WGU D626 Task 2 Comprehensive Public
Health
PolicyEvaluation(WarrenCounty)Opioid
Response Plan
D626: Public Health policy and advocacy
Task 2: Public Health Policy Evaluation
, 2
A: Summary
The proposed Warren County’s county-level opioid response plan will target the rural
residents facing the highest risk for opioid use disorder, more specifically, those individuals facing
socioeconomic challenges, transportation challenges, learning barriers, and low treatment services
access. The policy will seek to solve the ongoing issue of opioid overdoses that exist in the county
where most deaths have been caused by the drug fentanyl and the communities facing higher risks
in the county due to lack of access to medications (DiNapoli, 2022). The intervention will create an
effective system of prevention, harm reduction, connection to treatment services, enforcement, and
community education, all based on the successful programs in counties like Virginia, and aligned
with similar initiatives taking place in New York State. The public health outcomes expected are
fewer deaths from overdoses, improved retention and engagement with medications used in
treating opioid use disorders, reduced rehospitalizations, and equality in accessing the service for
all people in the rural communities (Schuler et al., 2021).
B1: Stakeholders
The main stakeholders in the implementation of the comprehensive plan in Warren County
will be the Warren County Department of Public Health, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Warren
Office of Community Service, Glens Falls Hospital, and the Warren/Washington Counties
Criminal Justice & Community Services Task Force. These stakeholders will assist in coordinating
the process of overdose reporting using the Overdose Response Dashboard of the County,
providing naloxone, harm reduction programs, and the distribution of opioid settlement funds. The
Warren community members, those with lived experience, and non-profit groups will also be
important to the project as they will provide feedback on local needs and participate in educational
and outreach activities. Other major stakeholders will include the Warren County Board of
Supervisors, who make the funding and policy decisions, and the NYS Office of Addiction
Services and Supports (OASAS) at the state level, along with any funding sources from any
settlements involving opioids. Healthcare professionals will help with administration of
medication treatment for OUD and post-discharge linkage services, whereas policy-makers at the
county level will ensure that this strategy is coordinated with statewide strategies.
B2: Program
The comprehensive county-level opioid response plan aims to tackle the imminent need for
an integrated approach in Warren County, where rural people are facing increased rates of