Measurements for Accountability to All People in Policy Solutions (MAAPPS)
New funding from opioid settlements, cannabis tax revenue, and other sources is creating opportunities for states to address substance use, overdose, and the conditions that support health and well-being. MAAPPS helps states define what progress looks like and develop measures that reflect community priorities and experiences.
Supported by the AIR Opportunity Fund, MAAPPS combines research, public data, policy analysis, and community input to help states:
- Measure progress in meaningful ways
- Guide funding and policy decisions
- Strengthen accountability to communities
- Improve systems and services that support prevention, treatment, recovery, and well-being
A core part of the MAAPPS approach is community engagement. People affected by substance use, service providers, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders help shape the findings and recommendations. By centering community perspectives, states can develop measures and strategies that reflect local priorities and needs.
MAAPPS in Action
Maryland and Oregon were the first states to apply the MAAPPS framework. In each state, AIR worked with government partners and community members to identify priorities, develop recommendations, and support decision-making.
Maryland: Guiding Investments and Strengthening Overdose Response
Visit MOOR’s website to explore Maryland's MAAPPS findings and recommendations for addressing overdose, strengthening recovery supports, and advancing coordinated, community-centered approaches to improving substance use outcomes across the state.
AIR partnered with the Maryland Office of Overdose Response (MOOR) to identify community-informed priorities for addressing overdose and strengthening recovery services across the state. The findings were designed to help state and local leaders make informed decisions about future investments and services.
To support this work, AIR reviewed state policies and data and gathered input through community listening sessions, interviews with subject matter experts, and collaboration with state and community partners. Together, these activities helped identify shared priorities and opportunities for action.
What Maryland Communities Prioritized
Participants highlighted the need to:
- Improve coordination across services
- Expand peer recovery supports
- Increase access to trauma-informed and culturally responsive care
- Address barriers related to housing, transportation, and employment
- Invest in community-based services that support long-term recovery and well-being
These priorities reinforced the importance of addressing both immediate overdose-related needs and the broader factors that influence recovery and quality of life.
Working with the AIR team on the MAAPPS project demonstrated the value of putting lived experience at the center of decision-making and policy. AIR engaged people who use drugs and those directly impacted by the overdose crisis, ensuring their voices shaped recommendations for Maryland's spending. That perspective is essential to ensuring these dollars meet real community needs and most importantly, create lasting impact.
Emily Keller
Maryland Special Secretary of Overdose Response
Oregon: Developing Community-Informed Measures for Accountability
Explore Oregon's MAAPPS findings and recommendations, including prioritized measures and strategies designed to strengthen accountability, support decision-making, and improve substance use outcomes across the state.
AIR partnered with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to develop community-informed measures that can help the state track progress, strengthen accountability, and support decision-making related to substance use services and investments. The goal was to create practical measures that reflect community priorities and inform future policy and funding decisions.
AIR reviewed policies, programs, data systems, and outcomes related to substance use across Oregon. The project also included community listening sessions, interviews with subject matter experts, and sessions where partners reviewed and validated the findings.
Building on this work, MAAPPS convened regional summits in Salem, Grants Pass, and Ontario. Community members, providers, policymakers, and systems partners reviewed, refined, and prioritized proposed measures while discussing how local needs, resources, and community contexts affect outcomes across the state.
What Oregon Communities Prioritized
Participants emphasized the importance of:
- Strengthening prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services
- Improving workforce capacity and data systems
- Addressing factors such as housing, employment, and other community needs
- Aligning investments with community priorities
- Using community-informed measures to guide decisions and improve outcomes
Participants consistently stressed that meaningful measures of success should be shaped by lived experience and used to support action and accountability.
