Our Work
Colorado’s Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council is currently funding efforts across three programs:
The below strategies were established as a part of Region 5’s 2022-24 Strategic Plan and collectively developed by members of the Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council, which consists of participants from Boards of County Commissioners, Local Public Health Agencies, Behavioral Health Organizations, the 5th Judicial District, and Community-Based Organizations.
Harm Reduction | Saving Lives and Providing Support
Region 5 spans from the High Rockies all the way to the Utah-Colorado border, and as such contains diverse communities with a wide variety of needs. Several factors likely contribute to the high rates of substance use in Region 5. These include the region's unique concentration of ski resort communities (the highest in any Colorado opioid abatement region) and the potential for heightened isolation and limited resources among its rural populations. While access to outdoor recreation opportunities correlates to many positive health outcomes, it may also come paired with a “party culture” that normalizes the overconsumption of drugs and alcohol. Rural communities that lack robust opportunities for social support may use drugs and alcohol to self-soothe. People in any of these communities may hesitate to seek help for substance use disorder due to fear of losing their social connections, barriers to accessing treatment and recovery support and a lack of local recovery stories that resonate with their experiences, making it harder to relate or access available treatment options.
The council is supporting High Rockies Harm Reduction in providing services and support across all five of our counties. High Rockies helps combat overdose deaths, prevent the spread of infectious diseases, adn reduce the negative impacts of substance use by providing evidence-based harm reduction programming and peer support services for people who use drugs and their loved ones. High Rockies provides the following free services to our communities:
Distribution of Harm Reduction Supplies: Distributing Narcan/naloxone, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, safer sex supplies, sterile syringes and other sterile equipment, and first aid/wound care supplies.
Syringe Disposal: Collecting and properly disposing of used syringes.
Overdose Prevention Education: Educating community members about the risks of opioid use, how to prevent overdoses, and how to respond in the case of a suspected overdose.
Referrals and Warm Hand-Offs: Connecting individuals who engage with High Rockies services with healthcare, legal aid, housing, and other supportive services.
Peer Support Services: Providing supportive services for people who use drugs, those seeking recovery, and their loved ones - led by individuals who are in recovery from substance use.
Harm reduction services are critical in minimizing the negative individual and community impacts of substance use by encouraging people have the resources and information they need to prevent overdose and reduce the transmission of preventable disease. By connecting and serving people who use drugs and their loved ones with supportive services, we can support public safety while creating pathways to recovery.
Anti-Stigma and Education Campaign | Shifting Perceptions, Encouraging Recovery
Region 5 has the highest number of ski resort communities of any other Colorado opioid abatement region. While access to outdoor recreation opportunities correlates to many positive health outcomes, it also comes along with a “party culture” that often normalizes the overconsumption of drugs and alcohol. People in these communities may hesitate to seek help for substance use disorder due to fear of losing their social connections if they stop participating in the party culture and a lack of local recovery stories that resonate with their experiences, making it harder to relate to available treatment options.
In partnership with Effct LLC, the council has launched Community Compass, a regional anti-stigma and education campaign aimed at transforming public attitudes and expanding access to culturally relevant resources. This campaign:
Engages Local Communities: By gathering data on regional behaviors and attitudes toward substance use, Community Compass ensures messaging resonates with diverse populations.
Provides Educational Resources: The campaign website hosts fact-based information, personal stories, and practical guidance for individuals, families, and professionals.
Encourages Compassion and Support: By sharing lived experiences and promoting empathy, the campaign fosters a community culture where individuals struggling with opioid use feel supported rather than judged.
Reducing stigma is crucial to increasing treatment engagement, encouraging harm reduction participation, and fostering long-term recovery. Through Community Compass, Region 5 OAC is building a more informed, compassionate, and supportive community.
Data Dashboards | Informing Policy and Action
Region 5, in partnership with OMNI Institute, is developing a comprehensive data dashboard to enhance transparency and inform targeted interventions. This initiative is designed to:
Aggregate Public and Private Data: Combining multiple data sources to provide a holistic view of opioid use trends, treatment accessibility, and program effectiveness.
Offer Data-Driven Insights: Helping policymakers, service providers, and community members understand the impact of opioid use and measure the effectiveness of interventions.
Improve Resource Allocation: Enabling better decision-making on where and how to invest funds for maximum impact.
By leveraging data, Region 5 ensures that opioid abatement efforts are informed, efficient, and adaptable to evolving community needs.
View the dashboards
Throughout this site, data dashboards present key data that inform the efforts of the council, monitors the reach and impact of funded efforts, and tracks key outcomes that inform progress towards our goals.