing costs of the technology. 5. Support training for emergency room personnel treating opioid overdose patients on post -discharge planning, including community referrals for MAT, recovery case management or support services. 6. Support hospital programs that transition persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, or person who have experienced an opioid overdose, into community treatment or recovery services through a bridge clinic or similar approach. 7. Support crisis stabilization centers that serve as an alternative to hospital emergency departments for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co=usage, and /or co -addiction or persons that have experienced an opioid overdose. 8. Support the work of Emergency Medical Systems, including peer support specialists, to connect individuals to treatment or other appropriate services following an opioid overdose or other opioid=related adverse event. 9. Provide funding for peer support specialists or recovery coaches in emergency departments, detox facilities, recovery centers, recovery housing, or similar settings; offer services, supports, or connections to care to persons with OUD and any co- occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction or to persons who have experienced an opioid overdose. 10. Provide funding for peer navigators, recovery coaches, care coordinators, or care managers that offer assistance to persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction or to person who have experienced on opioid overdose. 11. Create or support school -based contacts that parents can engage with to seek immediate treatment services for their child; and support prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery programs focused on young people. 12. Develop and support best practices on addressing OUD in the workplace. 13. Support assistance programs for health care providers with CUD. 14. Engage non -profits and the faith community as a system to support outreach for treatment. 15. Support centralized call centers that provide information and connections to appropriate services and supports for person s with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, an/or co -addiction. 16. Create or support intake and call centers to facilitate education and access to treatment, prevention, and recovery services for persons with OUD and any co- occurring SUD/MH condition, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. 17. Develop or support a National Treatment Availability Clearing house — a multistate/nationally accessible database whereby health care providers can list locations for currently available in -patient and out -patient OUD treatment services that are accessible on a real-time basis by persons who seek treatment. D. ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF CRIMINAL -JUSTICE -INVOLVED PERSONS Address the needs of persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction who are involved — or are at risk of becoming involved — in the criminal justice system through evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Support pre -arrest or post -arrest diversion and deflection strategies for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, including established strategies such as: a. Self -referral strategies such as the Angel Programs orthe Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative (PAARI); b. Active outreach strategies such as the Drug Abuse Response Team (DART) model; c. "Naloxone Plus" strategies, which work to ensure that individuals who have received naloxone to reverse the effects of an overdose are then linked to treatment programs or other appropriate services; d. Officer prevention strategies, such as the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) model; e. Officer intervention strategies such as the Leon County, Florida Adult Civil Citation Network or the Chicago Westside Narcotics Diversion to Treatment Initiative; f. Co -responder and/or alternative responder models to address OUD-related 911 calls with greater SLID expertise and to reduce perceived barriers associated with law enforcement 911 responses; or g. County prosecution diversion programs, including diversion officer salary, only for counties with a population of 50,000 or less. Any diversion services in matters involving opioids must include drug testing, monitoring, or treatment. 2. Support pre-trial services that connect individuals with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction to evidence -informed treatment, including MAT, and related services. 3. Support treatment and recovery courts for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, but only if these courts provide referrals to evidence -informed treatment, including MAT. 4. Provide evidence -informed treatment, including MAT, recovery support, or other appropriate services to individuals with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction who are incarcerated in jail or prison. 5. Provide evidence -informed treatment, including MAT, recovery support, or other appropriate services to individuals with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction who are leaving jail or prison have recently left jail or prison, are on probation or parole, are under community corrections supervision, or are in re-entry programs or facilities. 6. Support critical time interventions (CTI), particularly for individuals living with dual - diagnosis OUD/serious mental illness, and services for individuals who have immediate risks and service needs and risks upon release from correctional settings. 7. Provide training on best practices for addressing the needs of criminal -justice - involved persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction to law enforcement, correctional, or judicial personnel or to providers of treatment, recovery, case management, or other services offered in connection with any of the strategies described in this section. E. ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PREGNANT OR PARENTING WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING BABIES WITH NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME Address the needs of pregnant or parenting women with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, and the needs of their families, including babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome, through evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Support evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising treatment, including MAT, recovery services and supports, and prevention services for pregnant women — or women who could become pregnant —who have OUD and y any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, and other measures to educate and provide support to families affected by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. 2. Provide training for obstetricians or other healthcare personnel that work with pregnant women and their families regarding treatment of OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. 3. Provide training to health care providers who work with pregnant or parenting women on best practices for compliance with federal requirements that children born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome get referred to appropriate services and receive a plan of safe care. 4. Provide enhanced support for children and family members suffering trauma as a result of addiction in the family; and offer trauma -informed behavioral health treatment for adverse childhood events. 5. Offer enhanced family supports and home -based wrap -around services to persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, including but not limited to parent skills training. 6. Support for Children's Services — Fund additional positions and services, including supportive housing and other residential services, relating to children being removed from the home and/or placed in foster care due to custodial opioid use. PART TWO: PREVENTION F. PREVENT OVER -PRESCRIBING AND ENSURE APPROPRIATE PRESCRIBING AND DISPENSING OF OPIODS Support efforts to prevent over -prescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids through evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Training for health care providers regarding safe and responsible opioid prescribing, dosing, and tapering patients off opioids. 2. Academic counter -detailing to educate prescribers on appropriated opioid prescribing. 3. Continuing Medical Education (CME) on appropriate prescribing of opioids. 4. Support for non-opioid pain treatment alternatives, including training providers to offer or refer to multi -modal, evidence -informed treatment of pain. 5. Support enhancements or improvements to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PSMPs), including but not limited to improvements that: A. Increase the number of prescribers using PDMPs; B. Improve point -of -care decision -making by increasing the quantity, quality, or format of data available to prescribers using PDMPs or by improving the interface that prescribers use to access PDMP data, or both; or C. Enable states to use PDMP data in support of surveillance or intervention strategies, including MAT referrals and follow-up for individuals identified within PDMP data as likely to experience CUD. 6. Development and implementation of a national PDMP — Fund development of a multistate/national PDMP that permits information sharing while providing appropriate safeguards on sharing of private health information, including but not limited to: a. Integration of PDMP data with electronic health records, overdose episodes, and decision support tools for health care providers relatingto CUD. b. Ensuring PDMPs incorporate available overdose/naloxone deployment data, including the United States Department of Transportation's Emergency Medical Technician overdose database. 7. Increase electronic prescribing to prevent diversion or forgery. 8. Educate Dispensers on appropriate opioid dispensing. G. PREVENT MISUSE OF OPIOIDS Support efforts to discourage or prevent misuse of opioids through evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Corrective advertising or affirmative public education campaigns based on evidence. 2. Public education relating to drug disposal. 3. Drug take -back disposal or destruction programs. 4. Fund community anti -drug coalitions that engage in drug prevention efforts. 5. Support community coalitions in implementing evidence -informed prevention, such as reduced social access and physical access, stigma reduction — including staffing, educational campaigns, support for people in treatment or recovery, or training of coalitions in evidence -informed implementation, including the Strategic Prevention Framework developed by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 6. Engage non -profits and faith -based communities as systems to support prevention. 7. Support evidence -informed school and community education programs and campaigns for students. Families, school employees, school athletic programs, parent - teacher and student associations, and others. 8. School -based or youth -focused programs or strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in preventing drug misuse and seem likely to be effective in preventing the uptake and use of opioids. 9. Support community -based education or intervention services for families, youth, and adolescents at risk for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. 10. Support evidence -informed programs or curricula to address mental health needs of young people who may be at risk of misusing opioids or other drugs, including emotional modulation and resilience skills. 