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Categories Insights, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Substance Use Disorder Tags Conference Services, Contacts, Health, Technical Assistance & Training

International Overdose Awareness Day

The Bizzell Group Supports International Overdose Awareness Day

Lanham, MD – The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) – International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on August 31st each year and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury because of drug overdose.

Opioid addiction is a problem with far reaching costs to individuals, families, communities, and to society. According to the American Society for Addiction Medicine, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with 52,404 lethal drug overdoses in 2015.  Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 12,990 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2015. The government’s annual drug death statistics for 2016 will not be available until the late 2017, but experts predict sharp increases driven by the worsening opioid crisis.

Bizzell’s work includes projects that support the treatment of addiction, drug use, drug misuse, and overdose.  Through the firm’s work with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Bizzell offers workforce competency efforts for pain management and addiction professionals with the development and implementation of multifaceted initiatives and strategies to address opioid use disorder and related conditions.

Bizzell also offers training for medical and other professionals through a 7-hour workshop, Effective Use of Medication Assisted Treatment in an Opioid Dependent Population. The goal of the training is to provide the clinical and administrative staff of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) with up-to-date information and guidance in the treatment of opioid use disorders, including the effective use of the currently approved medications, such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.

“The devastating role that addiction and substance use disorders play in our society cannot be overstated. If you are not personally affected by alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs containing opiates or other drugs, then I’m certain that you know someone who is. Substance use disorders do not discriminate; no demographic or group is immune or exempt from it. It affects us all.”

– Dr. Anton Bizzell, President and CEO


International Overdose Awareness Day will be marked throughout the world with various public events and presentations. In Washington, D.C., Dr. Nzinga Harrison’s lecture Your Community. Your Conversation, will take place at Howard University Hospital Tower Auditorium, 2041 Georgia Ave NW, from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm on Thursday, August 31st.

Categories Mental Health, News, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Substance Use Disorder Tags Communications & Outreach, Conference Services, Consulting, Corporate Updates, Health, Technical Assistance & Training

Bizzell Awarded Three SAMHSA IDIQ Domains

Bizzell Awarded Three SAMHSA IDIQ Domains

The Bizzell Group  (Bizzell) is excited to continue its successful partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on the SAMHSA Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract through 2022. The firm was awarded three domains as a prime contractor on the IDIQ contract, and teamed with larger firms who were successful on additional domains. The contract is designed to assist SAMHSA in achieving its goal of reducing the impact of substance abuse and mental illness in America’s communities.

As a prime contractor, Bizzell, along with our partners, will provide assistance in three separate domains (Domain III, Domain V and Domain VI):

Domain III—Policy Analysis and Program Related Projects: Bizzell will assist with policy analysis, regulatory policy, developing programs and program support by organizing focus groups and consultations that will shed light on mental illness and substance use disorders, healthcare and behavioral health disparities as well as other health related topics.

Domain V—Technical Assistance and Training Projects: With Domain V, Bizzell will provide technical assistance and training courses for a wide range of topics including needs assessment, program planning, science-based approaches to prevention and treatment, payment and financing strategies, including managed care, disparities and culturally appropriate/responsive practice, trauma, health information technology, performance measurement, evaluation, and clinical and medical programs, practices and research.

Domain VI—Planning, Implementation and Report Support Projects: The focus of Domain VI is to plan and support multiple concurrent events and activities through the entire planning and logistical support lifecycle.

Aside from the three domains that Bizzell was awarded as a prime, the firm will also provide services to SAMHSA on two additional domains as a subcontractor to larger firms.

Domain I—Feasibility, Pilot, and Evaluation Projects: On Domain I, Bizzell employees will assist the prime contractor and SAMHSA on executing feasibility studies that will determine if an organizational activity, treatment service, strategy, survey or statistical study will work as intended. Feasibility is followed by the Pilot, which will assess whether the results of a feasibility study can be successfully scaled under a broader range of circumstances. The final portion is Evaluation, which will measure relevant aspects of program performance.

Domain IV—Communication Projects: Bizzell employees will assist with conceptualizing, planning, researching, designing, implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of communications projects that will increase awareness and educate stakeholders about SAMHSA’s mission to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental health on America’s communities.

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