May 31, 2023
Xylazine, or “tranq,” is animal tranquilizer that is not approved for human use. Xylazine has been increasingly found in the U.S. illicit drug supply, and studies have linked it to rising numbers of overdose deaths and serious skin infections. Xylazine is still a new and emerging issue in California, and experts are concerned that xylazine may penetrate the California drug supply and increase fatal overdoses.
SAMHSA is now allowing the purchase of xylazine test strips with State Opioid Response (SOR) funds. DHCS SOR III contractors can find an updated list of allowable activities and expenditures, which includes xylazine test strips, under California’s SOR III grant on the California MAT Expansion Project website. For questions regarding specific allowable and unallowable activities and expenditures, please contact your DHCS program manager or email DHCSMATExpansion@dhcs.ca.gov.
For more information and resources on xylazine, visit the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) xylazine webpage. This webpage also includes an issue brief on xylazine, which outlines health risks and harm reduction strategies for xylazine. The issue brief states that health professionals, drug treatment providers, local policymakers, and harm reduction programs can prepare for xylazine by taking these steps:
- Support the development, implementation and scale-up of harm reduction services.
- Scale-up community-based naloxone distribution to people who use drugs.
- Advise health care professionals and first responders to consider xylazine exposure in cases where an overdose is not responsive to naloxone.
- Encourage clinicians to include xylazine exposure in the differential diagnosis of necrotic skin ulcerations in a person who is using drugs.
- Communicate xylazine trends to people who use drugs and those who work directly with them.
- Expand access to medication for opiate use disorder (MOUD).
May 23, 2023
SACRAMENTO — Californians now have a free, confidential way to find lifesaving, high-quality addiction treatment to meet their unique needs. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) today launched a partnership with national nonprofit Shatterproof and Blue Shield of California to help combat the substance use crisis, keep Californians safe, and provide recovery resources to those in need.
“It is vital that the State of California does all it can to reduce the burden addiction places on families and provide Californians the tools they need to access treatment,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency. “This joint effort follows the release of Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, which outlines aggressive steps to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl.”
Why This is Important
The new resources include Shatterproof Treatment Atlas, an addiction treatment locator, assessment, and standards platform that will connect individuals to appropriate evidence-based addiction treatment. Additionally, to empower individuals and change attitudes about substance use disorders, DHCS launched Unshame California, a science-driven and content-based campaign that promotes anti-stigma messaging through stories of Californians impacted by substance use disorders. Both Treatment Atlas and Unshame California align with ongoing statewide initiatives to reduce substance use overdoses, support recovery efforts, and educate the public.
“The substance use crisis is a public health threat facing the state and nation. Nearly three million Californians have a substance use disorder, but only a fraction receive treatment,” said DHCS Director Michelle Baass. “Our new partnership will help all Californians find and compare addiction treatment facilities for substance use disorders so they can make informed decisions about their care.”
Resources For Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment Atlas
People with substance use disorders and their loved ones can search Treatment Atlas, the web-based platform developed and managed by Shatterproof, based on such criteria as location, use of best practices, types of treatment offered, accepted insurers (including commercial and government sponsored coverage), payment options, specialty populations served, and patient experiences. Shatterproof, a national nonprofit dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in America, helps people find high-quality treatment, including outpatient, intensive outpatient, residential, and hospital inpatient addiction treatment, for substance use disorders. Treatment Atlas is informed and endorsed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
People can assess their risk and severity, which allows them to receive initial guidance on which addiction treatment options might be best for them. Treatment Atlas improves upon services provided by other addiction treatment locators and uses objective data, strict validation protocols, and patient reporting to focus on what is best for the consumer, not the bottom line.
“DHCS will work with key collaborators throughout the state to implement Treatment Atlas in a way that’s responsive to the state’s needs,” said Tyler Sadwith, Deputy Director of DHCS Behavioral Health. “DHCS will also engage with key stakeholders in the state, collect and analyze data from the platform, and ensure the platform is maintained with up-to-date information.”
Unshame California
This multi-pronged campaign shines a light on the stories of people impacted by a substance use disorder because no one should struggle alone. By telling and listening to people’s lived experiences, one recognizes that substance use disorders can impact anyone, including neighbors, friends, family members, and coworkers. The campaign is informed by community members and aims to ensure representation and engagement are reflective of California’s extraordinary diversity. Stories will be shared continuously on social media channels in both English and Spanish. Unshame California will offer monthly webinars with information, resources, and/or training related to, or promoting, addiction stigma reduction.
Big Picture
Governor Gavin Newsom has dedicated more than $1 billion in funding to fight the opioid crisis by removing opioids from the streets; providing resources to communities in need; reducing individual and community stigma surrounding people who use drugs and who seek care and treatment services; and increasing education and awareness to prevent opioid addiction and death. Of the state’s overall investment, DHCS is investing more than $450 million in various opioid prevention and treatment grant activities in fiscal year 2022-23.
