Substance Use Dashboard Helps Organizations Combat the Problem

Officials from the United Way of Wabash Valley is working to help move the community forward by implementing a new way to track substance use disorders (SUDs) in the area. The United Way developed a community measurement dashboard that shows the impact of SUDs. Abby Desboro, the communications and marketing director for United Way, said this dashboard helps the SUD Council track the issue and then work with community organizations to tackle it. SUD-related arrests and SUD prevention and education in schools are among some of the trends the SUD council and United Way will monitor.

Duke Energy Funds Mental Health Programs

The Duke Energy Foundation is awarding nine grants totaling $255,000 for mental health and substance abuse programs throughout Indiana. The foundation will fund the following 18 Indiana counties for various substance abuse and/or mental health related projects:

• Hamilton County – $80,000 to develop a countywide behavioral health collaborative.
• Indiana Region 9 Workforce Board (Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland counties) -$35,000 for the workforce reintegration program to help individuals impacted by substance misuse with reintegration into the workforce.
• United Way of Greater Lafayette (Tippecanoe County) – $35,000 for mental health workforce initiatives.
• Upstream Prevention and Johnson Memorial Hospital (Johnson County) – $25,000 for education, workforce training, and expanded access to life-saving medication.
• Lawrence County Economic Growth Council (Lawrence County) – $20,000 for education and workforce training.
• Turning Point Kokomo (Howard County) – $20,000 for mental health and addiction support services.
• New Hope Family Shelter (Monroe County) – $15,000 for early childhood care and education for children impacted by homelessness.
• Waypoint of Wabash (Wabash County) – $15,000 for Women’s Recovery Home to establish a home that will assist and educate women transitioning from substance abuse into sober living.
• Hancock Health Foundation (Hancock County) – $10,000 for early intervention and prevention school-based programs.

Consortium Tackling Substance Abuse in Blackford, Jay Counties

Officials from the Purdue University and Indiana University Health recently announced a collaborative effort to fight the opioid epidemic in two rural east central Indiana counties. The Consortium for Opioids Response Engagement-East Central Indiana, or CORE-ECI, is dedicated to battling substance abuse locally in Blackford and Jay counties, particularly after the isolation and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dave Hyatt, president of IU Health Blackford Hospital, said that difficulties in the two counties are compounded by the fact that they are health professional shortage areas. “Based on our population, we don’t have enough healthcare access for our populations, so while we try to provide that access, we do have some gaps, especially in behavioral health,” Hyatt said.

The CORE-ECI involves seven community organizations and Hyatt says the group is working to not only help with the treatment and prevention of substance use disorder, but also to reduce the stigma surrounding it. Melanie Cline, director of Purdue Healthcare Advisors, said that while opioids are the main cause of the epidemic, the community in the two counties has shifted more to other drugs, such as methamphetamines. She says the consortium aims to focus on the underlying issues surrounding drug abuse, such as stress, poverty, and childhood issues. The CORE-ECI program is set to run through August 2024.

Indiana Drug Overdose Dashboard

Please visit the Indiana Drug Overdose Dashboard, where you will find data from 2017 up to provisional data for 2021. In this dashboard, you will find data regarding opioid prescriptions, hospital discharges, and drug-related deaths.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Why Health Equity Matters in Prevention

10 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. CST, Jan. 6

Nichole Augustine, founder and CEO of RIZE Consultants, will lead the session where participants will define foundational terms related to health equity, describe the connection between health equity and prevention ethics and understand how to embed equity into prevention practice. This free webinar, hosted by Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network will be most beneficial to stakeholders in Region 5, which includes Indiana.

To register, click here.

Engaging Emergency Medical Services in Naloxone Distribution

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CST, Jan. 12

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are on the front lines of the overdose crisis. EMS have been using naloxone for decades when treating unresponsive patients. EMS providers offering naloxone to people at risk of overdose and connecting them to prevention resources is a critical underutilized approach. This webinar will address how engagement with EMS personnel through leave-behind programs can bolster existing overdose prevention activities, address stigma, and improve naloxone access for vulnerable populations. In this free webinar hosted by the Great Lakes Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network, participants will define the role for EMS in overdose prevention, identify lessons learned across programs in three states, and be able to describe the core elements of EMS leave-behind.

To register, click here.

Balancing Fidelity and Adaptation: Tools and Strategies for Successful Evidence-Based Program Implementation and Sustainability

11 a.m. -12:30 p.m. EST, Jan. 12

Research has demonstrated time and time again that high-quality implementation and capacity to sustain evidence-based programs over time is critical to attaining improved youth and family outcomes. However, there continues to be substantial debate about whether programs should be flexibly adapted to fit local contexts or delivered with strict fidelity to the original program model. Increasingly, evidence from research and practice indicates that there must be a balance between the two to achieve positive and sustained program outcomes.

This free webinar will provide an overview of the latest research on the fidelity vs. adaptation debate and will share best practice tools and strategies for community organizations aiming to balance program fidelity and adaptation to meet the needs of their local communities.

To register, click here.

Safety & Health Integration in the Enforcement of Laws on Drugs (SHIELD)

9 a.m. – Noon EST, Jan. 17

Police officers have been asked to take on new roles and responsibilities due to overdoses and other emerging challenges. Usually, they are exposed to safety risks due to inadequate tools or training. This SHIELD Training Initiative fills this gap, providing law enforcement with the tools they need to safeguard their physical and mental well-being, improve community relations and accomplish their public safety mission more efficiently.

To register for this event, click here.

Mental Health First Aid- Youth Course

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. EST, Jan 19

Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an evidence-based course that teaches adult participants how to help youth that are developing a mental health issue or are experiencing a mental health crisis. This course will discuss the signs and symptoms for a variety of mental health disorders and look at understanding the impact of mental health and substance use stigma. This course requires advanced registration by Jan. 5, 2022, completion of a two-hour online self-paced learning at least 48 hours prior to the event and a $20 fee.

To register for this event, click here.