Synergy is honored to announce that National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded us with two small business set-aside contracts: NIH PICS III and NIHCATS IV. These are both Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, providing Synergy and a limited number of other firms the opportunity to bid for a variety of work across NIH. In the area of communications and outreach services, Synergy is one of 17 contractors selected for NIH PICS III (5-year $1 billion). In the area of meeting and conference support services, Synergy is one of 15 contractors selected for NIHCATS IV (5-year $100 million). We look forward to supporting the important scientific and public health missions of NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices and to continuing the expansion of Synergy’s impact to other agencies.

Since 2011, Synergy has helped the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) HIV Research Program (HRP, formerly the AIDS Research Program) form and maintain an integrated vision and strategy to guide HIV/AIDS research about drug misuse within the United States and internationally.

NIDA's HRP supports the development, planning, and coordination of high-priority research at the intersection of HIV, substance use, and substance use disorders by working across the federal government and with local communities. To support this vision, Synergy developed the AIDS Research Projects Portfolio Tool, an online application to collect and display data from NIDA-funded AIDS research grants using real-time rapid reports and dashboards.

Synergy produced a special issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, a peer-reviewed journal, by collaborating with prominent researchers in the field of HIV and drug misuse that focused on the entwined epidemics of HIV and drug abuse in Central Asia. Our science writers and editors also helped develop and produce a special supplement to the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes about HIV prevention and treatment for women and girls who use or inject drugs.

Synergy collaborates with NIDA to plan and facilitate scientific meetings and conducts interviews for the annual NIDA Avant-Garde Award Program for HIV/AIDS Research and Avenir Awards, which support highly innovative, high-impact research in HIV/AIDS and drug misuse. Other support includes strategic communications, including creating the monthly newsletter HIV News from NIDA, and technical assistance through webinar support, graphic design, promotion and strategic partnership support, grant portfolio analysis, Section 508 compliance, editing, and the design of historical timelines released on World AIDS Day.

Learn more about NIDA’s HRP here: https://nida.nih.gov/about-nida/organization/offices/hiv-research-program-hrp

Our strategic communications experts at Synergy ensure each client’s voice is heard loud and clear, cutting through the clutter to connect with audiences effectively. Read on to learn how Junior Communications Associate Nathalie Akbari helps our clients navigate communication challenges:

1. Audience-Centered Messaging: Craft clear, targeted messages that speak directly to your audience’s interests.
2. Media Training and Coaching: Help your client’s leadership team members improve their public speaking and interview techniques through training to ensure they deliver their important messages confidently and clearly.
3. Engagement Across Platforms: Maintain consistent communication across multiple channels. Remember, everyone does not use the same platforms!

Effective communication is key to any organization’s success. With team members such as Nathalie leading the way, we can ensure our clients’ most important messages reach their audiences with precision and impact.

It’s been an exciting summer for Synergy Enterprises, Inc. (Synergy)! With the award of several new federal contracts and key recompete wins, Synergy will continue to deliver work that helps improve lives and strengthen people, programs, and communities. The contract awards include the following: 

Technical Support Services for Drug Free Workplace Programs, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
This new contract supports the SAMHSA Division of Workplace Programs’ oversight and regulatory roles in the Federal Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100–71. Tasks for this contract include providing training and technical assistance to federal agencies developing or updating drug-free workplace plans and to agencies’ drug program coordinators; providing technical assistance to executive branch agencies in submitting data for the annual summary report describing implementation of drug-free workplace programs, data analysis, and preparation of annual agency and aggregate reports; and providing expertise in chemistry, drug testing policy, federal labor and employment practice, forensic toxicology, laboratory practices, medical review officer practices, medicine, psychology, and the study of alternative specimens.  

Meeting, Conference, and Workshop Support Services, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Synergy was honored to be awarded this blanket purchase agreement. Through this vehicle, Synergy will support NIBIB in coordinating a range of meeting logistics, including venue and audiovisual coordination, travel support, transportation logistics, web design, and graphics development. The virtual, in-person, and hybrid events will range from 30-person panel/working group meetings to multiday events with up to 50 panelists, multiple breakout rooms, and hundreds of attendees.

Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Task Order (TO) 3, the U.S. Department of Education’s CLSD National Literacy Center
Synergy is pleased to announce the award of an additional TO from the U.S. Department of Education under the CLSD National Literacy Center contract. The primary objective of this TO is to provide comprehensive technical assistance to state education agencies (SEAs) as they develop or revise their state literacy plans (SLPs), ensuring these plans are grounded in evidence-based practices. This TO facilitates peer-to-peer learning through communities of practice, where SEAs can collaborate to share insights, challenges, and best practices for literacy program development and implementation. Additionally, it provides support tailored to the specific needs of each state, with a focus on ensuring that SLPs promote equitable access to high-quality literacy instruction for all students, including those from historically underserved communities.

