Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Task Force​

The Mecklenburg County Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Task Force is a community-based initiative that enjoys active representation from parents and members of the prevention, treatment, criminal justice, education, faith, healthcare, pharmacy, geriatrics, social services, public health, law enforcement, homeless services and recovery communities.

All task force members are volunteers who have generously dedicated their time to the goal of opioid and substance use prevention in Mecklenburg County. We share a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, and continuous development of community efforts to raise awareness of the resources available to prevent and combat the disease of addiction.The task force currently has more than 150 community members. Membership is comprised of the leadership team, workgroups, and general members.

Taskforce Workgroups

Since its inception...

The Mecklenburg County Substance Use Disorders Task Force has:

  • Hosted three summits that provided education and strategic planning for a combined total of over 1,000 community members and professionals.
  • Supported the passage of the STOP Act (Strengthening Opioid Misuse Prevention).
  • Implemented a Lock Your Meds® campaign through local media outlets.
  • Conducted prevention education with youth and parents through both public and private schools
  • Developed training curricula and provided training to professionals predominantly in government and the fields of prevention, treatment, healthcare, and law enforcement.

Resources and Tools

  • Mecklenburg County Action Plan

    Find data on opioid deaths and emergency room visits for Mecklenburg County and other areas throughout the state.

  • Dashboard

    The Mecklenburg County Substance Use Disorder Task Force Data Workgroup has collaborated with the Mecklenburg County Public Health Overdose Data to Action Team to develop a surveillance dashboard examining overdose trends in Mecklenburg County. This project is funded by the Center for Disease Control, and provides historical and current data on emergency responses to overdoses, emergency department service utilization for overdoses, opioid prescribing patterns, among other data elements specific to Mecklenburg County. 

  • NC Opioid Action Plan and Dashboard

    The NC DHHS has developed an opioid action plan and dashboard. 

Task Force Goals

The Mecklenburg County Opioid and Substance Use Task Force developed local goals which address identified gaps within our community. These goals clearly align with the North Carolina action plan.

  • PREVENT
  • Reduce excess medications by teaching safe storage and disposal methods.
  • Raise awareness around Drug Take-Back and Drug Disposal events, Lock Your Meds campaigns and training events.
  • Increase trauma-informed training to healthcare providers, social service providers, court systems, school systems and community-based organizations.
  • Prevent youth misuse by addressing causes of substance use disorders such as trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
  • Establish an Opioid Fatality Review Team.
  • REDUCE HARM
  • Expand access to evidence-based syringe services programs (SSPs).
  • Expand access to drug testing tools and promote testing results to advance overdose prevention and harm reduction.
  • Increase naloxone kit distribution to people recently released from carceral settings, people who use drugs, their friends and family, and to community-based organizations, emergency departments, and treatment providers.
  • Run a stigma reduction campaign that include significant input and guidance from people with lived experience and community partners.
  • CONNECT TO CARE
  • Develop post-overdose response team to link survivors to naloxone, harm reduction, treatment, and social support options.
  • Ensure task force teams include staff from historically marginalized populations (HMPs) that align with our community needs.
  • Provide naloxone, overdose prevention education, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) during incarceration and upon release and reentry.
  • Expand dedicated support, recovery options, and warm hand-offs for people after release.
  • TRACK AND MEASURE
  • Expand data collection to incorporate real time data from jail, service providers, all emergency and police departments, and community members.
  • Track naloxone reversals by SSPs, law enforcement, EMS, and community members.
  • Track key metrics including other substances and demographic information to highlight disparities for focused program development with HMPs.
  • Inform the Task Force of emerging trends and impact of Task Force workgroups.

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