Opioid Overdose Response Teams: Best Practices
Oct 8–Oct 9, 2025 Planning Medicine
Description
MAHEC and Eshelman Innovation, housed within UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, welcome you to join your colleagues for this two-day summit to share innovative tools, education and insights on opioid overdose response teams and best practices throughout North Carolina.
This summit, geared especially for Opioid response, PORT & QRT team members, EMS, peer support specialists, county staff, harm reduction organizations, health departments, and clinicians, will provide two days of dynamic sessions on topics such as:
· Best practices to reduce overdose death
· Peer-support, harm reduction, and low barrier MOUD
· Patient engagement and social determinants of health
· Evaluation standards to measure and compare impact and more!
Scholarship Information: Limited scholarships are available to certified Peer Support Specialists or Community Health Workers in North Carolina. Please apply HERE.
Accommodations
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Asheville - Biltmore115 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803
Reservations: 828-274-1800 or book online here
Rate of $139.00 plus taxes and fees
Hampton Inn & Suites Asheville - Biltmore
117 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803
Reservations: 828-277-1800 or book online here
Rate of $146.00 plus taxes and fees
Book by: September 7, 2025
In Collaboration With
With Support From
Target Audience
This program is designed for opioid response teams including PORT & QRT team members; EMS; Peer Support Specialists; County Staff; Harm Reduction Organizations; Health Departments; Clinicians including Physicians, Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners; and others interested in this subject.
Objectives
- Review and examine the HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy, the principles that guide it, and how this relates to PORTs in North Carolina and the United States
- Analyze the state of MOUD in North Carolina, identify and discuss the challenges and barriers to treatment, and explore ways to increase access to MOUD
- Demonstrate knowledge of innovative methods to integrate peer support and harm reduction practices with community paramedicine by utilizing collaborative efforts with community partners
- Examine community drug checking - what it is, how it works, what equipment is typically used, how it differs from other types of drug checking, and why it can serve as apowerful tool in mitigating the growing harms associated with the current illicit drug market
- Discuss and differentiate the opioid settlement funding opportunities available in North Carolina and analyze local strategic planning efforts to maximize impact of the opioid settlement
- Examine and discuss the impact of Medicaid expansion, review the improvements and barriers to enrollment and acknowledge the power of advocacy to improve the health of North Carolinians
- Consider the importance of equitable partnerships between government agencies or institutions and community-based organizations and foster strong relationships with proper support through a lens of respect, compassion, and empathy
- Outline the origins and principles of harm reduction, including the benefit of access to SSP and acknowledge ways it can be practiced at both the individual and the community level in urban, suburban and rural areas
- Explain the importance of addressing work stress and trauma exposure and demonstrate examples to address this in order to promote individual and team wellbeing
Faculty
- Jim L. Albright, NRP, BA, MS
- Brooke Barnhill, MPH, CHES
- Samantha C. Bradley, NCCPSS
- Ainsley Bryce
- Mike S. Campbell, EMT-P
- Andrew Casstevens, CCP
- Justin C. Garrity, MSW
- Justin Greer, EMT-P, CP-C
- Justin Hall, NCCPSS, EMT-B, CADC-R
- Brandi N. Hayes, CNA, NCCPSS, CHW
- Chase N. Holleman, MSW
- Claire W. Hubbard, EMT-P, RN
- Bubba Killgo, NRP
- Michael Lyons, BS, Paramedic
- Jessica Maloney, NCCPSS, CWF
- Illyana Massey, MSW, LCSWA
- Michelle L. Mathis
- Marvin McCoy, RN,EMS, ACLS, PALS, NRP
- Angela McKay, NCCPSS
- Brandon Miller, BS, NRP, CP-C
- Heather Newton, NCCPSS, FPS
- Timothy Nolan, ANP
- Elyse Powell
- Jason Powell, CCEMTP, CPSS
- Mary Jo Silver, NCCPSS
- Michael Thull, LCSW, LCAS, CCS
- Louise Vincent, MPH
- Loftin Wilson
- Tripp E. Winslow, III, MD, MPH
Sessions
Main Conference
Opioid Overdose Response Teams: Best Practices
10/8 8:30 AM – 10/9 3:45 PM
Day 1 - Morning Sessions 1
Breakout 1A: Guilford County PORT Experiences
10/8 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Breakout 1B: Gaston County Post Overdose Response Team
10/8 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Breakout 1C: Boots on the Ground & Linkage to Care (Caldwell Co)
10/8 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Breakout 1D: MOUD 360- A Full Circle Approach to the Opioid Crisis (Wake Co)
10/8 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Day 1 - Morning Sessions 2
Breakout 1E: Community Paramedicine and the Opioid Crisis: Fighting Addiction from the Front Lines (Stanly Co)
10/8 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
Breakout 1F: Community Paramedics - Providing Whole Community Social Health Care: Meeting People Where They Are (Buncombe Co)
10/8 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
Breakout 1G: Surry County Opioid Overdose Response Team: Best Practices
10/8 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
Breakout 1H: Responding in Real Time: Optimizing Patient Engagement and Referrals (Carteret Co)
10/8 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
Day 1 - Afternoon Sessions 1
Breakout 2A: Guilford County PORT Experiences
10/8 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Breakout 2B: Gaston County Post Overdose Response Team
10/8 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Breakout 2C: Boots on the Ground & Linkage to Care (Caldwell Co)
10/8 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Breakout 2D: MOUD 360- A Full Circle Approach to the Opioid Crisis (Wake Co)
10/8 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Day 1 - Afternoon Sessions 2
Breakout 2E: Community Paramedicine and the Opioid Crisis: Fighting Addiction from the Front Lines (Stanley Co)
10/8 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Breakout 2F: Community Paramedics - Providing Whole Community Social Health Care: Meeting People Where They Are (Buncombe Co)
10/8 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Breakout 2G: Surry County Opioid Overdose Response Team: Best Practices
10/8 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Breakout 2H: Responding in Real Time: Optimizing Patient Engagement and Referrals (Carteret Co)
10/8 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Day 2 - Morning Sessions
Breakout 3A: Introduction to Harm Reduction Principles and Strategies
10/9 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Breakout 3B: Exploring Your Why: Consumer Expertise and Reducing Overdose
10/9 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Breakout 3C: Rural Harm Reduction Development and Progress: Lessons from Holler Harm Reduction
10/9 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Breakout 3D: Harm Reduction Partnerships
10/9 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Day 2 - Afternoon Sessions
Breakout 4A: Introduction to Harm Reduction Principles and Strategies
10/9 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
Breakout 4B: Exploring Your Why: Consumer Expertise and Reducing Overdose
10/9 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
Breakout 4C: Rural Harm Reduction Development and Progress: Lessons from Holler Harm Reduction
10/9 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
Breakout 4D: Harm Reduction Partnerships
10/9 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
Credits
1.200 CEU
The Mountain Area Health Education Center designates this entire live continuing education activity as meeting the criteria for 1.20 CEUs as established by the National Task Force on the Continuing Education Unit.
12.000 Contact Hours
MAHEC designates this live continuing education activity as meeting the criteria for 12.0 Contact Hours.
12.000 Contact Hours
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioners: This activity was designated for 12.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
12.000 CME for Physician Assistants
Physician Assistants: AAPA accepts certificate of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society. Physician Assistants may receive a maximum of 12.0 hours of Category 1 credit for completing this program.
12.000 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit TM
Accreditation: The Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is accredited by the Southern States CME Collaborative to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation: MAHEC designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