U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Evaluation Technical Assistance Center (ETAC)
Synergy received a new contract to support the operations, sustainment, documentation, training, and enhancement of the DoDEA ETAC web portal; provide grant management services; provide grantee technical assistance; and manage communications, including social media. DoDEA awards grants to military-connected local education agencies for academic and support programs in 36 states. These grants, totaling over $600 million, support college and career readiness among military-connected students (MCS). By participating in DoDEA’s programs, grantees gain access to high-quality technical assistance, resources, and professional learning opportunities to improve academic and social–emotional outcomes for MCS in pre-K through 12th grade.

Synergy has won two PR Daily Awards recognizing our team’s creativity and effort working with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on the “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign. The awards include the following products:

Content Marketing Awards

• Content Marketing Campaigns
  • Winner: “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign
• Social Media and Digital Awards
  • Campaigns and Categories
    • Honorable mention: “Talk. They Hear You.”® mobile app

At Synergy, we use social media as a powerful tool that helps us connect our clients with a wider audience and foster meaningful connections with the communities they serve. With an array of storytelling tools at our disposal, including text-based content, images, videos, and live broadcasts, we tailor our approach to align with our clients' objectives. This versatility allows us to encapsulate various facets of our clients' stories, ensuring their narratives resonate authentically with their target audiences. Moreover, the interactive nature of social platforms facilitates seamless two-way communication, enabling our clients to deepen engagement, answer questions, increase impact, and humanize their organizations.

“Confident—that’s how I felt when I learned that Synergy Enterprises would be a key player in producing the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health’s national strategy and report to Congress. Both products are of the utmost importance in saving and improving the lives of perinatal people and their families. Accuracy, accessibility, actionability, and an extremely quick turnaround were essential—and Synergy has the subject matter expertise, credentialed staff, and experience developing reports of this importance needed to do a great job,” explained Elaine McCarthy (formerly Rahbar), Vice President of Strategic Communications at Synergy. The task force was co-led by staff members at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Synergy consolidated a wealth of research and experts’ input and then wrote, edited, and designed its two reports. 

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries. Incidents and conditions related to mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs), including suicides and drug overdoses, are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., accounting for more than 22% of those deaths. An estimated 1 in 5 individuals are affected by mental health conditions—including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and postpartum psychosis—and SUDs during pregnancy and the postpartum period. These conditions disproportionately affect Black and American Indian/Alaska Native individuals and others in under-resourced communities.

“The vision and energy of our client leads at OASH and SAMHSA meshed perfectly with Synergy’s skills. Synergy brought years of focused expertise in women’s health—and maternal health in particular—to the table. Our specialized understanding also comes with the decisiveness and attention to detail necessary to develop successful products involving diverse groups of experts and stakeholders, as well as short timelines,” added McCarthy. 

As directed by Congress, in the fall of 2023, the HHS Secretary established the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health, co-chaired by the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. The task force was charged with identifying, evaluating, and making recommendations for coordinating and improving federal activities related to addressing maternal mental health conditions and SUDs. The task force gathered information from a literature review, a report on lived experiences, listening sessions with state and local stakeholders, and public comments solicited from a request for information. The report to Congress and recommendations in the national strategy were based on this information—as well as the collective expertise and experience of the more than 100 members of the task force—and developed in under eight months.

However, the work does not end with these reports. OASH’s Office on Women’s Health, SAMHSA, their federal partners, and the task force will continue to monitor and evaluate maternal mental health care in the United States. The national strategy is a living document that will be updated regularly, and the task force will release other reports focused on implementing the recommendations and the role of state governors in improving the landscape for maternal mental health.

Synergy staff members Lori Whitten, Ph.D., Michelle Gaugh, M.A., and Eric Sarlin, M.A., M.Ed., served as the science writers. David Yontz performed the copyedit. Maggie Bray designed the graphics. Madeline Dewsnup and Kali Fry carried out desktop publishing for the documents. Jessica Freer and Charlotte Soriano planned and executed the launch of the national strategy and report to Congress, held at HHS headquarters and livestreamed on May 14, 2024.

At the event, Crystal McAuley, who has experienced a maternal mental health crisis, generously shared her story; she emphasized that “maternal mental health complications are temporary and treatable,” stressing that “there is so much hope, especially when we work together collaboratively.” Team Synergy wholeheartedly agrees.

