North Dakota State Opioid Response Evaluation

Omni leads the evaluation and data strategy for North Dakota’s State Opioid Response efforts, driving progress through rigorous data systems, accessible reporting, and hands-on technical support.

Client

North Dakota Department of Health & Human Services' Behavioral Health Division

Project type

Evaluation

Date

2024 - Present

Key Links

Full Project

Year 1 Annual Report

Project Objectives

Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive evaluation framework to drive improvements in statewide opioid abatement strategies.
Build and manage advanced data systems and dashboards that empower state leaders to monitor prevention, overdose safety measures, treatment, and recovery outcomes.
Deliver ongoing technical assistance and training to more than 30 funded partners to strengthen data collection, reporting, and decision-making.
Translate data into actionable insights that guide strategy, ensure transparency, and meet state and federal accountability requirements.
Manage status tracking processes that aid treatment access and ensure care on a timely basis.

Project Description

North Dakota’s State Opioid Response (SOR) initiative represents a comprehensive, statewide effort to reduce opioid misuse and overdose deaths through coordinated strategies in prevention, treatment, recovery, and overdose safety. The North Dakota Department of Health & Human Services' Behavioral Health Division (BHD), working with over 30 sub-awardees, delivers impactful programs that include school-based education, community outreach, and public campaigns like “Parents Lead” and “Opioids: Take Care, Be Aware.”

These prevention efforts have reached millions, supported by pharmacy-based initiatives like the ONE (Opioid and Naloxone Education) Program, which provides opioid risk screenings and patient counseling.

Omni plays a foundational role in advancing North Dakota’s opioid response through leadership in evaluation and data strategy. Omni designed and manages a statewide survey system that captures monthly program data, enabling continuous assessment of outcomes, emerging needs, and alignment with funding goals. A custom, interactive dashboard built by Omni equips BHD with immediate access to GPRA indicators and other key metrics, supporting evidence-based decision-making and provides a transparent view of how public resources are being used to address the opioid crisis. We continually enhance this system to ensure relevance, usability, and impact.

Omni also provides targeted technical assistance, training, and coaching to funded partners, ensuring that data collection not only supports compliance, but actively informs practice and improvement. By combining our evaluation expertise with a deep understanding of community realities, we help stakeholders translate complex data into strategies that are both responsive and effective.

The SOR initiative has achieved notable outcomes, including expanded access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), strengthened peer recovery supports, and over 21,000 naloxone kits distributed—contributing to more than 1,000 known overdose reversals, the majority using SOR-funded naloxone.

As of October 2025, North Dakota broadened its partnership with Omni to include real-time tracking of the SAMHSA Unified Performance Reporting Tool (SUPRT), enhancing statewide insight into client needs and care continuity. This expansion underscores Omni’s integral role in strengthening the infrastructure, accountability, and responsiveness of the state’s opioid response system.