Minnesota

Opioids are the leading cause of Minnesota's overdose deaths increasing 17-fold over the past 20 years. Five rural, underserved counties collectively had a more than 10% increase in nonfatal opioid overdoses in 2020 compared to 2019. Native Americans experienced a 27% increase in that 1 year period and are 10 times more likely to die than white Minnesotans. The target counties experienced higher rates of poverty and unemployment, worse health outcomes, and higher Health Professional Shortage Area designations. Between 2019 and 2020 the diagnoses of NAS at birth increased over 12%.

The project will facilitate no less than quarterly lunch-and-learn for GICH providers on topics related to SUD/OUD access, treatment, and best practices for women, birthing, and their families through training related to screening and referral tools, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, care coordination, stigma reduction, managing medical complications in children with NAS, and harm reduction programs. Second, three key clinical leaders will work with the consortium to help meet the goals.

The overarching objective of this project is to build the capacity of the Grand Portage, Sawtooth and Cook County community to provide their own culturally-relevant and evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery programming and services using a community-partnership framework, building on existing resources in the community and expanding current partnerships.

Under this project, comprehensive OUD services will be implemented by the Rural Minnesota Opioid Response for Black, Indigenous, People of Color Plus (RM-OR4BIPOC+) Consortium including Martin County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, the Rock County Oral Health Taskforce, Southwestern Minnesota Opportunity Council, and Wright County Public Health and Human Services, and Children’s Dental Services (CDS), the primary community dental provider serving rural Minnesota.

The leading cause of overdose deaths in Minnesota is from prescription opioids. In 2016, Minnesota stood out as a state with a statistically significant increase in drug overdose deaths (17.9%) between 2015 and 2016, and a more than six fold or 631% increase from 2000 to 2016. The death toll during this time in the Twin Cities increased by almost 495%, while in the rural Minnesota it increased a staggering 1,155%. While there has been a slight decrease in 2017-18, the problem remains severe.

Under this project, comprehensive NAS services will be developed by a consortium including Kanabec County Community Health; Ross Resources; Southwestern Minnesota Opportunity Council, Wilkin County Public Health, and Children’ s Dental Services, the primary community dental provider serving Southwestern Central, and Northern Minnesota. Together this consortium will target OUD outreach, education and treatment for over 108,000 rural residents of Itasca, Kanabec, Lyon, Redwood and Wilkin Counties, which have been severely impacted by the Minnesota rural opioid epidemic.

The overarching objective of this project is to build the capacity of the Bois Forte Tribal Nation to provide their own culturally-relevant and evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery programming and services using a community-partnership framework, building on existing resources in the Bois Forte community and expanding current partnerships. This project involves a diverse consortium of individuals and agencies with a deep dedication to supporting culturally- appropriate opioid-focused prevention, treatment and recovery with the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.