CHASE: An Innovative County-Level Public Health Response to the Opioid Epidemic in New York State

Communication campaigns are one of three pillars of HCS, and an evaluation of these campaign efforts is scientifically important to understand their contribution to the impact of the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention. Campaign evaluations are also necessary to guide mid-course adjustments of strategies and tactics and arrive at sound, evidence-based recommendations for the use of campaigns to address substance use epidemics. The proposed HCS Campaign Evaluation Study (HCS-CES) has three primary components: 1: A tracking study of the impact of HCS messages through daily monitoring and analysis of message dissemination activities and citizen exposure to them. The tracking system will also measure responses to action steps contained in the messages (i.e., community-specific URLs directing them to the HCS campaign web page on the HCS website). Time series analyses will be used to detect dose-response associations between the level of campaign activity and audience information-seeking on the HCS campaign web page. 2. Monitoring of other opioid-related communication campaigns sponsored by state and national organizations will document other sources of information residents of HCS communities may have been exposed to during the CTH intervention. Salient and frequent messages from one or more of these external campaigns may be incorporated into the longitudinal surveys to assess their recognition relative to the HCS campaign materials. 3. Cross-sectional surveys and a longitudinal panel of community residents to assess changes in specific components of stigma toward individuals with OUD, the acceptability of naloxone (OEND), and the acceptability of MOUD treatment within the Wave 1 and Wave 2 communities. These changes will be assessed across communities by differences between treatment and control communities and within communities over time by dose-response effects associated with exposure to campaign messages and other messages in the community environment. This project will provide a greater understanding of (1) the reasoning and rationale that community members have for using or not using evidence-based practices to treat opioid use disorder that are offered in their community, (2) the value they place (if any) on having such programs in their community (e.g., it could improve personal and community health and well-being), (3) how messages advertising and promoting the use of these services can be used as a campaign strategy to maximize the potential for impact on behavior, and (4) how stigma inhibits intentions to seek EBPs and how EBPs are received in communities. SCOPE OF WORK: Don Helme: Dr. Helme will be overseeing and coordinating all aspects of the campaign evaluation. Dr. Helme will work with the Evaluation Responsible Persons (ERPs) at each site to provide management and expertise necessary for the implementation of the evaluation. Dr. Helme will also coordinate with the DCC to ensure the smooth operation of the media tracking components of the evaluation that will monitor website activity at each site as a result of campaign activities. TBN Research Assistant: The hourly research assistant will provide Dr. Helme with support and help necessary to coordinate scheduling of regular meetings among Dr. Helme and the ERPs. The TBN RA will also provide support and help necessary for Dr. Helme as well as the ERPs to enable the ongoing activities required to conduct this multi-tiered campaign evaluation