About Us

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funded the State Opioid Response/ Tribal Opioid Response – Technical Assistance grant to the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry in collaboration with the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network, Columbia University Division on Substance Use Disorders and a large national coalition. This coalition forms the Opioid Response Network to provide free training and education to address opioid, stimulant and all substance use disorders.

We Work with Everyone

Government

State agencies, tribes, cities, counties and beyond.

Organizations

Community groups, coalitions and organizations big and small working across prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction.

Individuals

Health professionals, advocates, peer specialists and anyone working to address local needs.

OUR GOAL IS YOUR GOAL

ORN provides evidence-based, culturally responsive education, training and consultation, also known as technical assistance or TA. Every state and territory have designated Technology Transfer Specialists to facilitate this work. These TTS are your local point people who work with you and ORN consultants in your community to meet your TA needs! Our goal is to streamline efforts to address identified gaps, reduce disparities and advance health equity. Use the Prevention, Treatment, Recovery and Harm Reduction tabs on the left for ideas on how the ORN can help you help others.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS

STEP 1: Anyone can Submit a Request.

STEP 2: This request will be forwarded to your local TTS.

STEP 3: All requests are responded to within one business day.

STEP 4: A meeting will be coordinated to learn more about your needs.

QUESTIONS? Not sure what you need? Email [email protected].

Breaking the cycle needs to start with preventing substance misuse.

We have educational resources and trainings to address an array of topics including:

The importance of training family members about the use of naloxone/Narcan®

Guidance on how to create a prevention curriculum for schools

Steps in creating community awareness and anti-stigma campaigns

Treating substance use disorders with medications and counseling is effective.

We offer trainings on many topics including:

How to develop telehealth services to expand access to treatment

Guidance on the use of medication for addiction treatment in rural areas and tribal communities

Screening for suicide and self-harm

Training on the 3-FDA approved medications for treating opioid use disorders—methadone, naltrexone and buprenorphine

Patients benefit from recovery support across the continuum of care.

We provide educational resources and training including those listed below and more:

Educating staff in medications and their role in recovery

How to expand recovery support in rural areas

Step-by-step process for creating peer
recovery services

Training for recovery coach models

Harm reduction approaches are effective in addressing substance use disorders.

We provide resources and consultation on topics including:

Practices for building community-centered support

Education on fentanyl test strips and other drug checking equipment

Trauma-informed practices when working with people who are unhoused

Guidance on developing syringe exchange programs

Overview

OUR GOAL IS YOUR GOAL

ORN provides evidence-based, culturally responsive education, training and consultation, also known as technical assistance or TA. Every state and territory have designated Technology Transfer Specialists to facilitate this work. These TTS are your local point people who work with you and ORN consultants in your community to meet your TA needs! Our goal is to streamline efforts to address identified gaps, reduce disparities and advance health equity. Use the Prevention, Treatment, Recovery and Harm Reduction tabs on the left for ideas on how the ORN can help you help others.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS

STEP 1: Anyone can Submit a Request.

STEP 2: This request will be forwarded to your local TTS.

STEP 3: All requests are responded to within one business day.

STEP 4: A meeting will be coordinated to learn more about your needs.

QUESTIONS? Not sure what you need? Email [email protected].

Prevention

Breaking the cycle needs to start with preventing substance misuse.

We have educational resources and trainings to address an array of topics including:

The importance of training family members about the use of naloxone/Narcan®

Guidance on how to create a prevention curriculum for schools

Steps in creating community awareness and anti-stigma campaigns

Treatment

Treating substance use disorders with medications and counseling is effective.

We offer trainings on many topics including:

How to develop telehealth services to expand access to treatment

Guidance on the use of medication for addiction treatment in rural areas and tribal communities

Screening for suicide and self-harm

Training on the 3-FDA approved medications for treating opioid use disorders—methadone, naltrexone and buprenorphine

Recovery

Patients benefit from recovery support across the continuum of care.

We provide educational resources and training including those listed below and more:

Educating staff in medications and their role in recovery

How to expand recovery support in rural areas

Step-by-step process for creating peer
recovery services

Training for recovery coach models

Harm Reduction

Harm reduction approaches are effective in addressing substance use disorders.

