Advocacy and Policy Change

Systems Can Change. Policy Can Heal.

You don’t need more white papers. You need clear, actionable policy guidance rooted in clinical expertise and lived systems experience. Dr. Cara Poland is a trusted advisor to legislators, agencies, and coalitions working to change how addiction is understood, treated, and funded. Her approach blends boots-on-the-ground clinical work with a sharp understanding of systems-level barriers, especially stigma, regulation, and reimbursement. From legislative testimony to strategic planning, she turns evidence and empathy into sustainable change. 

Areas of Expertise

  1. Policy Development and Legislative Testimony. 
  • Helps lawmakers and state agencies shape addiction policy that reflects real clinical and community needs
  • Provided oral and written testimony at the state and federal levels to expand access to care, increase clinician education, and deregulate addiction treatment
  • Played a pivotal role in the expansion of Michigan’s Medicaid policy to cover physician services for people with substance use disorders

2. System Redesign and Implementation Strategy 

  • Works with public and private health systems to translate legislation into sustainable clinical change
  • Supports medication for opioid use disorder expansion, perinatal care models, and stigma reduction
  • Guides leaders through implementation hurdles with a clinician’s eye and a policymaker’s brain

3. Coalition Building and Commission Leadership 

  • Founding Chair of the Michigan Opiate Advisory Commission, a nonpartisan body advising the state legislature on opioid settlement fund appropriation in Michigan
  • Chair of the Legislative and Public Policy Committee at the American Society of Addiction Medicine
  • Experienced in multi-sector convening across health care, public health, criminal-legal systems, community correctional control, and education systems

Signature Approach

The best policy isn’t written in a vacuum; it’s built from the bedside up. 

Dr. Poland’s advocacy approach centers on the lived realities of people with substance use disorders and the clinicians who care for them. She is known for:

  • A deep clinical understanding of addiction treatment
  • Strategic clarity in policy making
  • A human-first, anti-stigma lens that brings people to the table, especially those who are often left out. 

Whether you’re looking to fix a broken policy or build something entirely new, Dr. Poland will help you do it with clarity, compassion, and results. 

Speaking, Strategy, and Testimony Services Tailored to Your Audience, Goals, and Timeframe:

  • Legislative testimony, both oral and written
  • Policy brief development
  • Strategic advising for agencies, organizations, and legislative offices
  • Advocacy campaign design
  • Public speaking on addiction medicine, stigma, and health policy

Let’s Make Real Change – Together

If you’re working to change laws, shift systems, or advocate for more humane addiction care, Dr. Poland is eager to hear from you. Reach out via the contact form to discuss how her experience in policy strategy and public health can support you.

Contact Me