Home      Login

Abstract: 

The opioid overdose epidemic is a public health crisis that continues to adversely affect communities across the United States in profound ways. Overdose deflection programs have now been in existence for more than ten years and have been implemented throughout the United States. Despite their proliferation, the current evidence base for deflection is modest. This paper discusses the challenges in researching and evaluating deflection programs and offers recommendations for practitioners and researchers to develop and improve this burgeoning evidence base. The following scholars and researchers contributed to this article: C. Clare Strange (Drexel University); Alison J. Farringer (RDA Consulting); Kelly Firesheets (Cordata Healthcare Innovations); Joshua Kirven (UNC Charlotte); Jon Ross and Sophia Juarez (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities [TASC]); and Kimberly G. Sperber (Talbert House).

Keywords: Opioids, overdose, overdose deflection, evidence-based practices, program evaluation

Affiliations:  1: University of Cincinnati; 2: University of Cincinnati.