Support for CDC’s Health Communication Efforts Around Prescription Opioid Abuse
ICF (NASDAQ:ICFI), a leading provider of professional services and technology-based solutions to government and commercial clients, was recently awarded a new task order by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC). The task order, which was issued under the recently awarded Communication Services blanket purchase agreement, has a value of $4.8 million and a term of two years.
ICF will oversee the development of a large-scale, targeted communications campaign designed to raise awareness about the risks associated with prescription opioid abuse. Among its responsibilities under the task order, ICF will oversee development and placement of digital and social media advertisements and maintain an active social media presence for the campaign. Additionally, ICF will create online, mobile-accessible training for providers. ICF also will develop tools, training and outreach to promote adoption of CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain by physicians and other healthcare providers. This work supports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ commitment to address the opioid crisis as a top priority and intensify its efforts to reduce opioid misuse and abuse.
For more than 20 years, ICF has supported government agencies in communicating about substance abuse and misuse. During this time, ICF has utilized strategic communications to help CDC build awareness, influence attitudes and change behavior around multiple critical injury topics—traumatic brain injury, suicide prevention, youth violence and illicit drug use, to name a few. The firm now brings these skills and experiences to assist the agency in developing a health communications strategy to address the growing epidemic of prescription opioid overdose. Since 1999, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids (including prescription opioid pain relievers and heroin) has nearly quadrupled.
“Prescription drug overdose affects a vast number of Americans and their families each year,” said Frances Heilig, vice president for ICF International. “Our communications work on the risks of illicit drug use has given us a solid understanding of the impact of prescription opioid abuse on our society. We look forward to working with the CDC to help dissect and communicate this complex issue to increase its visibility across a variety of audiences and reduce the incidence of drug-related deaths in the United States.”
