From the Director's Desk

Dear Partnership Center Friends:

As Spring arrives, and reminds us that hope springs eternal, your Partnership Center team has been busy communicating to stakeholders that faith and community leaders are essential partners in bringing hope and healing to our friends and neighbors in need. As our nation deals with the ongoing crises of both opioids and mental illness, we want to share with you some important announcements, upcoming national observances, and resources you can put to immediate use.

Stay tuned for future educational events and resources. For up-to-the-minute notices, please connect with us on Twitter and Facebook. We also have a library of webinars on our YouTube channel and a Practical Toolkit to share with members in your spheres of influence. As always, please feel free to contact us at Partnerships@HHS.gov, if we can be of assistance.

Warmly,

Shannon Royce, Esq.
Director

IMPORTANT OPIOID ANNOUNCEMENTS

NIH Launches HEAL Initiative, Doubles Funding to Accelerate Scientific Solutions to Stem National Opioid Epidemic

At the 2018 National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., announced the launch of the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative, an aggressive, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis.

Toward this effort, NIH is nearly doubling funding for research on opioid misuse/addiction and pain from approximately $600 million in fiscal year 2016 to $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2018, made possible from a funding boost by the U.S. Congress.

READ MORE HERE.

Surgeon General Released Public Health Advisory on Naloxone, an Opioid Overdose Reversing Drug

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., has released a public health advisory to urge more Americans to carry a potentially lifesaving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The medication, naloxone, is already carried by many first responders, such as EMTs and police officers.

The Surgeon General is now recommending that more individuals, including family, friends, and those who are personally at risk for an opioid overdose, also keep the drug on hand. Stay engaged on social media via@Surgeon_General.

READ MORE HERE.

NATIONAL HEALTH OBSERVANCES

APRIL
Alcohol Awareness Month

Did you know April is Alcohol Awareness Month ? According to the National Institues of Health (NIH), approximately 10 percent of children live with a parent with alcohol problems.Often additional issues, such as substance abuse and mental health disorders, are also involved.

Help us spread the word about strategies for preventing alcohol misuse or abuse. There are families and individuals in your community who are likely eager to get involved. Here are some helpful conversation starters.

We also encourage you to explore this Alcohol Awarenesstoolkit. Together, we can raise awareness about alcohol abuse and take action to prevent it — both at home and in our communities.

MAY
Older Americans Month

Each May, we celebrate Older Americans Month to honor and recognize older Americans for the contributions they make to our families, communities, and society. From sharing their well-earned wisdom and life experiences to mentoring students to volunteering their time, older Americans can (and do!) play a significant role in the mental and physical wellness of younger generations.

Show your support when you visit the Older Americans Monthwebsite and download the necessary materials, activity ideas, and resources to promote and celebrate this year's theme,"Engage at Every Age."

MAY
Mental Health Awareness

The issue of mental health is now part of the national dialogue, as we are trying to understand its various conditions. To encourage healthy dialogue, SAMHSA, and all of HHS, is promoting the following events:

May 10: National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
May 16-19: National Prevent Week ("Action Today. Healthier Tomorrow")

[May 14: Promotion ofMental Wellness Day; May 15: Underage Drinking & Alcohol Misuse Prevention;May 16: Prescription & Opioid Drug Misuse Prevention; May 17: Illicit Drug Use & Youth Marijuana Prevention; May 18: Suicide Prevention; May 19: Youth Tobacco Use Prevention]

May 18: National Older Adults Mental Health Awareness Day (Live webcast)

NEWS. WORTHY.

Mental Health First Aid Training

Most of us assume mental illness is something that only affects others. The truth is that mental health concerns are more common than heart disease, lung disease and cancer — combined. An estimated46.4% of adults will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. And 90% of youth who died by suicide had an underlying mental illness. That means someone in your family, workplace, school, church, or community may experience a diagnosable condition due to life's stressors. By being trained and certified in Mental Health First Aid, you are able to identify signs of someone in distress, offer immediate support to minimize that distress, and, if necessary, link that person to available professional support or self-help services. Find a grantee offering training in your area. You just might help save a life.

5 Ways to Find the Best Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Despite the upward trends of opioid-related cases, the good news is more and more people are choosing the path of recovery. Finding a quality treatment program and provider that's right for you is an important first step in achieving long-term recovery. When researching various programs, Elinore McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), shared these five key questions to ask of any treatment program you or a loved one may be considering.

Operation Prevention

The DEA has joined forces with Discovery Education to create Operation Prevention, a comprehensive, NO-COST program available to every school, home, and state in the nation to help fight prescription opioid misuse, as well as heroin use. These free-to-access andeasy-to-use educational resources are tailored for elementary, middle and high schoolers, and offer virtual field trips, parent resources, English and Spanish language standards-aligned K-12 tools, as well as a national peer-to-peer video challenge! Your community can kick-start life-saving actions today.

FREE RESOURCES TO REDUCE OPIOID RISK

Ask Doctors For Patient-Friendly Disposal Envelopes

The Stericycle Seal & Send Envelopes are DEA-compliant 8”x12” envelopes designed to hold up to 8 oz. of medication, of which 4 oz. may be liquid in a sealed container.

Stericycle will destroy the medication using a process that is secure and safe for the environment. Envelopes are U.S. postage-paid, pre-addressed and include complete instructions.

Get a 'Warn Me' Label For Your Doctors

The National Security Councilhas created warn-me labels and prescription drug disposal envelopes to limit the risk from opioids. To find out more, please visitStopEverydayKillers.org.

When you place a "Warn Me" Label on your insurance card, it prompts the medical professionals and staff that you want answers to the following questions:

"Am I being prescribed an opioid?"
"If so, is there a non-addictive alternative?"
"If not, is a short-term prescription possible?"
"Do I have any medical conditions, mental health issues or a family history that could increase my risk?"

DOWNLOAD YOUR "WARN ME" LABEL TODAY!

Help Promote April 28 Rx Take Back Day

Saturday, April 28, 2018, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue.

According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

As a preventive measure, you can help educate your faith and community organizations by using the DEA's promotional toolkit with free downloadable posters, handouts and other materials to help promote online, at work and events.