Prevention First Leadership Center

Leadership Center

The goal of the Leadership Centers program is to advance and increase the knowledge and use of medication-assisted recovery and decrease opioid and stimulant use disorder by working across the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Continuum of Care Model and utilizing a systems-thinking approach.

Prevention First’s Leadership Center provides online and web-based training, education, resources, and tools to assist IDHS-SUPR Illinois Leadership Centers, coalitions, ROSCs, and those interested in reducing opioid use disorder and preventing overdose deaths.

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Our Training and Technical Assistance.

Training, coaching, and consultation are offered through one-on-one meetings and group settings. Our services will assist and empower Leadership Center staff, coalitions, and ROSCs to be proficient in the following areas:

 Collaborating with stakeholders
 Assisting local leaders and providers working across the continuum of care
 Assessing community readiness and resources
 Utilizing the Strategic Prevention Framework
 Training communities and convening learning collaboratives on network processes
 Providing evidence-based resources and tools across the continuum of care
 Other topics that may address the prevention, intervention, and treatment of opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder

Resources For You

Please look around the page to locate useful resources for our work. Please contact Megan Edmondson, Leadership Center Administrator, for more information about technical assistance or our services.

Leadership Centers

The goal of the Leadership Center is to increase knowledge and use of medication-assisted recovery and reduce opioid and stimulant use disorder by working across the Care Continuum and using a systems-based approach. Contact the other Leadership Centers by clicking on the links below.

Rush University Medical Center
Carle Foundation Hospital
Chestnut Health Systems, Inc
SIU Center for Rural Health

ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes)

Prevention First Leadership Center Harm Reduction ECHO focuses on harm reduction issues and community-based strategies to prevent substance use-related overdoses, deaths, or other harmful impacts, including decreasing the stigma surrounding harm reduction. Each ECHO session will have a 20-minute presentation facilitated by a guest speaker on various topics, including evidence-based harm reduction strategies, stigma, obtaining community buy-in, and current trends. The remainder of the session involves case presentation(s) and peer discussion on strategies to overcome the issues presented.

Who should attend? Individuals who work in or are interested in harm reduction:

People with Lived Experience
Community members impacted by opioid use disorder or overdose
Prevention and Overdose Prevention Professionals
Peer Recovery Support Specialists
Community-Based Organizations, ROSCs, or Coalitions
Public, Mental, and Behavioral Health Professionals
Substance Use Disorder Treatment Providers
Healthcare Providers & First Responders
Harm Reduction Specialist

Schedule: Each session is from 10:00-11:00 AM

November 19, 2024, Topic: LGBTQ+ Populations
January 14, 2025, Topic: Individuals who inject drugs
February 11, 2025, Topic: Individuals Who are Unhoused, unsheltered, or experiencing Unstable Housing
March 11, 2025, Topic: Individuals with Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
April 8, 2025, Topic: Pregnant Women and New Mothers
May 13, 2025, Topic: Adolescent and Young Adults
June 10, 2025, Topic: Individuals who are Justice-involved

Interested? Sign up through this link: https://www.cognitoforms.com/PreventionFirst1/HarmReductionECHO2024

Resources

Fact Sheets

How to Talk to 911 When Calling for Overdose | Spanish Version

Recovery Position | Spanish Version

Signs of an Opioid Overdose | Spanish Version

Tranq-Xylazine Information | Spanish Version

Toolkits

Leadership Center Networking Guide

RLC Network Development Stakeholders and Resources Log - June 2021

Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care Resource Guide
This technical assistance resource guide was prepared for SAMHSA’s Partners for Recovery Initiative and includes an introduction and background of Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care.

SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework Guide | Spanish Version

Naloxone NOW

Guard and Discard

Campaigns

Rethink Recovery Campaign
This campaign supports one of the main goals of the Leadership Centers, which is to increase medication-assisted recovery, an evidence-based strategy known to decrease opioid use disorder.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is held every April and October. It aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications.

Opioid Prevention Campaign: 12 Things Parents Can Do to Prevent Addiction
The Opioid Prevention Campaign is a public health media campaign to help prevent adolescent substance use. Adolescence remains a critical time for brain development and a vulnerable period for substance use. The Opioid Prevention Campaign features key information about opioids and guidance for parents and teachers on preventing opioid misuse. The campaign information is available in both Spanish and English.

Research

SAMHSA Guide: Decisions in Recovery Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders
These resources were developed by SAMHSA for professional providers and people with substance use disorders to assist with discussing and comparing various treatment options.

Treatment Improvement Protocol: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) reviews the use of the three Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications used to treat OUD—methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine—and the other strategies and services needed to support recovery for people with OUD. This is a revision.

Evidence-based Practices for Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment in Criminal Justice Settings
This guide focuses on policies and practices that can be implemented to intervene during an individual’s time in the correctional system and upon release that moderate and mitigate the risk of overdose for persons with OUD after release.

Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in a Pediatric Setting

Networks

Technology Transfer Centers
The purpose of the SAMHSA-funded Technology Transfer Centers (TTC) is to develop and strengthen the specialized behavioral healthcare and primary healthcare workforce that provides prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for substance use disorders and mental illness.

Visible Networks Labs - Network Leadership Webinars

State of Illinois Opioid Response

State of Illinois Overdose Action Plan (March 2022)

IDHS: Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) Overview

IDPH Opioid Dashboard

Drug Overdose Deaths

Illinois Overdose Prevention Providers
These providers are funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) to provide Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) services in Illinois. The OEND programs are registered with the IDHS/SUPR Drug Overdose Prevention Program, which gives them the ability to distribute the opioid overdose antidote naloxone. They can assist individuals and organizations with obtaining naloxone and support substance use treatment programs, human service agencies, and other institutions with establishing their own OEND services.

Project Administrator

Megan Edmondson
leadershipcenter@prevention.org