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The Community Research Institute at Purdue University Fort Wayne
recently released a new report evaluating the opioid crisis in Fort Wayne and
Allen County. The report suggests the need for additional programs to educate
the public about the problem and how to prevent it; improved intervention
strategies and resources; and additional treatment options. It also called for
changes to enforcement that would provide more recovery services for people in
the criminal justice system and encourage people to seek help by allowing
people to call 911 or surrender to police without criminal penalty. To access a
one-page summary of the report, click here.
Fourth-nine Indiana counties are eligible to apply for the
new Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Rural
Communities Opioid Response Program – Planning grant. The purpose of the
funding is to support treatment for and prevention of substance use disorder,
including opioid use disorder, in rural counties at the highest risk for
substance use disorder, including the 220 U.S. counties identified by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as at-risk for HIV and Hepatitis C
infections due to injection drug use. Applications are due July 30.
The Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health’s
June brief looks at the shared risks and protective factors for mental illness,
substance misuse and suicide. The brief discusses evidence that suggests these
disorders often co-occur and share many of the same risk and protective
factors. Additionally, certain populations are at an increased risk of
developing substance use disorder, mental illness, or engaging in suicidal
behaviors. The report states that nationally and in Indiana, several factors —
including stigma, an undersized mental health workforce, and limited treatment
options — inhibit the effective identification and treatment of these
conditions.
Residents in all 92 Indiana counties can now send texts to 911 if
they're unable to speak to dispatchers on the telephone. Indiana is the only
state where 911 operators can initiate texts after receiving a disconnected or
dropped 911 call. Call (or text) 911 when witnessing an overdose, even after
administering naloxone.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
developed a pocket guide for physicians using medication-assisted treatment
(MAT) for patients with opioid use disorder. The guide discusses the various
types of approved medications, screening and assessment tools, and best
practices for patient care.
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