August 18, 2021
In response to the ongoing overdose epidemic in the United States, the Addiction and Public Policy Initiative advances a public health approach to substance use disorders and is committed to centering the voices of people with lived experience. As part of these efforts, the O’Neill Institute is launching a new Addiction Policy Scholars program in September 2022.
The program will empower a network of diverse leaders to address the pressing challenge of substance use disorder in the United States. The program will support current and emerging leaders who have practical and lived expertise but have been traditionally underrepresented in the public policy space—including people with lived experience with addiction and recovery, formerly incarcerated persons, and members of the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community.
Scholars will have the opportunity to work with members of the Recovery Policy Collaborative, a new and extensive network of experts in health, human rights, government, policy, and law, who have lived experience with addiction and recovery. The collaborative is made up of professionals across the United States who leverage their collective expertise in the interest of advancing good public policy. In addition, scholars will be assigned a mentor from the network and will have access to other members for project development and implementation.
Applications and nominations are open until December 31, 2021. Learn more about the program here.
About the Addiction and Public Policy Initiative
The Addiction and Public Policy Initiative works with physicians, researchers, government officials, advocates, people with lived experience, and others to advance public policy that promotes a public health approach to substance use disorders. We seek to distill research into actionable steps so that policymakers can develop evidence-based strategies to address addiction, increase equitable access to care, and support recovery.