Policies Gone Wrong & The Power Of Systems Thinking - Part 3 - Story Of The Opioid Epidemic

Approximately 115 people die every day in the United States from an opioid overdose, amounting to more than 400,000 deaths in the last two decades alone. The numbers are high, but we must never forget that there's a story behind every single number. Making progress in addressing this crisis requires systems thinking across a multitude of sectors and industries.

What you’ll hear in this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast with Dr. Jennifer Loeffler-Cobia is:

◼️ The impact of slowly evolving policies on the worsening opioid crisis;

◼️ The role of stigma in hampering progressive approaches; 

◼️ The value of adopting a systems thinking approach with a variety of stakeholders;  

◼️ Barriers to systems thinking include lack of funding, resources, motivation, and champions for the process;

◼️ A readiness implementation tool can help coalitions and task forces assess their progress and plan strategically for a systems approach; and

◼️ The conversation concludes with Dr. Loeffler-Cobia sharing her personal motivation for doing this work, reminding us that there is a story behind every statistic.

Guest

◼️ Dr. Jennifer Loeffler-Cobia, DrPH, MS, Director of Justice and Public Health Policy and Practice at WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center; University of Southern California Adjunct Associate Professor

References

◼️ Helping Leaders Address the Opioid Crisis: A Q&A With Jennifer Loeffler-Cobia

◼️ The White House is now tracking opioid overdoses that don't kill. Why that's important.

◼️ Understanding the Epidemic

◼️ The triple wave epidemic: Supply and demand drivers of the US opioid overdose crisis

Hosts & Producers

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

◼️ Leshawn Benedict, MPH, MSc, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

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Chapters

• 0:00 Part 3 - Policies Gone Wrong & The Power Of Systems Thinking
• 2:19 The Evolution of Drug Policies and Their Impact
• 4:49 The Shift in Medical Assisted Treatment Policies
• 6:10 The Power of Systems Thinking in Addressing the Crisis
• 8:03 The Role of Stigma in the Opioid Epidemic
• 9:08 Messaging and Public Perception of Substance Use Disorders
• 11:14 WestEd's Role in Justice and Public Health Policy
• 12:42 Predicting and Responding to the Opioid Epidemic
• 15:10 The Importance of Systems Thinking in Policy Making
• 20:04 Overcoming Barriers to Systems Thinking
• 21:14 A New Tool for Coalition Readiness and Implementation
• 27:10 Personal Stories Behind the Statistics