University of Kansas researchers present statewide substance‑use needs assessment, prioritize MOUD expansion, stigma reduction and data tools

Janine Heron, a researcher with the Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR) at the University of Kansas, told the Sunflower board that CPPR’s statewide needs assessment found “nearly 1 in 5 Kansas adults” meet DSM‑5 criteria for a substance‑use disorder and that the state’s response is fragmented.

The assessment — built from community meetings across all 105 counties, national datasets and claims/pharmacy data — identified six priority areas the researchers say should guide funding and policy: strengthening community‑driven health efforts, reducing stigma, prioritizing prevention of drug use and overdoses, expanding consistent access to high‑quality SUD services, normalizing continuous care models beyond initial treatment, and ensuring long‑term programmatic and financial sustainability.

CPPR recommended the board prioritize rapid lifesaving steps such as expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), improving emergency response linkages (including co‑responder models that pair behavioral health responders with first responders) and investing in data and cross‑sector coordination. “MOUD, especially when combined with behavioral health and support services, is really the — we know by far the best way to reduce loss of life,” said Solka/Silke Foniz Navai, an associate researcher at CPPR.

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