Local Voices, Comprehensive Data, and Bold Ideas: New Report Clears a Path for Kansas’ Response to Substance Use

LAWRENCE – After 15 months of in-depth research and statewide community engagement, the United to Transform report — commissioned by the Kansas Fights Addiction Act Grant Review Board (KFA), released Aug. 12 by the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research (KU-CPPR) — provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of Kansas’ substance use disorder (SUD) system.

Informed by the voices of more than 2,000 Kansans, the report outlines a path toward a more connected, effective and sustainable statewide response to the opioid epidemic and other substance use crises. KU-CPPR prepared the report at the request of Sunflower Foundation to support and inform the work of KFA.

In complex issues like SUD, where housing, health care, mental health, justice and community supports are deeply interconnected, a full-system view is essential. Over the course of the project, KU-CPPR and system partners co-developed a collective vision for transformation, supported by shared tenets, a statewide recommendation, key priorities and initial strategic levers to guide change. These elements, presented in the early sections of the report, are intended to support both state-level coordination and locally driven innovation.

The United to Transform report calls for a shift toward a holistic approach that centers the multifaceted needs of individuals and ensures their long-term well-being. Proven effective in other states, this approach reduces reliance on intensive treatment, lowers overall system costs and makes services more sustainable over time. 

Key findings of the report:

• Higher than previously recognized levels of SUD across the life course: Substance use disorder is not confined to youth. While prevalence peaks in young adults (with nearly 29% meeting DSM-5 criteria), nearly 1 in 5 Kansas adults overall have a diagnosable SUD. Rates remain significant across all life stages, including among older adults, underscoring the need for prevention, early intervention and age-appropriate treatment strategies that address the entire lifespan.
• Private insurance is prevalent in Kansas SUD treatment funding – opportunity for engagement: A majority of substance use disorder treatment in Kansas is financed by private insurance rather than public funds. This creates an opportunity for collaboration among policymakers, treatment providers and private payers to expand preventive initiatives, incentivize best practices and promote integrated, high-quality care. Leveraging insurer partnerships could help scale evidence-based interventions, expand provider networks and improve care coordination across the state.
• Access to MOUD and medical detox paired with wraparound supports is exceptionally limited: Access to medication-assisted detox and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Kansas remains severely limited, even though the most effective approach combines these medications with comprehensive wraparound supports and integrated mental health services. Expanding availability, especially in rural and frontier communities, alongside these supportive services is critical to reducing overdose deaths, improving treatment retention and supporting sustained recovery.

To address these and related challenges, KU-CPPR developed several key resources, including:

• Synthesis of extensive statewide input: Engagement through 14 in-person forums, six surveys, and over 150 interviews and focus groups brought in voices from across the state, including individuals with lived experience, service providers, educators, law enforcement and community organizations.
• Unprecedented comprehensive data analysis: More than 70 datasets, including private insurance claims, state administrative records and service utilization data, were merged to provide an unprecedented view of how the system operates and where gaps remain. 
• Practical tools for action: Tools such as the ArcGIS Mapping Tool, Vulnerability Risk and Strengths Index and Strategic Action Reference offer practical support for regional planning, resource allocation and targeted investment.
• Lived experience leadership: An eight-person accountability cohort and numerous community contributors ensured that findings and recommendations are grounded in real-world experiences.
• Actionable next steps: A phased implementation roadmap presents bold but feasible strategies, informed by Kansas-based insights and national innovation models.

“Local communities are already doing incredible work to address substance use,” said Janine Hron, project director at KU-CPPR. “This report lifts up that work, connects it to data, and shares ways we can move forward together with clarity and momentum.”

The full United to Transform report is available now.