Houston-Harris County Drug Summit:
Building a Continuum of Care

9:00 a.m.-3:40 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, 2025

Houston Room, University of Houston Student Center South

Co-hosted by

Houston-Harris County Office of Drug Policy

Marking the 16th Annual Community Drug Awareness Day, the Prescription Drug Misuse Education and Research (PREMIER) Center at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy and the Houston-Harris County Office of Drug Policy are hosting the Houston–Harris County Drug Summit: Building a Continuum of Care Friday, Aug. 1, at the University of Houston Student Center.

Everyone who registered is welcome to attend as the panel of experts explore the complex journey of navigating addiction and recovery within the criminal justice system. The meeting's agenda centers on two critical challenges: Improving treatment and care transitions for individuals in the jail system and expanding the workforce needed to support long-term recovery.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 65% of people in U.S. prisons or jails meet the criteria for a substance use disorder (vs. about 8% in the general population).

"Substance use disorders remain one of the most pressing public health challenges in Houston and across Texas, with uninsured and underserved communities bearing the greatest burden," said Douglas Thornton, Ph.D., Pharm.D., BCPS, director of the PREMIER Center and associate professor at UH. "The Harris County Jail, one of the largest in the nation, has become a de facto behavioral health provider, frequently operating without sufficient support to ensure care continues after release."

The drug summit seeks to increase awareness of the barriers that limit treatment access, elevate best practices for coordinating care across justice and health systems, strengthen the behavioral health and recovery workforce, and foster collaborative dialogue among state, county and community leaders.