February 29, 2024
Welcome to the news brief
We are pleased to share with you the first edition of the Opioid Task Force News Brief. We will use this news update as an opportunity to share the successes, challenges, updates and announcements in connection to the critical work we are doing on behalf of Michigan residents to reduce overdoses and eliminate disparities. Please let us know if you have questions or feedback.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian
Chief Medical Executive
Opioid Task Force Chair
Hon. Tommy Stallworth III
MDHHS Senior Advisor and Consultant
In our fight to reduce harm as a result of the opioid epidemic, we know it is critical to keep equity at the forefront of all our efforts. As we have discussed, the Opioid Task Force is embedding equity in all its pillars – prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. We will ensure equity is at the core of all decisions made regarding the use of opioid settlement funds, and that we are prioritizing the needs of Michigan’s vulnerable populations.
 Click here for a larger version of the graphic.
MDHHS and the task force remain focused on two overarching strategic goals: reducing overdose deaths and reducing racial disparities in overdoses. This graphic shows the mortality rate of drug overdoses by race and ethnicities. Overdose deaths in Black Michiganders have been increasing, and currently are nearly twice that of the state average. As we work to achieve these strategic goals, we will focus on efforts driven by data with identified measurable results.
Examples of how opioid initiatives are addressing prevention and harm reduction with an equity lens can be directly connected to work like the development of the Substance Use Vulnerability Index (SUVI). The SUVI can be found at Michigan.gov/OpioidsData (see screenshot below) and combines data on access to services, community vulnerability and substance use burden to create a county and sub-county level vulnerability score or index. The scores show areas that are more vulnerable to adverse outcomes from substance use disorder and provide information that communities can use to identify and address inequities in access to resources. This can assist with where to deliver services to those most in need, how to develop interventions tailored to a community’s unique needs and help advocate for further change.
 MDHHS and the Opioid Task Force will continue to work to expand access to treatment and recovery services, particularly for vulnerable communities. Expanding services connected to our pillars, with an emphasis on equity, will reduce overdoses and help eliminate disparities. To further target our efforts, MDHHS and the task force are forming subcommittees specific to the pillars to identify key strategies and metrics of success.
We are also currently working on updating Michigan’s strategic plan for addressing overdose deaths in 2024. This plan will be refined in the months ahead and your feedback is welcomed. Watch for more information coming soon.
The mission of the Genesee Faith Alliance (GFA) is to align and mobilize faith-based agencies in Genesee County and provide them with resources to better serve members of their community experiencing mental health and/or substance use challenges. This work currently includes 19 faith-based agencies largely serving the Black community, such as churches and nonprofits, to improve the health outcomes of individuals disproportionately impacted by behavioral health challenges with a focus on opioid use disorder.
Since beginning the project in April 2023, the Greater Flint Health Coalition (GFHC) has convened more than 80 one-on-one meetings with prospective partners to identify agencies who align with the vision and mission of the GFA.
The GFA has become a hub for the faith community to collaborate and develop a framework for helping people navigate crisis situations by using local resources like the Genesee Health System (GHS), the Genesee County Quick Response Team (QRT), and the Mid-Michigan Community Health Access Program (CHAP). A primary goal of the GFA is to deepen relationships between the faith community and clinical or social service agencies. This ensures that people are able to access quality, evidence-based supportive services when seeking help through a local church or faith-based nonprofit.
The GFA has held seven network-wide meetings with an average attendance of 14 members since last April. Three subcommittee workgroups were established in January to oversee various projects: the Strategic Plan Development Committee, the Referral Management Tool Development Committee and the Prayer Committee. Each subcommittee is chaired by a local faith leader, consists of a minimum of five community partners, and meets monthly to discuss project updates and ensure goals are being met.
The GFA Referral Management Tool Committee is developing a software solution in partnership with GFHC and Love, Inc., to establish pathways for faith leaders to connect people to supportive services. In addition to developing a shared referral management tool, the GFA is finalizing asset-mapping activities to clearly define the resources available through the faith community in Genesee County, including facilities, programs/services, volunteer capacity and technological capabilities. These activities will help in the development of a strategic plan to guide the work of the GFA in the coming years.
By increasing the capacity of the faith community to help people navigate behavioral health crises, more individuals in Genesee County will receive potentially life-saving services. Faith leaders are also being equipped with a stronger understanding of behavioral health challenges to decrease the amount of stigma people may experience when seeking help through a faith-based agency.
MDHHS contracts with Health Management Associates to provide jails technical assistance, medication grants for opioid use disorder programs
MDHHS awards contract for training and technical assistance to support Recovery Incentives Pilot
MDHHS seeks bids for pilot to provide incentives to Medicaid enrollees who meet substance use disorder recovery goals
MDHHS awards $2.7 million to expand transportation services for substance use disorder treatment and recovery
State of Michigan is a leader in addressing opioid addiction
For additional information about the Opioid Task Force and its efforts, or for more details on the opioid settlement funds, email MDHHS-opioidsettlementhelp@michigan.gov.
Consider attending an Opioid Task Force meeting, which are on Wednesdays.
- March 13, 10 a.m. to noon, Lansing.
- May 15, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Grand Rapids/West Michigan
- July 24, time to be determined, Northern Michigan (the Rural Health Opioids Summit is Thursday, July 25).
- Sept. 11, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Detroit.
- Nov. 13, 10 a.m. to noon, Lansing.
*Meeting dates, times and locations are subject to change. An update will be provided on our website at Michigan.gov/opioids when changes occur.
This is the February 2024 edition of the Opioid Task Force News Brief from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Chief Medical Executive.
|
