Primary Department: Public Health Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Leah Barton - Executive Director
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable): FY26_OD2A Local
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval to host a series of workshops, webinars, and one summit from March 2026 - July 2026 in the total amount of $92,100 to support Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) Initiatives.
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Background and Discussion:
The purpose of the Substance use prevention Workshops, webinars, and summits is to equip healthcare providers, public safety professionals, clinicians, and community members with evidence-based strategies to improve overdose prevention, harm reduction, and linkage to care. These trainings emphasize the critical importance of early intervention and provide actionable tools to enhance health outcomes while promoting harm reduction strategies such as Naloxone (Narcan) administration, safe disposal of drug paraphernalia, and referral to treatment services. A dedicated Healthcare Workshop will focus on responsible prescribing practices using the CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids, helping providers balance pain management with overdose prevention and risk reduction. A Public Safety Workshop will address harm reduction as it relates to individuals with substance use disorders, strengthening compassionate, non-judgmental engagement between first responders and community members. A linkage to care workshop will work to inform the general public about the importance of early intervention and how warm handoffs can drastically affect the rate of recovery for people affected by substance use. Additionally, a Co-Occurring Disorders Summit will highlight the relationship between behavioral health and substance use, demonstrating how mental health conditions and trauma directly correlate with substance use outcomes. Participants will learn strategies for integrated care and cross-system collaboration. Supported by OD2A-sponsored educational initiatives, these workshops, webinars, and summit are designed to meet OD2A-Local grant performance requirements by fostering collaboration and strengthening linkages between community, healthcare, and public safety sectors. While bridging the gap between behavioral health, and justice system partners to better address the overdose crisis while reducing stigma and improving access to care.
Expected Impact:
The series of Workshops, webinars, and summits will strengthen the capacity of healthcare providers, public safety professionals, clinicians, and community members across Harris County to respond effectively to the overdose crisis. Through early intervention and evidence-based education, participants will gain practical tools to prevent overdoses, reduce risk behaviors, improve prescribing practices, and increase timely referrals to treatment, recovery, and behavioral health services. Healthcare providers will enhance their application of the CDC opioid prescribing guidelines, improve screening for substance use risk, expand non-opioid pain management approaches, and identify early warning signs of misuse to connect individuals to care before crises occur. Public safety professionals will strengthen harm reduction and engagement strategies through training in Naloxone administration, safe disposal, and trauma-informed communication, promoting life-saving, service-oriented responses rather than punitive approaches alone. The Co-Occurring Disorders Summit will further advance coordination between mental health and substance use systems by promoting integrated care models that improve screening, referral, and continuity of care. Collectively, these efforts will reduce stigma, improve collaboration across sectors, strengthen countywide linkage to care, and create a more coordinated, compassionate, and effective system that prevents overdoses and supports long-term recovery throughout Harris County.
Alternative Options:
If the Linkage to Care Workshops, webinars, and summits are not approved, HCPH risks being out of compliance with the OD2A-Local grant work plan, which requires educational activities focused on overdose prevention, harm reduction, and linkage to care. Failure to implement these trainings may jeopardize grant funding and limit the County’s ability to provide education on CDC opioid prescribing guidelines, public safety harm reduction strategies, and co-occurring behavioral health conditions. Without approval, opportunities for cross-sector collaboration between healthcare, public safety, behavioral health, and justice system partners would be reduced, weakening the County’s response to the overdose crisis and limiting access to evidence-based, compassionate care for individuals affected by substance use disorders.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 4. Improve physical and mental health outcomes across all communities.
County Strategic Plan Objective: O: Increase access to quality health care, including preventive and behavioral health.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): O4: Increase community health care capacity.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
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Anticipated Court Date: 2/26/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 2/26/2026
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Dr. Erika Brown, Community Health and Wellness Division Director, Public Health Services
Attachments (if applicable): Budget