October 2023 Newsletter

SUPR Staffing Update:

Richard Dunbar has joined the SUPR team as the Permanent Supportive Housing Coordinator within the Bureau of Planning, Performance Assessment, Federal Projects, and Program Development! Richard is from Springfield and served 8 years on active duty in the Army Infantry and another 15 in the Air Guard. He started part-time state employment with the Secretary of State Drivers' Services before transferring to the Illinois Department of Corrections, where he spent 10 years. After his time at IDOC, Richard accepted a promotion to the Illinois Department of Human Services, where he worked his way through various promotions! Most recently, he served in the contract unit within the Division of Rehabilitation Services for the last 9 years! Richard Dunbar Please join us in welcoming Richard into this new role within the SUPR family!

Save the Date- IL MAR Conference:

Save the date for an in-person IL MAR conference on December 6th in Peoria, IL, for the Illinois Learning Collaborative to Support Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR) Implementation for Justice-Involved Populations. Please note that this event is open to all who would like to learn more about implementing or expanding MAR programs in your local jails and county justice system. Additional details, including information on registration and agenda specifics, will be distributed in the coming weeks. For questions related to this event, please contact ILMARinCountyCJ@healthmanagement.com

Recovery Trainings:

IDHS/SUPR has partnered with Faces and Voices of Recovery to assist in the expansion of recovery community organizations (RCO) across the state.

Part of this expansion involves providing free trainings to providers and community stakeholders on recovery topics. For more information about Faces and Voices Illinois project, training calendars, and registration information, please visit Illinois Recovery Project.

Please share these trainings widely within your agencies and communities. If you have questions or would like to discuss starting a recovery community organization in your community, please contact Kim Sriner at Kimberly.Sriner@illinois.gov .

Environmental Scan Toolkit:

Prevention First has developed an Environmental Scan Toolkit, which outlines considerations for conducting community environmental scans, including the following:

  • The 4 Ps of Environmental Scanning
  • Types of scanning
  • Building your team
  • Safety protocols
  • Preparing to scan
  • Conducting scans
  • Documentation
  •  Sharing your results
  • Appendix with sample forms

Environmental scanning allows you to observe and document how alcohol presents itself in your community. These observations take place at both on-premises and off-premises establishments that sell alcohol. On-premises retail locations are bars and restaurants where alcohol is consumed on-site. Off-premises retail locations include liquor stores, grocery stores, big box stores, convenience stores, and gas stations. It is essential to make visual observations regarding alcohol and advertising throughout your community. Social media scanning will be an integral part of the process as well!

As we close out Recovery Month, IDHS/SUPR wants to thank everyone for their commitment to recovery. As seen through these photographs, recovery was celebrated in a variety of different ways across Illinois. Throughout the state we see the evidence of an infrastructure that acknowledges and supports recovery as a lifetime journey. Recovery belongs in Illinois.

Upcoming ROSC Meeting:

Special guest Jessie Blanchard, Education Director at Never Use Alone, Inc, will be joining Egyptian Health Department's Southeastern Illinois Substance Use Prevention, Recovery, and Treatment (SI SUPRT) ROSC meeting to talk about the Never Use Alone Hotline. If you are interested in joining, please join on October 4th at 1:00pm at SI SUPRT.

Recovery Residences Registry

The IDHS/SUPR Recovery Residence Registry has been moved to the Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances to simplify public inquiries for Recovery Residence. Information in the registry helps IDHS/SUPR better understand recovery residences' capacity and support for Medication Assisted Recovery. If you partner with a residence that is not listed, please invite them to register and/or contact Kimberly.Sriner@illinois.gov to list the organization. Search the Recovery Residences Registry at any time

Overdose Response Funding Updates:

SUPR publishes a quarterly report summarizing funded projects in response to the overdose crisis. We invite you to review the Overdose Response Funding Report at your convenience.

Smart Alerts and Other Communications:

Smart Alerts are periodic bulletins released by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery. Information may include policy, funding, training opportunities or any information that might be relevant for providers of substance-related disorders treatment services.

Smart Alerts