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Governor Mark
Dayton released new state guidelines on April 26 designed to cut the risk of
opioid addiction. The new guidelines, released last December in draft form,
were developed by a work group made up of health care providers and community
partners, and will help doctors and other health care providers decide when to
prescribe these powerful pain killers, how much to prescribe, and how to
monitor their use. Governor Dayton also announced $700,000 in new opioid
prevention grants, which will fund local teams in eight Greater Minnesota
communities to reduce opioid abuse before it begins. Read more in a news release
from the Governor’s Office.
Treatment
providers, people who have been personally affected by opioids, and community
leaders met with Acting Commissioner Chuck Johnson of the Minnesota Department
of Human Services on April 13 to discuss the community’s response to the opioid
epidemic and learn more about state proposals to help continue these efforts.
More information is available in a news release.
Human Services Acting Commissioner Chuck Johnson and Department of
Administration Commissioner Matt Massman visited the St. Peter Regional
Treatment Center on April 6 to highlight the importance of improving and
maintaining aging care and treatment facilities for people with mental illness,
disabilities and chemical dependency. Governor Mark Dayton’s 2018 public works
bill includes $63.4 million for improvements at treatment facilities operated
by the Department of Human Services. More information is in a news release.
Minnesotans
across the state can now access suicide prevention and mental health crisis
texting services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As of April 1, people
who text MN to 741741 will be connected with a trained counselor who will help
defuse the crisis and connect the texter to local resources. The service helps
people contemplating suicide and facing mental health issues. Read more about
the service in a news
release.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is awarding more than $7.5
million in grants to programs throughout the state that will help older adults
with needs ranging from transportation and grocery delivery to caregiver
support, home improvements and much more. Live Well at Home grants help older
Minnesotans remain in their homes rather than move to nursing homes or other
more expensive settings. The latest grant funds are going to 53 organizations,
benefiting Minnesotans statewide. A list of recipients
and more information is available in a news release.
During Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, the Minnesota Department
of Human Services encourages all Minnesotans to support efforts that build
community and strengthen children and families. State and local officials are
focusing more than ever on efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect. Still,
community members — teachers, neighbors, friends — are often the first line of
defense against child maltreatment. Read more in a news release.
Two upcoming exhibits provide a look back at 150 years of care and
treatment at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter and offer a glimpse
into the creative and artistic minds of women and men who are currently
patients at the facility. Read more about State
of Mind | A History of Minnesota’s First State Hospital and Changing Minds II: Work by Patients at the
St. Peter Regional Treatment Center in a news release.
For
accessible formats of this publication or assistance with additional equal
access to human services, write to dhs.communications@state.mn.us,
call 651-431-2911, or use your preferred relay service.
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