I was first introduced to substance use disorder work while pursuing my Master’s degree in social work. My professor offered a class in Puerto Rico and because I was proficient in Spanish, I accompanied her research team and interviewed unhoused individuals who were active drug users in San Juan. What I saw was life changing.

My first encounter with Xylazine was in Puerto Rico back in 2007, where it was part of the illicit drug supply, and the devastating health effects of this drug made a considerable impression on me, leading me to form a strong belief that this drug should be removed from the illegal market. That’s why I'm passionate about driving policy changes in the field. I’ve worked as a Legislative Aide in Massachusetts, and then in various roles within the Oregon Legislature. My focus is on advocating for legislation that improves people’s lives, which led me to work with The Pew Charitable Trusts on their Results First Initiative. We worked to increase state funding for evidence-based programs and to make sure that state policymakers used research and data to make decisions. Later, as part of the Pew Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative, we worked with states to increase access to medications for opioid use disorder. That's why I'm so excited to work with Shatterproof - we're all about using the best evidence available to drive big changes. 

As the Vice President for State Policy, I help expand our lifesaving programs, including our anti-stigma campaigns and Treatment Atlas, to new states. Treatment Atlas currently reaches around 45% of the U.S. population, and we’re making sure more people can benefit from this valuable resource. Our efforts to reduce stigma are having a positive impact, and more people now understand substance use disorder and empathize with those affected by it.

I also advocate for changes to state policies, which can be complicated because each state has different rules and processes.  One example is the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). which we’re working to expand to more state Medicaid programs.

Addiction is not always identified early by primary health care doctors, and since addiction treatment is usually separate from primary health care, it can be difficult and expensive to access. The Collaborative Care Model equips primary care physicians with the tools and resources to identify and treat addiction. Not only has it proven effective at improving patient health, but it's also less expensive for states because fewer people end up in the emergency room. To make services more accessible, we advocate for including the Collaborative Care Model in state Medicaid coverage. 

We also work closely with states to manage opioid settlement dollars. We want to make sure these funds are set aside and used exclusively to save lives, instead of being spent to fill potholes, and we ask states to be transparent about how the funds are used.

Our team also addresses the fentanyl crisis, which is a major contributor to rising overdose rates, by working with states to help control the spread of synthetic opioids. Our strategy involves four key components:

1. Improve real-time data collection, reporting, and sharing across different areas.
2. Reduce harm by making naloxone and drug testing materials widely available and ensuring that Good Samaritan laws are in place.
3. Invest in youth prevention programs that have proven to be effective and in public education campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, and counterfeit pills that are circulating in the illicit drug market
4. Break down silos between public health and public safety sectors and ensure that every possible tool is being used to address the overdose crisis.

Despite the tireless efforts of advocates, policymakers, and public health workers, the number of drug overdoses continues to rise, which is disheartening. However, because of the support of caring people like you, we remain committed to addressing this crisis and are determined to make a positive impact. Thanks for reading this far! It's amazing to see the progress we've made. We've achieved some significant policy wins, thanks to your support and the support of other individuals and organizations who care about these issues. If you’d like to get more involved at the national, state, or local level, there are plenty of opportunities for you to make a real difference in your community.

Our goal is to spread the word as far as possible, and you can help us get there by becoming an Ambassador. I'd love to chat with you about how you can help. You can reach me at kpendergrass@shatterproof.org. Let's create a brighter future for people struggling with substance use disorders.