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What is the Opioid Work Group?
City staff and community partners are working together to respond locally to the effects of the opioid crisis through the Opioid Work Group. Formed in 2015, the Work Group is a multi-agency partnership comprised of representatives from a range of city services and community partners that takes a multi-dimensional approach to attacking the crisis.
The Work Group collects and shares data, is working to understand the scope of the problem and design strategies to address the crisis. In July 2017, they drafted an initial list of priorities to address opioid misuse and overdose deaths in the city. Mirroring the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis plan, this initial plan is holistic, system-wide and focuses on five key areas:
- Opioid addiction prevention and education
- Opioid addiction treatment
- Overdose response and recovery
- Diversion of people with addiction into treatment
- Supply reduction and law enforcement strategies
Opioid Work Group's Strategic Three Year Plan
In January 2020, the Work Group finalized the City's Strategic Three Year Plan (2020 - 2023) to eliminate opioid misuse and its harmful effects in throughout Alexandria. The Plan was formed through three years of extensive engagement and collaboration with community members and experts to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the local effects of the national opioid crisis. It lays out goals and objectives in five focus areas: prevention and education, treatment and recovery, supply reduction, diversion of people with addiction into treatment, and facilitating a collaborative response to opioid overdoses. View or download a copy of the plan.
Who participates in the Opioid Work Group?
- Alexandria City Public Schools
- Alexandria Fire Department
- Alexandria Health Department
- Alexandria Police Department
- Alexandria Sheriff's Office
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
- Commonweath's Attorney's Office
- Department of Community and Human Services
- Guest House
- Inova Alexandria Hospital
- Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria
- Virginia Department of Corrections/Probation and Parole
What has the Work Group Accomplished so far?
- THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN: YEAR TWO IN REVIEW
- Read highlights of the accomplishments spearheaded by the Work Group as it cooperates across departments and with the Alexandria community to eliminate opioid misuse and its harmful effects throughout the City of Alexandria.
The Work Group welcomes community input, cooperation and participation in ongoing and future projects and initiatives. For more information or to get involved, contact Opioid Response Coordinator Emily Bentley at emily.bentley@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3326.