Volume I, Issue IV - June 2020 Newsletter

From: Danielle L. Kirby, Director
Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery

Welcome New SUPR Staff:

Mike Deschamps has joined the SUPR team as Administrator of Infrastructure Development. New funding from the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (Public Act 101-0027) will be used to expand statewide infrastructure for the prevention and treatment of all substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders.

Alejandra Garcia has joined the SUPR team as Administrative Assistant to Joseph Tracy in Contracts Development and Implementation.

Autruse Wilson has joined the SUPR team as a coordinator for the Substance Use Prevention Program in the Bureau of Prevention Services.

We are excited to have them and continue expanding our SUPR team!

Training Opportunities:

A reminder that all SUPR-sponsored trainings are billable in DARTS.

Counseling Webinars:

IDHS/SUPR is sponsoring a series of trainings between March and June 2020 to enhance the skills, abilities and knowledge of counselors, clinical supervisors and administrators providing and supervising substance use disorder treatment.

June 8-12, 2020: Peer Recovery Coach: Five-day Training

June 22-24, 2020: ASAM Criteria Implementation Leader: Three-day Training

Gambling Disorder Webinars:

IDHS/SUPR is continuing to expand screening, assessment, treatment, case management, community intervention, and recovery support services for individuals with gambling disorders.

For more information on Gambling Disorder trainings and webinars, please visit https://weknowthefeeling.org/for-providers/.

June 2, 2020: Gambling & the Brain with Dr. Dave Ledgerwood

June 12, 2020: SBIRT

June 16, 2020: Trauma, PTSD & Gambling with Dr. Dave Ledgerwood

June 23, 2020: Cognitive Distortions & Gambling

FY2020 (In-person) 30-Hour Gambling Training Cancellation Notice:

Due to COVID-19, we have elected to cancel all the remaining FY2020 core 30-hour clinical gambling trainings. IDHS/SUPR has made this decision lightly. However, our first priority is for the health and safety of all participants. We are working closely with Morneau Shepell to implement alternate training options as quickly as possible.

Census 2020:

Our Census 2020 count is underway, which means that we count every person who lives in our state, our neighborhoods and our communities. The Census is crucial because it ensures our communities have the fair resources that they deserve by determining how much federal funding Illinois receives for our schools, social services, hospitals, roads and other public services we all depend on to strengthen our communities, especially during emergencies.

You can easily complete the Census while still observing social distancing in the following ways:

Online: Visit www.my2020census.gov and fill out the Census on your computer, tablet or smart phone.

Phone: Call 844-330-2020 to fill out the Census over the phone. The US Census Bureau offers assistance in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language.

Mail: Fill out the Census form you received in the mail and return it, free of charge, to the US Census Bureau.

If you have questions about the Census, text Question to 987987 (message and data rates may apply; see Terms & Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy).

Ordering of PPE:

Please see the letter from Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, regarding the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic.

https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/samhsa-ppe-letter-treatment-providers.pdf

 Naloxone Distribution in OTPs

Illinois received approval for Blanket Extended Take-Home Methadone as part of the COVID-19 response to reduce clinic and transportation contact in OTP programs. This policy change allows stable patients to receive 14-28 bottles of take-home methadone. The additional availability of methadone is an important safety measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but also increases the potential for opioid overdoses.

To offset this risk, IDHS/SUPR is increasing access to naloxone for OTP patients by partnering with the funded Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) providers across the state. IDHS/SUPR is giving the OEND providers enough funding to supply two naloxone kits per OTP patient.

Alcohol and Coronavirus:

Alcohol misuse makes the body more susceptible to viral infections and can worsen the prognosis. Alcohol in the body at the time of exposure to a pathogen tends to impair the body's immediate immune response to pathogen, making it easier for an infection to develop. Longer term, excessive alcohol consumption impairs immune cell functions in the lungs, making the body's immune response less effective.

While hand sanitizers containing 60-95% ethyl alcohol can help destroy the coronavirus on surfaces, drinking alcohol offers no protection from the virus. To learn more, visit https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/news-noteworthy/drinking-alcohol-does-not-prevent-or-treat-coronavirus-infection

Funding Opportunities:

State Opioid Response Technical Assistance: SAMHSA plans to issue 1 grant of up to $16,607,000 per year for two years. Eligible applicants are domestic, public, and private non-profit entities. Due: June 8, 2020

For more information, please visit https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/ti-20-008.

IL Medicaid SUD Care:

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is seeking community input regarding how to improve SUD care for Medicaid beneficiaries. Organizations and individuals can schedule online interviews or submit written feedback via the letter posted here. Interviews will take place June 1st through June 29th, 2020.

Please send at least 3 available days/times for a 30-60-minute interview to the following with Subject Line: SUD Input.

Southern Illinois, South Central Illinois and Central Illinois: Angie Bailey, Southern Illinois Healthcare- angie.bailey@sih.net

Northern Illinois or State-Wide Agencies or Organizations: Christine Edwards, Cook County Health- credwards@cookcountyhhs.org

OCR Updates:

As of May 20, 2020, 23,700 persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) have been served through these Opioid Crisis Response (OCR) Grants. Updated OCR accomplishments are summarized each month at https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=105980.

 Smart Alerts and Other Communications:

Over the past month, IDHS and IDHS/SUPR sent the following communications to keep providers informed.

Smart Alerts: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=42567

  • Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 2020
  • New Dedicated Gambling Programs Across the State
  • Telehealth Trainings and Opportunities

SUPR COVID-19 Communications:

https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=123240.

5/6/20: A Message from Directors Kirby & Albert

5/4/20: SUPR COVID-19 Payment

ProPublica Article Highlighting Overdose Trends During the COVID Pandemic:

https://www.propublica.org/article/overdose-deaths-have-skyrocketed-in-chicago-and-the-coronavirus-pandemic-may-be-making-it-worse

Dealing with Traumatic Events:

Our thoughts are with the survivors, those who are responding to violent incidents and everyone witnessing the recent civil unrest. Helpful resources during the immediate phase of response: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=36398

The health, safety and well-being of all those we serve are amongst our highest priorities. Please visit the State of Illinois Coronavirus page at https://coronavirus.illinois.gov

DHS Coronavirus: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=123118

SAMHSA COVID-19: samhsa.gov/coronavirus