Health and Human Services
THE CHALLENGE
Youth substance use and overdose prevention remains one of the most urgent and complex public health issues in the United States. Systems designed to support young people are often fragmented across behavioral health, education, justice, and community services, making it difficult to deliver coordinated care. Many of these systems are also reactive rather than preventative, intervening only after a crisis has occurred. Compounding the issue, programs are too often developed without consistent input from youth themselves.
In April 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services convened subject matter experts for “Comprehensive Approaches to Substance Use Overdose Prevention for Youth,” a two-day event designed to address these gaps and inform a unified national strategy. The challenge was not only to bring together diverse stakeholders, but to ensure the conversation led to clear, actionable outcomes within a short timeframe.
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Research & Reporting
Expert Facilitation
Stakeholder Engagement
Strategic Communications
Our Approach
A-G Associates applied its expertise in facilitation, systems thinking, and stakeholder engagement to guide the convening from planning through execution and final reporting. The team designed a structured experience that encouraged collaboration and decision-making, incorporating interactive elements such as a “Gallery Walk” to help participants surface key insights and provide feedback in real time.
Throughout the convening, A-G Associates intentionally centered lived experience by ensuring that youth perspectives and community voices were integrated into the conversation alongside federal leaders and clinical experts. This approach helped ground policy discussions in real-world impact and practical application.
Equally important, A-G Associates worked to bridge silos across sectors by fostering collaboration among federal agencies, healthcare providers, researchers, and community organizations. By connecting these perspectives, the team helped participants identify shared challenges and co-develop solutions.
With deep expertise in public health strategy, stakeholder engagement, and systems change, A-G Associates was instrumental in shaping a collaborative environment where participants could move beyond challenges and toward solutions.
Under A-G President, Chris Gonzalez’s facilitation, we incorporated several best practices including:
- Centering lived experience as a core driver of policy and program design
- Fostering cross-sector collaboration among federal agencies, providers, and community leaders
- Producing actionable recommendations to inform national youth overdose prevention efforts
This work reflects A-G Associates’ broader mission: bridging policy, practice, and lived experience to drive meaningful, sustainable change.
5 key insights from the field
Through structured, interactive discussions facilitated by A-G Associates, participants identified critical gaps and opportunities to strengthen national strategy. One of the strongest themes to emerge was the importance of designing systems with youth, not just for them.
Panelists helped surface a clear priority: empower youth as leaders in their own care ecosystems.
This includes:
• Creating peer-led spaces and workforce pathways
• Supporting safe, stigma-free reentry into schools and communities
• Expanding access points across schools, housing systems, and justice settings
Participants emphasized the need for integrated, simultaneous care—a systems-level shift that A-G Associates has long championed.
Too often, youth receive fragmented services depending on where they enter the system. The path forward requires:
• Holistic care models
• Earlier intervention before crisis points
• Community-based supports that reduce reliance on emergency systems
To open the first technical expert panel, Dr. Art Kleinschmidt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, HHS, brought these systemic challenges into sharp focus:
• Unsustainable, grant-dependent funding models
• Limited access to treatment medications for youth
• Confidentiality concerns that discourage help-seeking
Addressing these barriers will be essential to scaling impact nationwide and establishing formal cross-agency frameworks for data-sharing, evaluation, and funding alignment (HHS, Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Education, etc.)
Participants challenged traditional models and called for youth-centered definitions of recovery. This includes:
• Moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches
• Creating affirming, developmentally appropriate recovery pathways
• Prioritizing purpose, connection, and joy—not just abstinence
Discussions helped highlight opportunities to modernize engagement:
• Digital tools like apps, text-based support, and anonymous platforms
• Training for educators, clinicians, and caregivers
• Increased support for frontline workers facing burnout
Key pillars identified to guide future policy and programming
Critical system gaps addressed with actionable solutions
-week turnaround for A-G Associates to plan, execute, and deliver a 28-page report for CSAT for this convening
Cross-sector experts engaged, including federal leaders, clinicians, researchers, and youth advocates
THE Impact
Following the convening, A-G Associates translated complex discussions into a comprehensive and actionable 28-page report. This report synthesized key findings and outlined clear recommendations to support national strategy development. The outcomes of this convening will inform ongoing efforts by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to advance a national youth overdose prevention strategy.
The need for innovative, youth-centered approaches to overdose prevention has never been more urgent. But as this convening demonstrated, the solutions are within reach.
A-G Associates is proud to be at the forefront of this work—helping partners across the country design strategies that save lives and strengthen communities.
Interested in partnering with A-G Associates?
Let’s work together to create systems that truly support the next generation. Click here to get in touch.
You can read the full report below:
