On November 8, 2023, the Oregon Department of Justice hosted nearly 300 people from across Oregon in person at OHSU’s Knight Cancer Research Building and online, to listen, learn from each other, and break down silos … all in the pursuit of moving quickly and purposefully toward solutions to the fentanyl crisis in our state.

This community convening, called “No Time to Spare: Confronting Oregon’s Fentanyl Crisis” was held at a critical moment—with the Governor’s Central City Task Force underway, the new Joint Legislative Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response addressing the fentanyl issue, and all of our presenters and attendees doing such important work in this area day in and day out.

What was unique about our convening was that we brought together law enforcement, service providers and medical providers. Across our panels and in the audience, we had members of law enforcement at all levels, officers from correctional facilities, prosecutors, medical and behavioral health service providers, state agency experts and attorneys, legislators, county commissioners, other representatives of state and local governments, education leaders, and business and community stakeholders.

I truly believe these types of gatherings have the best chance to make a difference—where we engage in a broader, frank discussion—and where we listen with open minds to each other—all in the pursuit of building a comprehensive system of equitable and effective healthcare for Oregonians, supported by the criminal justice system.

Thank you for attending and contributing to this important discussion. For those who could not join us, please take some time to review the agenda, recommended actions, and recording of the convening.

— Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum

• Agenda and Presenter Bios

PowerPoint Slides

• KEYNOTE
  • Call to Action: Equitable Treatment and Healthcare for Oregonians
• SESSION 1 – KNOW THE PROBLEM
  • Fentanyl in Oregon: Challenges, Myths, and Tools
  • Oregon’s Housing Needs: Connection to Recovery and Stabilization
  • Insights From a Critical Care Physician and Sponsor of HB 2395
• SESSION 2 – SYSTEM OF CARE: WHAT WORKS
  • Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
  • Harm Reduction Centered Approaches in Oregon
  • Rural Communities’ Responses to the Opioid and Fentanyl Crises
  • New Behavior Health Resource Networks
  • The Importance of Upstream Measures in Protecting Youth From Illicit Fentanyl
  • What Do Oregon’s Young People Know About Fentanyl and Pills
  • Prevention Through Education
  • Harmony Academy Recovery High School: Removing Barriers for Youth With SUD
• SESSION 3 – INTEGRAL PARTNERSHIPS
  • The Face of Downtown Portland Policing
  • Successful Model for MOUD and Discharge Planning in the Correctional Setting
  • Expanding Access to SUD and Behavioral Health Treatment in Oregon’s Prisons
• SESSION 4 – CONCLUDING SESSION
  • What We Heard Today – Call to Action

Recording of Event (below)

No Time to Spare! Confronting Oregon’s Fentanyl Crisis – A Community Convening Hosted by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum

CONTENT WARNING: This video contains content that may be emotionally disturbing or triggering, specifically at 4:13:41 to 4:16:23 when a presenter discusses how to identify when a person has overdosed.