Modeled after New York City’s RxStat Initiative, PHAST provides an organizing framework and concrete strategies to help teams 1) Establish a shared understanding of the local overdose crisis, 2) Optimize jurisdictional capacity to address the overdose crisis, and 3) Establish shared accountability for improving overdose prevention efforts and reducing overdose deaths.
Following a two-year development process informed by background investigation, pilot testing, user feedback and subject matter expert review, the final version of the Toolkit was published in 2022. To further support its adoption and dissemination, the CDC Foundation awarded one year of funding to support three implementation sites in July 2022:
In June 2023, CDC Foundation spoke with each site to learn more about their PHASTs, what strategies were implemented, and key project successes. Below, you will find their Success Stories and key tips to help you implement PHAST in your community.
Middlesex County is a rural community of 72,901 people located in southeastern Connecticut. Like many communities across the United States, Middlesex County has seen a steady increase in overdose deaths over the past two decades. Mental health, substance use and counseling services are sparse due to a shortage of providers in this area. Individuals face additional challenges in obtaining services due to its rural nature and a lack of convenient and affordable transportation options. From 2018-2020, the county observed a spike in overdose fatalities, exceeding the national average, which propelled community partners to seek a national evidence-based model to better understand and respond to this growing epidemic in their county.
Winnebago County is a rural community of 167,000 people located in southeastern Wisconsin. Like many communities across the United States, Winnebago County has seen a steady increase in overdose deaths over the past two decades. In 2017, the county observed a spike in these fatalities, spurring community partners to seek a national evidence-based model to better understand and respond to this growing epidemic in their county.
To begin to address the crisis, community leaders established an Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) team in early 2018.
COMING SOON!
October 24, 2022
Drug overdose deaths have continued to rise in the United States. The number of overdose deaths increased by 30% from 2019 to 2020 and rose another 15% from 2020 to 2021. A majority of these cases have involved opioids, and recently, the number of cases involving psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine and cocaine, have also risen.
Many experts have suggested that addressing the overdose epidemic requires collaborative multi-sector partnerships between public health and public safety sectors. By coordinating local efforts, communities can bring together diverse perspectives and expertise and improve interventions for example, in harm reduction and linkage to care. In turn, they may be better positioned to leverage existing resources to enhance overdose prevention strategies.
July 6, 2022
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2021, over 107,000 overdose deaths occurred in the U.S., the highest number recorded in any previous year. In the face of such statistics, there is a critical need to sustain and renew efforts to address this crisis. To have a lasting impact, overdose response and prevention requires coordination across multiple sectors and agencies, each bringing unique expertise, knowledge, and data to drive action.
The Public Health and Safety Team (PHAST) Framework and Toolkit was initially developed in 2019 by the CDC Foundation, in collaboration with CDC for use by local jurisdictions. Government agencies in cities, counties, and tribal communities are well-positioned to adopt and implement overdose prevention strategies, leverage existing strengths, and address local-level needs.