11. Support greater access to mental health services and supports for young people, including services and supports provided by school nurses or other school staff, to address mental health needs in young people that (when not properly addressed) increase the risk of opioid or other drug misuse. H. PREVENT OVERDOSE DEATHS AND OTHER HARMS Support efforts to prevent or reduce overdose deaths or other opioid-related harms through evidence -based, evidence -informed, or promising programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Increase availability and distribution of naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses for first responders, overdose patients, opioid users, families and friends of opioid users, schools, community navigators and outreach workers, drug offenders upon release from jail/prison, or other members of the general public. 2. Provision by public health entities of free naloxone to anyone in the community, including but not limited to provision of intra-nasal naloxone in settings where other options are not available or allowed. 3. Training and education regarding naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses for first responders, overdose patients, patients taking opioids, families, schools, and other members of the general public. 4. Enable school nurses and other school staff to respond to opioid overdoses, and provide them with naloxone, training, and support. 5. Expand, improve, or develop data tracking software and applications for overdoses/naloxone revivals. 6. Public education relating to emergency responses to overdoses. 7. Public education relating to immunity and Good Samaritan laws. 8. Educate first responders regardingthe existence and operation of immunity and Good Samaritan laws. 9. Expand access to testing and treatment for infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C resulting from intravenous opioid use. 10. Support mobile units that offer or provide referrals to treatment, recovery supports, health care, or other appropriate services to persons that use opioids or persons with CUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. 11. Provide training in treatment and recovery strategies to health care providers, students, peer recovery coaches, recovery outreach specialists, or other professionals that provide care to persons who use opioids or persons with CUD and any co- occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction. 12. Support Screening for fentanyl in routine clinical toxicology testing PART THREE: OTHER STRATEGIES I. FIRST RESPONDERS In addition to items C8, D1 through D7, H1, H3 and H8, support the following: 1. Current and future law enforcement expenditures relating to the opioid epidemic. 2. Educate law enforcement or other first responders regarding appropriate practices and precautions when dealing with fentanyl or other drugs. J. LEADERSHIP. PLANNING AND COORDINATION Support efforts to provide leadership, planning, and coordination to abate the opioid epidemic through activities, programs, or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Community regional planning to identify goals for reducing harms related to the opioid epidemic, to identify areas and populations with the greatest needs for treatment intervention services, or to support other strategies to abate the opioid epidemic described in this opioid abatement strategy list. 2. A government dashboard to track key opioid-related indicators and supports as identified through collaborative community processes. 3. Invest in infrastructure or staffing at government or not -for -profit agencies to support collaborative, cross -system coordination with the purpose of preventing overprescribing, opioid misuse, or opioid overdoses, treating those with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, supporting them in treatment or recovery, connecting them to care, or implementing other strategies to abate the opioid epidemic described in this opioid abatement strategy list. 4. Provide resources to staff government oversight and management of opioid abatement programs. K. TRAINING In addition to the training referred to in various items above, support training to abate the opioid epidemic through activities, programs, or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Provide funding for staff training or networking programs and services to improve the capability of government, community, and not -for -profit entities to abate the opioid crisis. 2. Invest in infrastructure and staffing for collaborative cross -system coordination to prevent opioid misuse, prevent overdoses, and treat those with OUD and any co- occurring SUD/MH conditions, co -usage, and/or co -addiction, or implement other strategies to abate the opioid epidemic described in this opioid abatement strategy list (e.g., health care, primary care, pharmacies, PDMPs, etc.) L. RESEARCH Support opioid abatement research that may include, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Monitoring, surveillance, and evaluation of programs and strategies described in this opioid abatement strategy list. 2. Research non-opioid treatment of chronic pain. 3. Research on improved service delivery for modalities such as SBIRT that demonstrate promising but mixed results in populations vulnerable to opioid use disorders. 4. Research on innovative supply-side enforcement efforts such as improved detection of mail -based delivery of synthetic opioids. 5. Expanded research on swift/certain/fair models to reduce and deter opioid misuse within criminal justice populations that build upon promising approaches used to address other substances (e.g. Hawaii HOPE and Dakota 24/7). 6. Research on expanded modalities such as prescription methadone that can expand access to MAT.