May 23, 2023
SACRAMENTO — As part of California’s $1 billion plan to tackle the opioid epidemic, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) today awarded more than $12 million in grants to strengthen the state’s opioid response. Today’s awards include $7.9 million to 20 DHCS-licensed residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities throughout the state as part of the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Expansion Project, $3.5 million to 23 organizations through the Tribal and Urban Indian Community-Defined Best Practices (TUICDBP) program, and $1.05 million to seven organizations through the California Native MAT Network for Healing and Recovery.
“The opioid addiction crisis continues to have devastating impacts on the mental and physical well-being of those directly impacted, and also on our families, communities, and state. These awards provide vital tools to strengthen the ability of people to sustain recovery,” said DHCS Director Michelle Baass.
MAT Expansion Project
The California MAT Expansion Project increases access to MAT, reduces unmet treatment needs, and reduces opioid overdose-related deaths through the provision of prevention, treatment, and recovery activities. MAT is the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, which are used together to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). Including MAT in an individual’s treatment at a residential treatment facility can help those with OUD achieve long-term recovery. For more information, please visit the DHCS website.
Twenty facilities are receiving awards to implement, expand, and/or provide technical assistance on MAT from May 16, 2023, through June 30, 2025. Grantees include facilities that will receive bridge funding to support start-up costs for the initial implementation of MAT, facilities that will receive funding to expand their existing MAT services, and an organization that will act as a “Center of Excellence” to provide mentorship, technical assistance, and training to other facilities or projects funded through this opportunity. The funding application was made available to all California nonprofit, DHCS-licensed residential SUD treatment facilities to increase the number of facilities offering onsite MAT services.
Background
In 2018, Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 992 to allow individuals with OUD receiving MAT to be admitted to a residential treatment facility. To further boost the availability of prescribed MAT in California, in 2022, the Governor enacted SB 184, which requires treatment facilities to either offer MAT directly to patients or have an effective referral process in place with narcotic treatment programs, community health centers, or other MAT providers.
Additonal Grant Awards
DHCS also awarded $3.5 million to 23 organizations through the TUICDBP program, and $1.05 million to seven organizations through the California Native MAT Network for Healing and Recovery (Native MAT Network).
TUICDBP Program
This funding opportunity will support best-practice knowledge exchange to enhance services for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of OUD and other co-occurring SUDs in tribal and urban Indian communities. Multiple examples of culture-based and community-based approaches developed by tribal and urban Indian communities exist across the state and country. These efforts are often driven by community desperation to create culturally meaningful care for Native people and are developed with few financial resources. The TUICDBP program design will help to identify and engage local tribal and urban Indian cultural knowledge keepers as core resources for the development of culture-driven substance use prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction services.
Twenty-three organizations are receiving awards to implement the program from May 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024. Grantees include California organizations and entities with demonstrated knowledge of the tribal and or urban Indian experience, the strengths and healing capacity of cultural and traditional community-defined best practices, and the need for inclusion of those practices as key components of substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Native MAT Network
The Native MAT Network program’s goal is to assist California tribal and urban Indian health programs to develop, implement, sustain, and enhance MAT services for opioid addiction through funding, technical assistance, and peer knowledge exchange. The program emphasizes the healing role of culture in engagement, treatment, and recovery.
“By embracing culturally competent MAT services, we create a bridge of understanding that allows us to connect with individuals and communities in a meaningful way, fostering trust and opening the door for them to seek and receive the treatment services they need to thrive,” said Marlies Perez, Chief of DHCS’ Community Services Division.
This funding opportunity will support California tribal and urban Indian health organizations that reflect the racial, ethnic, and cultural community they intend to serve, and have the capacity to develop culturally responsive MAT services that are tailored to their population of focus. Seven tribal and urban health organizations are receiving awards to develop, enhance, and sustain MAT and/or stimulant use disorder services from May 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024. The TUICDBP program and Native MAT Network are funded by the State Opioid Response III grant awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and are part of the California MAT Expansion Project.
Additional Background
Governor Gavin Newsom has dedicated more than $1 billion in funding to fight the opioid crisis by removing opioids from the streets; providing resources to communities in need; reducing individual and community stigma surrounding people who use drugs and who seek care and treatment services; and increasing education and awareness to prevent opioid addiction and death. Of the state’s overall investment, DHCS is investing more than $450 million in various opioid prevention and treatment grant activities in fiscal year 202223. DHCS recently collaborated with national nonprofit Shatterproof to launch a substance use disorder treatment finder to help keep Californians safe and provide recovery resources to those in need.
