DFC Awards $25 million to Prevent Youth Substance Use

In December, the Drug-Free Communities Program (DFC) awarded 201 new and continuing grants, totaling approximately $25 million, to community coalitions throughout the U.S. Coalitions utilize the seven strategies for community change to implement locally relevant youth substance use prevention activities in their communities. These activities include providing information, enhancing skills, enhancing access, providing support, educating and informing, changing consequences, and changing physical design. Yearly evaluations show that the Drug-Free Communities Program is working. In 2019, DFC coalitions reported that substance use and misuse declined for youth living in DFC-funded communities.

Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder during Pregnancy

Management and treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy is associated with improved maternal and infant outcomes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the MATernaL and Infant NetworK to Understand Outcomes Associated with Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder during Pregnancy (MAT-LINK) to monitor more than 2,000 mothers and their infants using data collected from geographically diverse clinical sites. This project will lead to better understanding of maternal, infant, and child health outcomes associated with management and treatment of OUD during pregnancy. Learn more in this report.

Stress, Addiction, and Native Americans: A Pathway to Healthier Living

Stress is a major concern among American Indian/Alaska Native populations because of the toll it takes on mental and physical health, as well as the strong relationship between stress and relapse into addictive behaviors. Stress is also exacerbated by the historical trauma and systemic injustices experienced by specific tribal populations. The Bureau of Justice Assistance recently published a brief that takes a deep dive into how stress affects behavioral health outcomes in Native American populations, ways to mitigate stress, and the implications of stress resiliency for tribal communities.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

2021 Opioid Prescribing and Abuse Webinar Series

In 2021, the Indiana State Medical Association (ISMA) is introducing a new series of monthly live webinars on opioid prescribing and abuse. Each webinar, presented the second Thursday of each month at noon ET, counts toward the two hours of continuing medical education (CME) required to obtain or renew a Controlled Substances Registration in Indiana. These webinars are free for ISMA members. All webinars will be recorded and will be available to ISMA members at no charge on the ISMA Online app as a benefit of membership.

To register:
Jan. 14: Legislative and Legal Update (Stacy L. Cook, JD, LLM)

Feb. 11: Opioid Use in Palliative Care (Timothy J. Broach, MD)

March 11: Opioid Use in Hospice Care (Timothy J. Broach, MD)

Partnering for Child Safety: Fatality Review Teams and State Title V Program

2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Jan. 14

In this webinar the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention will describe Child Death Review (CDR) and Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR), with a focus on data collection, and provide examples of how fatality review supports Title V work. Additionally, written guidance on how fatality review can support national performance measures on adolescent mental health, including youth suicide, infant safe sleep and smoking during pregnancy will be highlighted and distributed.

To register for this webinar, click here.

Title V Needs Assessment

10:00 a.m. ET, Jan. 14

For the past 18 months, the Indiana Department of Health has been working on a comprehensive five-year needs assessment to learn more about the health and well-being of mothers, children, children with special health care needs, teenagers, and families across the Hoosier state. Please join us as we share our findings and describe how these data will shape future priorities of the Maternal and Child Health Division.

Click here to register.