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Overdose Lifeline

A program in Indiana that provides resources and technical assistance to those affected by the opioid crisis, via both naloxone distribution programs and prevention, education, training, and support programs for youth and adults

Started in 2014, Overdose Lifeline is a statewide non-profit in Indiana that provides resources in the areas of harm reduction, prevention, education, training, and support to individuals, families, and communities affected by the opioid crisis. The program uses a socio-ecological model approach to prevention education using a lens that looks at the complex interplay between individuals and their environment. This model highlights the importance of working with youth, parents, and communities to confront the opioid crisis.

Programs include:

  • a naloxone training and distribution program for first responders, organizations, and the public
  • monthly support groups for individuals grieving a loss from an opioid overdose (“Lifeline Support Group”)
  • substance misuse prevention programs for youth (e.g., an opioid-specific prevention program for youth “This Is (Not) About Drugs” (TINAD)  and PREVENTURE, a school-based drug and alcohol prevention program for high-risk youth)

In addition, Overdose Lifeline provides on-site and online training and continuing education courses to adults on various topics addressing the opioid crisis, as well as free training in the evidence-based Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) Family Support program, which provides family members with tools and support for loved ones with substance use disorders. The program has also been successful in policy advocacy at the state level. 

More information on this program, including contact information, can be found in these presentations here and here. 

Uses a socio-ecological model for prevention education, highlighting the need to work with individuals, families, and communties. 

Continuum of Care
Prevention
Harm Reduction
Type of Evidence
Report with evaluation
Response Approach
Educational
Family Support
Overdose prevention
Related Resources
Addressing the Opioid Crisis through Community Prevention: An Application of the Seven Strategies for Community Change
Evidence for State, Community, and Systems-Level Prevention Strategies to Address the Opioid Crisis
The Opioid Use Disorder Prevention Playbook
Prevention of Prescription Opioid Misuse and Projected Overdose Deaths in the United States
Prescription Drug Community Action Kit: Safe Medication Disposal Guide
SAMHSA Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit
Mandatory Drug Stewardship Programs in States and Municipalities across the United States
The Ripple Effect: The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on Children and Families
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)

Evidence of Program Effectiveness

No formal evaluation of the entire Opioid Lifeline program has been conducted, although some evidence is available about specific components of the program.  For example, Indiana University conducted a quasi-experimental evaluation of the This Is (Not) About Drugs (TINAD) program and found that:

“After participating in the TINAD program, students in the treatment group acknowledged significantly more risk associated with the use of unprescribed pain pills and that it is as risky as using heroin, students in the treatment group were significantly more likely to understand the similarity between heroin and prescription pain pills, students in the treatment group were significantly more knowledgeable about naloxone and its purpose, and students in the treatment group demonstrated a slight, nonsignificant ability to recognize an overdose and understanding of the addictive nature of heroin.”