Federal decisions shape what communities can do. Funding rules, program guidance and legislative timelines can speed up proven solutions or slow them down. Advocacy works best when teams set a clear goal, name a specific ask and follow through with discipline.
The overdose crisis demands durable policy action, and many advocates closest to the harm still face barriers to navigating Congress. That is why the Overdose Prevention Initiative at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) launched a U.S federal advocacy action guide built for real campaigns. This resource is now available on our Health Advocacy Training and Collaboration Hub (HATCH), a free online learning platform for public health advocates.
"Too often, advocates closest to the overdose crisis are locked out of federal policymaking because the process feels inaccessible or unclear," said Libby Jones, Associate Vice President of GHAI’s Overdose Prevention Initiative.
Who the guide is for
This guide supports individuals and organizations that plan, organize and carry out effective congressional advocacy. While it showcases overdose prevention case studies, it is designed to be applied across a diverse set of public health and public safety priorities.
In addition, this resource serves advocates, impacted communities, service providers, public health leaders and coalition partners who need a usable roadmap for federal engagement. It treats advocacy as strategic action aimed at decision-makers in support of a specific policy or funding change. As Tamara Olt, Executive Director of Broken No More, put it, "This guide fills a real gap. It helps us understand not just what to advocate for, but how to do it effectively at the federal level, while staying grounded in the realities facing people most impacted by overdose."
How to use the guide
The guide walks users through three core steps and provides templates to support each one. You gather information, identify who holds decision-making power and prioritize actions that match timing and capacity. Whether you are new to advocacy or building on existing work, the guide helps teams plan clear, coordinated actions that save lives.
Set a measurable objective. Write a concise problem statement. Name a specific policy or funding goal. Define success. This step prevents broad asks, vague wins and shifting priorities.
Map decision-makers and allies. The stakeholder tools help you identify who holds power across political, legal, media, public and private spheres and how each partner can help.
Choose the right federal pathway. The guide explains authorization and appropriations, then helps teams match effort to timing across hearings, markups, district work periods and budget negotiations.
Build message discipline and meeting performance. Messaging tools keep teams aligned on one audience, one core message, and one clear ask. Meeting tools help advocates assign roles, anticipate counterarguments and execute follow-up.
Protect implementation after a win. A policy win does not end the work. Implementation determines who benefits and whether communities see real change.
Patty McCarthy, CEO of Faces and Voices of Recovery, captures the value of that end-to-end approach, "The Federal Advocacy Action Guide is an invaluable resource for recovery advocates. It provides practical tools, real examples and a clear pathway for engaging Congress in a way that is coordinated, credible, and rooted in lived experience."
Why this matters right now
CDC provisional data predicted 76,516 drug overdose deaths for the 12 months ending in April 2025, reflecting a 24.5 percent decline from the prior year. However, a single year of improvement does not guarantee sustained progress. Communities still need reliable access to care and federal policy shapes whether those supports expand or shrink.
This guide provides advocates with the skills to help shape those life changing policies.
Download the guide and related tools on our Health Advocacy Training and Collaboration Hub, HATCH.
