Statewide Overdose Safety (SOS) Workgroup ​

​Driven by equity, justice, and collective action, the SOS Workgroup advances and amplifies California’s​ unified response to end the evolving drug overdose crisis in California. Composed of subject matter experts from a variety of state-level agencies, the Workgroup works to better understand the contemporary issues around the opioid crisis and reduce potential harm from substance use and overdose through collaboration, information sharing, policy development, and implementation. 

Goals:

1. To improve coordination and information sharing between state partners.
2. To implement cross-cutting strategies to address overdose in California.
3. To reduce the number of fatal overdoses in California.​
   

Harm Reduction

• Reduce overdose death through harm reduction
• Reduce barriers to treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and increase retention
• Develop communication plan to bridge gaps between agencies and to effectively communicate with the public
• Work to address stigma toward people who use drugs and participation in harm reduction strategies and treatment
• Develop process for addressing emerging contaminants, such as Xylazine

Upstream Prevention​

• Work further upstream
• Develop communication plan to bridge gaps between agencies and to effectively communicate with the public
• Collect and organize data sources across agencies
• Identify opportunities to align across funding streams

Public Safety

• Reduce barriers to treatment (MOUD) and increase retention
• Collect and organize data sources across agencies
• Develop communication plan to bridge gaps between agencies and to effectively communicate with the public
• Work to address stigma toward people who use drugs and participation in harm reduction strategies and treatment
• Address homeland security threat issues relating to illicit drugs
• Develop process for addressing emerging contaminants, such as xylazine
• Identify opportunities to address negative impacts of War on Drugs strategies