We provide resources and consultation on topics including:

Practices for building community-centered support

Education on fentanyl test strips and other drug checking equipment

Trauma-informed practices when working with people who are unhoused

Guidance on developing syringe exchange programs

We promote evidence-based practices.

Methods across the Opioid Response Network are proven to be effective.

46

national professional organizations across fields have joined the ORN effort. And we are growing!

9 in 10

participants in ORN trainings plan to make changes to their practice.

150K+

individuals have been trained by ORN to enhance substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery efforts.

5,500+

training requests have been received by ORN from people looking to improve their efforts.

Advancing Health Equity

ORN is committed to integrating health equity across the substance use prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery continuum. ORN advances health equity through culturally responsive outreach, engagement and collaboration. We do this work intersectionally, through a coordinated health equity response that includes a Health Equity Steering Committee, Health Equity Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Teams, Outreach and Engagement Teams focused on building regional capacity to provide culturally responsive TTA, an Indigenous Communities Response Team and advisory teams that prioritize the needs of specific underserved communities.

Indigenous Communities

This team reinforces the provision of culturally informed education and training developed in partnership with Native communities. It is composed of Tribal behavioral health professionals who are strong allies with significant experience working with Native communities.

Black Communities

Reaching Black and African American communities to address the need for preventing and treating substance use disorders is critical as rates of overdose deaths in these communities are outpacing other populations. This multi-disciplinary team helps the ORN ensure the delivery of culturally informed education and training.

Latiné Communities

Latiné communities experience disparities around substance use disorder. Barriers to accessing treatment include higher rates of unemployment, longer travel times to substance use disorder service locations, less internet access for telehealth and lower likelihood of having insurance. This council represents a multi-disciplinary team from national organizations from across the country.

Sexuality and Gender Diversity

LGBTQ+ people are met with a variety of intersecting experiences that can often lead to increased rates of substance use and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. This team supports the ORN’s mission of providing education and training in a manner that meets the specific needs of those making the request.

Indigenous Communities Response Team

ORN’s Indigenous Communities Response Team works with Tribal Opioid Response grantees and Native communities on efforts addressing opioid and stimulant use disorders. We can provide educational resources and training opportunities that are locally meaningful, culturally relevant and considerate of the strengths and traumas that affect Native community wellness. Dedicated Technology Transfer Specialists are located throughout the country. This team is comprised of Tribal professionals and strong allies with significant experience working with and within Native communities.

Our interest groups

Opioid Response Network Interest Groups are opportunities for national organizations and advisory groups with shared interests to convene on, share and promote effective strategies across the continuum of care for opioid and stimulant use disorders.

Prevention Interest Group

Prevention Interest Group

A cohesive and well qualified prevention workforce is necessary to implement evidence-based prevention in communities and at the state level. With prevention as an integral player, ORN developed a Prevention Interest Group, which includes the American Academy of...

read more
Recovery Interest Group

Recovery Interest Group

Our Recovery Interest Group consists of members from some of the largest recovery related organizations in the nation. The committee assists ORN by providing guidance and insight to what is happening in the field of recovery. They strive to grow the number of recovery...

read more
Justice/Corrections Interest Group

Justice/Corrections Interest Group

To support the development and delivery of resources and educational opportunities for those working across justice and corrections and for the individuals they serve, the Opioid Response Network works in collaboration with several organizations forming a Justice and...

read more

Prevention Interest Group

A cohesive and well qualified prevention workforce is necessary to implement evidence-based prevention in communities and at the state level. With prevention as an integral player, ORN developed a Prevention Interest Group, which includes the American Academy of...

Recovery Interest Group

Our Recovery Interest Group consists of members from some of the largest recovery related organizations in the nation. The committee assists ORN by providing guidance and insight to what is happening in the field of recovery. They strive to grow the number of recovery...

Justice/Corrections Interest Group

To support the development and delivery of resources and educational opportunities for those working across justice and corrections and for the individuals they serve, the Opioid Response Network works in collaboration with several organizations forming a Justice and...