Brain Injury from Opioid Overdose: Community Toolkit

Get to Know the BASICS of Brain Injury from Opioid Overdose

Updated: April 2021

Who is this toolkit for?

This toolkit is for individuals and organizations who want to raise awareness about hypoxic or anoxic brain injury that may occur when an individual survives one or more opioid overdoses. This type of acquired brain injury can have many consequences to an individual's functioning - everything from their physical wellbeing to cognitive and neurological behaviors. 

What is the purpose of this toolkit?

This toolkit will help you or your organization increase awareness about brain injury that results from opioid overdose among three main audiences: healthcare professionals and first responders; people at risk of brain injury from opioid overdose; and the friends, family, and close contacts that make up an at-risk individual's support circle. Our hope is that raising awareness is the first step in helping people receive effective treatment to lead them on a successful road to recovery from opioid use disorder.

How can I get started?

• If you are not familiar with hypoxic or anoxic brain injury that results from opioid overdose, start here.
• Next, choose which audience you want to educate:
• Healthcare professionals and first responders
• People at risk of brain injury from opioid overdose
• Support circle and community
• Now, download materials accordingly and start promoting this important topic within your community. Please note that you can add your organization's logo to the materials, but we ask that you do not remove the NH Providers logo.

*If you are a NH Providers Association member, you can order copies of the Brain Injury from Opioid Overdose Factsheet, Tip-card, and Poster at no cost. Please contact Kiri Stroh, [email protected], to place your order.

A Note on Health Literacy and Cultural Respect

The Brain Injury from Opioid Overdose: Community Toolkit and the "Get to Know the BASICS" campaign is founded upon current best practices from the National Institute of Health's Clear Communication principles, which are to provide information in the form and with the content that is accessible to specific audiences based on cultural respect and incorporate plain language approaches and new technologies when possible. If you feel that the materials and content suggestions do not meet your needs or are insensitive to certain populations, please contact NH Providers immediately and we will remedy any issue. Please also note that this toolkit is a working document and revisions will be updated as needed.

Special Thanks!