5 State Strategies for Aligning Substance Use Policy and Investments with Community Needs

AIR partnered with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to develop community-informed measures that can help the state track progress, strengthen accountability, and support decision-making related to substance use services and investments. The goal was to create practical measures that reflect community priorities and inform future policy and funding decisions.

AIR reviewed policies, programs, data systems, and outcomes related to substance use across Oregon. The project also included community listening sessions, interviews with subject matter experts, and sessions where partners reviewed and validated the findings.

Building on this work, MAAPPS convened regional summits in Salem, Grants Pass, and Ontario. Community members, providers, policymakers, and systems partners reviewed, refined, and prioritized proposed measures while discussing how local needs, resources, and community contexts affect outcomes across the state.

What Oregon Communities Prioritized

Participants emphasized the importance of:

• Strengthening prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services
• Improving workforce capacity and data systems
• Addressing factors such as housing, employment, and other community needs
• Aligning investments with community priorities
• Using community-informed measures to guide decisions and improve outcomes

Participants consistently stressed that meaningful measures of success should be shaped by lived experience and used to support action and accountability.