Overview
The opioid crisis is one of the largest public health crises of our time. As the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, increasing rates of opioid misuse illustrate the deeply intertwined nature of substance misuse and mental health.
The Milken Institute Opioid Crisis Response aims to advance the most effective strategies for expanding access to and awareness of prevention resources to opioid and substance misuse. We identify gaps, create intersections, and accelerate action from existing evidence-based and informed work. We do this by convening leaders in government, academia, technology, industry, nonprofit, and more to conduct action-oriented programmatic work that focuses on five key areas:
(1) Media and communications: Raise awareness of the opioid crisis by stressing the importance of prevention and access to evidence-based resources while ensuring the right message is reaching the right audience
(2) Public safety: Showcase the need for proper collaboration between public safety and law enforcement
(3) Access: Partner with leaders in different communities (including employers, faith-based organizations, schools, and more) to increase access to and awareness of prevention resources.
(4) Innovation: Locate and share innovations that create broader awareness and help prevent and intervene in substance use disorders
(5) Investment: Encourage scalable investment opportunities that increase awareness, access, and innovation related to the prevention of substance use disorders
