City of Houston city receives $786K Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Projects of Regional and National Significance grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Greater houston frontlines (first responder opioid overdose naloxone training and linkage into needed evidence-based services) - project abstract greater houston frontlines (first responder opioid overdose naloxone training and linkage into needed evidence-based services) is a four-year opioid overdose prevention and response initiative led by the houston health department to reduce opioid overdose deaths and strengthen community capacity throughout the greater houston metropolitan area. The project will expand evidence-based overdose prevention education, fda-approved opioid overdose reversal medication (oorm) training, recovery support, and coordinated referral pathways for first responders, healthcare professionals, community organizations, and individuals at risk of opioid overdose. The program will strengthen regional partnerships and improve access to treatment and recovery services through coordinated public health, healthcare, emergency response, and community-based strategies. Greater houston frontlines will serve houston, harris county, fort bend county, and surrounding communities, representing a service area of over 6 million residents. During the four-year project period, frontlines will directly serve 4,190 unduplicated participants, including 2,850 first responders, 150 healthcare and community-sector professionals, 90 community anchor representatives, and 1,100 community members through training, education, outreach, and referral activities. Annual participation will increase from 845 participants in year 1 to 1,065, 1,165, and 1,115 participants in years 2 through 4. The project will serve adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults affected by opioid use disorder (oud), fentanyl exposure, polysubstance use, co-occurring behavioral health conditions, housing instability, justice involvement, prior overdose, and other barriers to treatment and recovery. Priority training audiences include law enforcement officers, ems personnel, healthcare trainees, behavioral health professionals, recovery support specialists, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, and other community members who are at risk or regularly interact with individuals at risk of overdose. Project strategies include evidence-based overdose prevention education; oorm training; education on emerging drug threats; community engagement through trusted community anchors; training-of-trainers (tot); recovery navigation; standardized warm handoff and referral protocols; community resource mapping; and continuous quality improvement supported by performance monitoring and spars reporting. The goal of the program is to reduce opioid overdose deaths and improve recovery outcomes by expanding overdose prevention education, strengthening first responder and community workforce capacity, increasing access to oorms, and improving coordinated referral and recovery support throughout greater houston. By september 2030, frontlines will train 2,850 first responders, 150 healthcare and community-sector professionals, and 90 community anchor representatives; reach 1,100 community members through outreach and education; establish a community engagement workgroup; implement standardized warm handoff and recovery navigation protocols; complete a regional community resource assessment and referral directory; and use continuous performance monitoring and quality improvement to advance samhsa's strategic priorities of prevention, recovery, workforce development, partnership, and evidence-based practice.