Overdose prevention is about more than responding to emergencies. It is about building trust and sharing reliable information. It is also about supporting families, reducing stigma and making sure people know where to turn for help so they can live longer, better lives. One way San Mateo County Health is advancing that mission is through the San Mateo County Overdose Prevention Coalition (OPC), a community partnership focused on preventing overdoses, reducing stigma and connecting people to life-saving information and support. 

The Coalition brings together community members, families, youth, people with lived experience, educators, service providers, health professionals, public safety partners and local organizations. Together, we are working toward a shared vision: a San Mateo County free of overdose, through an empowered community. 

How we began

The Coalition began by listening to the community. 

From September 2024 through January 2025, Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, a division of San Mateo County Health, hosted focus groups across the county and virtually, hearing from community members who shared their concerns, hopes and ideas for preventing overdoses. Needs for more education, better access to services, stronger partnerships, and support before, during and after a crisis were named. That input became the foundation for the Coalition’s work. 

The heart of our mission

The San Mateo County Overdose Prevention Coalition works to reduce drug overdoses throughout the county by focusing on education, outreach, access to services, youth and policy advocacy, and community-driven solutions. 

In practice, that means the Coalition helps partners: 

• Share clear information about overdose prevention, fentanyl, naloxone and available resources. 
• Reduce stigma so people feel safer asking for help. 
• Strengthen connections between schools, community organizations, health care providers, public safety partners, public transportation agencies and people directly impacted by overdose. 
• Support youth-centered prevention efforts. 
• Improve access for unhoused and vulnerable populations to naloxone and other overdose prevention resources. 
• Use local data and community feedback to guide action. 

The Coalition is guided by shared community agreements that encourage respectful and thoughtful conversations. Members commit to listening to learn, allowing all voices to be heard, protecting confidentiality, and engaging without judgment. 

What we’ve accomplished so far

Since its start, the Coalition has grown from a listening effort into an active countywide partnership, developing its charter and bylaws, launching action teams, hosting community meet-and-greet events, holding general membership meetings, supporting naloxone distribution, and continuing to build partnerships across San Mateo County. 

At the most recent Steering Committee meeting in May, members reflected on the Coalition’s first year using words such as impact, collaboration, inspiring, lived experience, insightful, difference, perspective, learned, motivational, growth and networking. These words reflect both the progress made and the spirit of the work ahead. 

Current action teams

The Steering Committee has established two action teams: 

1. Youth and Schools Action Team: focuses on prevention efforts for young people, schools, and families. Youth voices have already shaped the coalition’s work. Young people from San Mateo shared honest reflections about substance use, overdose, and mental health. They encouraged adults to have real conversations with youth and include people with lived experience in solutions. 
   
   The team is participating in the California Overdose Prevention Network Accelerator 7.0 Cohort. It is developing a Youth Substance Use Prevention and Advocacy Academy in partnership with Jefferson Union High School District, Youth Point Health, Youth Leadership Institute, and the San Mateo County Office of Education. The three-day academy will include health education, civic engagement, public speaking, and youth-led research. Students will use what they learn to develop school-based prevention projects. 
   
   This work builds on a key message youth have already shared with the coalition: young people want honest conversations, trusted information, and solutions that include their voices. 
    

2. Unhoused and Other Vulnerable Populations Team: focuses on people who may face a higher risk of overdose, including those experiencing homelessness. Early work has included connecting with shelter providers, identifying resource needs, distributing naloxone to outreach workers, participating in San Mateo County’s One Day Homeless County, and supporting access to overdose prevention training.  
   
   The team continues to explore ways to bring overdose prevention resources into places where people may need them most.

Expanding access to naloxone

Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. Expanding access to naloxone is one of the coalition’s key priorities. County Health has supported naloxone distribution at community events and through partnerships across the county. Coalition partners have helped distribute naloxone at: 

• The 2nd Annual H.O.P.E. Memorial Walk and Resource Fairs 
• Naloxone Awareness and Community Safety events with samTrans 
• Pride Festivals 
• 20th Anniversary Disaster Preparedness Day 
• Colma Night Out 
• Juneteenth Celebrations 
• Sana Sana 

OPC also launched the Naloxone Stand Box (NSB) program to provide newspaper-like stand boxes that can hold between 60-74 boxes of naloxone. These boxes are provided at no cost to eligible community-based organizations that serve people at risk for opioid overdose. These stand boxes are designed to make naloxone more visible and accessible in community settings. 

As of the May 2026 Steering Committee meeting, there were four active naloxone stand boxes in the community, located at SamTrans Sequoia Station, Sitike Counseling Center, Puente de la Costa Sur, and at a youth mental health support center. Additional applications have been approved or are in progress, and 622 boxes of naloxone have been restocked to date since reporting began in February 2026.  

How to get involved

No single organization can prevent overdoses alone. The Coalition creates a space for people across San Mateo County to work together, learn from one another, and take practical steps to save lives. 

Community members, organizations, schools, service providers, and local partners are invited to learn more about the San Mateo County Overdose Prevention Coalition and join the work. Members can attend meetings, share ideas, support action teams and help bring prevention resources to the people and places that need them. 

To learn more or become a member, fill out the general membership form or visit the San Mateo County Overdose Prevention Coalition webpage. Click here to subscribe to the San Mateo County Overdose Prevention Coalition Newsletter. 

Together, we can prevent overdoses, support recovery, and help build a safer, healthier San Mateo County.