This video on maternal health offers a brief overview of some of the signs and symptoms of maternal mental health conditions and steps that women experiencing difficulties and their families and communities can take. If you or someone you know appears to be experiencing maternal mental health issues, help is only a phone call or text away. The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides free, confidential mental health support 24/7 for moms and their families before, during, and after pregnancy. Counselors are available in English and Spanish, and interpreters are available to support callers in 60 other languages. Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).

Synergy Enterprises, Inc. was recently awarded an IDIQ contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Community Living (ACL), in the logistical support projects and other general services functional areas. We are thrilled to have been selected to assist ACL in achieving its goal of providing leadership and support to their networks, and to be a source of collaboration, innovation, and solutions for ACL and its partners.

Every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy. And we want to do all that we can to reduce the burden of rising behavioral health concerns, including mental health conditions and substance use. Good news: There is plenty that parents and other loved ones can do and there is no better time to start than as we enter the holiday season. Recent findings from a national survey of parent–child dyads reveal that adolescents whose parents said they drank alcohol frequently (≥5 days/month), or said they had engaged in binge drinking, had significantly higher odds of drinking than adolescents whose parents did not drink frequently or binge drink. Additionally, growing bodies of research show that refraining from alcohol use reduces the risk of many diseases and that avoiding underage drinking reduces the risk of alcohol dependence in adulthood.

To help parents and other adults feel more confident talking with the children and teens in their lives about the risks of underage drinking, our colleagues at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have developed many helpful resources, including “Talk. They Hear You.”® This educational campaign provides valuable information, conversation starters, a screening tool, the family agreement form pictured in my post, and more. Many of the tools are in Spanish, too. Visit the campaign website or download the mobile app and access Screen4Success for more information.

Everyone can help protect youths from the dangers of alcohol by listening and talking—and walking the talk. Show kids that you love them—and that you love yourself—by celebrating wisely this holiday season, throughout the year, and for every year to come.

#TalkTheyHearYou, #Awareness, #Prevention

Synergy’s work on the U.S. Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center contract was cited in a letter recently released by the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Office of National Drug Policy Control as a resource for schools and communities to support safety, security, emergency management, and preparedness, including opioid-related emergencies. The letter informs state education agencies, intergovernmental groups, and education associations about the current uptick in overdose deaths among adolescents. The REMS TA Center has created resources, including fact sheets, webinars, and announcements, that aim to support schools in mitigating opioid abuse and misuse, and is preparing information for the use of naloxone (Narcan®) in situations of overdose in educational settings. Synergy also engages in work around substance abuse via the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Alcohol Policy Information System, “Talk. They Hear You.”®, and STOP Act grant contracts, in addition to the REMS TA Center contract. Various research studies point to an increase in overdose deaths, including a joint National Institute on Drug Abuse/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data collection released this year.

Available resources:

Announcement

• Integrating Fentanyl and Opioid Overdoses in K-12 and Higher Ed Emergency Management Planning (seiservices.com)

Fact Sheets

• Preparing for Opioid-Related Emergencies for K-12 Schools and Institutions of Higher Education
• Fentanyl and Opioids: Preventing Overdoses and Related Emergencies at K-12 and Higher Education Campuses

Webinars

• Opioids, Drug-Related Emergencies, and Substance Abuse Prevention Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
• The Role of Public Health Officials in School Safety Efforts as Community Partners
• Understanding the Role of School Nurses in Supporting School Safety Before, During, and After an Emergency

We are delighted to announce that Synergy has been awarded new work in the vital domains of women’s health and public health.  

Teaming up with Pinkston Group, Inc., we’ve embarked on a 5-year project for the HHS Office on Women’s Health. Our mission: to transform biomedical research into practical tools and recommendations to enhance the health of women. 

Additionally, we look forward to forging a new partnership with HRSA, to work toward improving public health, reducing health disparities, and broadening access to healthcare. 

The Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Technical Assistance Center is a 5-year Blanket Purchase Agreement. Authorized under Sections 2222-2225 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Center supports the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED, or the Department) goal to create a comprehensive literacy program that advances literacy skills — including preliteracy skills, reading, and writing — for children from birth through grade 12, with an emphasis on disadvantaged children, including children living in poverty, English learners, and children with disabilities. In May 2023, Synergy Enterprises, Inc. (Synergy) received a prime award to (1) provide technical assistance and subject matter expertise to support all states, the Bureau of Indian Education, and four outlying areas (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands); (2) provide monitoring support for the Department related to CLSD; and (3) produce ad hoc reports and data analysis. Dr. Bridget Humphries, Principal, will serve as the Project Director. Synergy is partners with the American Institutes for Research on this important effort.