Spotlight: Substance Use Prevention and Control Funding

On Tuesday, September 16, 2014 the Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County voted to approve the $100,000 plan for FY 2015 non-recurring county funds to address the substance abuse issues affecting St. Mary’s county residents. The plan proposed to include several local efforts in distribution of the funds, including:

• Local health communications and education efforts, led by the Department of Aging and Human Services, targeted to youth and other at risk populations.
  • Some funds are being utilized to support the student sponsored drug summit focusing on youth substance abuse prevention in March 2015.
  • Remaining funds will be used for the development, production, and distribution of health education materials focusing on substance use prevention and control. Efforts will target all middle and high school students (public and non-public) in St. Mary’s County.
• Building local capacity to provide life skills training and mentoring for youth
  • More information coming soon!
• Training local primary care providers and school counselors in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).
  • Walden has been selected as the local training provider.
  • Group and individual provider training is now available!
  • Training for SMCPS middle and high school counselors has been scheduled for February 2015.
  • 5 local primary care providers have been trained so far!
• Implementation of a local health needs assessment on the topic of substance abuse prevention and response.
  • Health Resources in Action has been selected as the contractor to implement this project.
  • HRiA has been working with the Behavioral Health Action Team to administer focus groups and key informant interviews for April 2015.
• Providing Intensive Outpatient Services for female inmates at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center.
  • Walden has been selected by the Sheriff’s Office to provide this service
  • 66% of women served have a primary opiate addiction diagnosis.
• Implementation of the Overdose Response Program (ORP) for law enforcement officials in St. Mary’s County. Through the ORP, qualified individuals are trained, certified and equipped to administer Naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdose.
  • The Health Department has trained, certified, and equipped 130 law enforcement officials to administer Naloxone.
  • Additional training is scheduled for March 2015.