This interactive dashboard developed by Mathematica Policy Research depicts the death rate, risk factors, and treatment facilities for opioid use in the United States. S.T.Op NextGen allows users to search by zip code, helping individuals and communities to make informed, data-driven decisions. It also includes a map showing nearby treatment facilities, based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator data.

On December 6, the Annie E. Casey Foundation will conclude its Leading with Evidence: Informing Practice with Research webinar series on child welfare. This presentation will explore how researchers and child welfare practitioners can form partnerships to learn from each other to execute the best possible evidence-based initiatives. Because federal program funding is increasingly tied to research quality, this topic is especially important. Researchers and practitioners alike will share their experiences working together to implement youth-oriented programs and services and discuss available resources for research-practice partnerships.

This joint report by the Center for Law and Social Policy and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities offers guidance on how to improve the administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid at the state and local levels. Rather than critiquing existing programs, this report illustrates implementation of management reforms in the intake and renewal processes.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report explores the importance of the relationship between self-regulation and improved economic outcomes. The report identifies the psychological insights behind self-regulation, which refers to the personality factors and skills that allow individuals to intentionally control their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. This control enables people to set goals and solve problems. Also included is a discussion of ways to increase this internal capacity.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to Skills Project (S2S) provides states with technical assistance to help them build employer-driven SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) programs. FNS will offer a new opportunity in 2019 geared toward State SNAP agencies interested in advancing an aspect of their SNAP E&T program, even if they are not one of the 10 states participating in S2S. This Call for Applications provides information on how interested State SNAP agencies can apply for the 2019 SNAP E&T State Institutes. Letters of interest should be submitted to the SNAP to Skills Project by 5 p.m. ET on January 7, 2019.

This kit is a comprehensive set of tools that includes: strategy guides about how to prevent overdoses and make early interventions for treatment and recovery; a case study of a response; survivor stories from five former addicts; fact sheets for use at home and the workplace; posters and graphics; and informative videos from the medical community.

Visitors can use the online order form on this National Safety Council webpage to order free resources to help them reduce opioid risk. Resources include: envelopes that can be used to send up to 8 ounces of unused prescription medication to a compliance company that will dispose of the medication using a safe process and Warn-Me Label Cards and Sheets containing self-stick labels that can be used to inform medical professionals that patients want to discuss the risks of prescribed opioids and possible safer alternatives.

This free employer kit is designed to address prescription drug use in the workplace and includes: a guide, “The Proactive Role Employers Can Take: Opioids in the Workplace;” tools to evaluate an organization’s employee benefit plans used to stem addiction; fact sheets and handouts to educate employees; a set of safety talks that management can deliver to employees; and a poster series for display about home safety and disposal of prescription drugs.

This research report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation outlines the geography of the opioid epidemic and the correlation between opioid use and higher rates of poverty and unemployment.

This infographic from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides a brief identification of key data points on the history and status of the opioid epidemic.