How Social Workers Can Be Deployed to Assist with the Ongoing Opioid Crisis.

This article focuses on the role of social workers (SWs) in addressing the opioid crisis in the United States, which has resulted in over 1 million deaths in the past two decades and continues to disproportionately affect marginalized populations. It highlights challenges such as stigma, limited access to harm reduction programs, and disparities in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, especially in rural and minoritized communities. The article emphasizes that social workers, trained in client-centered and strengths-based approaches, are well-positioned to facilitate access to harm reduction services, promote engagement in OUD treatment, and collaborate with communities to develop tailored interventions. Recommendations include expanding social work education on substance use disorders, advocating for harm reduction, and leveraging community partnerships to address the epidemic’s social injustices.