Cris Henderson

Mx. Henderson is a Research Associate for Prevention Insights at the Indiana University School of Public Health- Bloomington. In that capacity, they specialize in localized opioid education naloxone distribution (OEND) programming.

Cris has developed and deployed trainings at the local and state levels to build community capacity using data and technology in overdose prevention efforts. Through multiple funding sources, including three consecutive IU Foundation Affinity Giving Awards (2024–2027), the Citizen Opioid Responders (COR) program has substantially expanded its reach and impact across Indiana. This sustained investment enabled the program to scale from a limited number of pilot communities to implementation across all nine Indiana University campuses and their adjacent communities, bringing the total number of COR communities to eleven. Beyond geographic expansion, these investments have enhanced campus overdose prevention infrastructure by supporting the installation of NaloxBoxes throughout IU campuses, significantly increasing access to the lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone. By making naloxone more readily available to students, faculty, staff, and visitors, the COR program has strengthened campus preparedness, improved emergency response capacity, and reinforced Indiana University's commitment to preventing opioid overdose deaths.