Caren Harp, Administrator 

Supporting Youth and Families

Impacted by Opioid Abuse 

America is in the grip of an addiction crisis. Powerful synthetic drugs like 

fentanyl and a reemergence of methamphetamines are compounding the 

damage caused by illicit opioid use, which accounted for almost 70 percent 

of the nearly 67,400 drug overdose deaths in 2018.1 In 2017, more than 4,000 

deaths among youth ages 15–24 were attributed to opioid overdose.2 Opioid 

dependency and abuse have disrupted public safety and increased the burden 

on law enforcement as well as on the healthcare, child welfare, and juvenile 

and criminal justice systems. 

Through opioid-focused programs and specialized training and technical 

assistance, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 

is working to break the cycles of addiction and crime and help save lives. In 

addition, OJJDP’s drug courts provide services to youth and families with all 

types of substance abuse challenges, including those related to opioid abuse 

or co-occurring mental health disorders. 

Programs 

Opioid Affected Youth Initiative 

Grantees provide integrated services that support youth and families through 

treatment and recovery and help reduce youth’s involvement in the juvenile 

justice and foster care systems. Training and technical assistance helps the 

grantees analyze data and outcome measures to improve their services. 

Mentoring for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Drug Addiction 

This program funds mentoring for substance-abusing youth and those at risk 

for abusing substances, as well as youth with family members who misuse 

drugs. The Office supports local, regional, and national organizations as they 

strengthen and expand their mentoring services for these vulnerable youth. 

Training and Technical Assistance 

Child Abuse Training for Judicial and Court Personnel 

This training helps improve participants’ response to child abuse cases, 

including cases that involve children impacted by opioid abuse. The training 

emphasizes evidence-based treatment, family engagement and reunification 

when it is in the best interest of the child, and information sharing across the 

juvenile justice and child welfare systems. 

For More Information 

Access more information about OJJDP’s opioid prevention efforts at 

https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/programs/opioid-abuse. 

1 Wilson, N., Kariisa, M., Seth, P., Smith, H., and Davis, N.C. 2020. Drug and opioid-involved overdose deaths—

United States, 2017–2018. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 69(11):290–297.

2 Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). 2017. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.

3

 In fiscal year 2017, efforts to combat opioid abuse were supported through funding for drug courts. 

September 2020 

Funding 

In fscal years 2018 and 2019, 

OJJDP awarded almost 

$41 million to respond to the 

opioid epidemic. 

` Fiscal Year 2019—$24 million 

` Fiscal Year 2018—$16.7 million 

` Fiscal Year 2017—Not funded3 

From the Field 

The Mentor Connector’s Opioid

Family Mentoring program is

helping families build skills to

promote a healthier lifestyle and

prevent youth from perpetuating

the cycle of drug abuse.

Participating families have one

parent in substance abuse

treatment and receive weekly

guidance from family and youth

mentors. The family mentor helps

the family develop goals, access

healthcare, and establish healthy

community connections. The

youth mentor supports the social,

emotional, and educational growth

of the family’s children. This

unique model has led to a mentormatch length of 4.1 years, which is

five times the national average.

“Resiliency, self-sufficiency, and

hope for the future. These are the

changes we are seeing every day

in our youth and families,” says

Chris Hultquist, the program’s

executive director. “This is lifetransforming work.”

Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention 

ojjdp.ojp.gov

NCJ 253050