May 18, 2023
The Clinton Foundation’s Empowering Faith Leaders in California project addresses the opioid epidemic through a collaborative learning opportunity to empower religious leaders from diverse faith traditions to take on leadership roles in addressing substance use disorders (SUD) within their communities. Participating leaders will be provided information on the opioid epidemic, SUDs, local supportive resources, speaking about addiction without stigma, connecting people to treatment and recovery, and recognizing and responding to an opioid overdose with naloxone.
The Clinton Foundation will recruit two cohorts each year for two years. Each year will focus on two cities in California, and each cohort will be comprised of 20 faith leaders. This project will provide technical assistance, training, structured curricula, and collaboration to each faith leader to execute a community-based engagement project to raise awareness about addiction, reduce stigma, and share life-saving resources.
This project receives State General Funds from the State of California.
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Feb 16, 2023
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is developing and implementing a $40.8 million statewide opioid overdose prevention and education media program. The program will include media and public awareness campaigns and a robust evaluation to monitor the success of the campaigns in increasing public awareness and supporting behavior change. The campaign has three primary aims and audiences:
- To prevent substance use and raise awareness of fentanyl contamination among youth and young adults (ages 16-21).
- To prevent overdose and overdose death among young adults using a harm reduction lens (ages 20-35)
- To raise awareness among families and communities, empowering them to respond to the overdose epidemic with life-saving solutions and strategies.
CDPH has selected a media agency partner, Duncan Channon, Inc., to support the media campaigns. The anticipated contract period is March 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025. Given the urgency of the overdose crisis, CDPH and Duncan Channon plan to have initial messages launched in May 2023, with the full media campaign launched in Fall 2023. The campaign will engage local communities to amplify core campaign messages; provide communities, families, and mentors with the information they need to support youth; and to lift up local personal success stories.
This project receives funding from Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF) through California’s Opioid Settlements.
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Feb 16, 2023
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has launched a Substance Use Disorder Stigma Reduction Campaign in partnership with Shatterproof, a national nonprofit. Shatterproof’s National Stigma Initiative is dedicated to changing attitudes about substance use and substance use disorder (SUD). This campaign is informed by local community leaders, is evidence-based and data-driven, and promotes anti-stigma messaging through stories of Californians impacted by SUD.
Addiction stigma experienced by people with SUDs leads to tens of thousands of preventable deaths each year. Stigma prevents many from seeking treatment, creates social isolation, and prevents the use of life-saving medications. The Unshame California campaign is working to change that by sharing stories of Californians that inspire compassion and hope.
UNSHAME California collects stories of people in recovery, people who have a friend or family member with a SUD, people who work in the recovery field, and other people impacted by SUD. The campaign aims to ensure representation and engagement are reflective of California’s extraordinary diversity. Stories are amplified through UNSHAME California social media channels and digital advertising.
This project receives funding from Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF) through California’s Opioid Settlements.
Resources
The UNSHAME California campaign will offer monthly webinars with information, resources, and/or training related to, or promoting addiction stigma reduction. The campaign also provides community partners with various resources and regular newsletters. Interested partners can email unshameca@shatterproof.org to learn more about how to get involved in reducing addiction stigma in their communities.
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Feb 16, 2023
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has partnered with Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization, to create a statewide treatment locator called ATLAS® (Addiction Treatment Locator, Analysis, and Standards platform). ATLAS is a free, easy-to-use online directory of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment facilities. ATLAS features evidence-based information to help individuals (and supporters of people seeking help) find the treatment they need. DHCS and Shatterproof will be launching the California ATLAS in April 2023.
ATLAS will be available to the public and will help ensure that Californians and their loved ones struggling with the disease of addiction are able to quickly and easily access treatment resources and information that meets their individual needs. ATLAS’ unique platform supports finding appropriate access to care through the following:
- Individuals and/or their loved ones can take a 13-question survey to help them find a licensed or certified treatment provider to assist with their specific need(s).
- Those seeking treatment will be able to search by location, language spoken, insurance/payment options, age and special populations such as LGBTQ+ welcoming.
- ATLAS establishes a nationwide standardized format that allows direct comparison of facilities based on services provided, types of payment accepted, and evidence-based measures of quality aligned with Shatterproof’s National of Care, and more.
- ATLAS is free to those seeking treatment and to licensed or certified treatment providers whose information is included in ATLAS.
Please note: ATLAS is not intended to replace an in-person assessment completed at a licensed or certified treatment facility. The use of ATLAS does not negate the need to have continued relationships between licensed treatment providers, Single County Authorities and Behavioral Health/Managed Care Organizations.
This project receives funding from Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF) through California’s Opioid Settlements.
Resources:
For DHCS’ licensed or certified providers who would like to enroll in ATLAS, or for any questions about enrollment, please contact the ATLAS Help Desk at 1-800-275-6900.
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Feb 16, 2023
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is expanding California’s behavioral health workforce, as well as all other behavioral health professions, to improve consumer access to and productive participation in behavioral health services throughout the state. As part of this enhancement, DHCS contracted with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) to implement the Behavioral Health Workforce Development (BHWD) project.
Request for Applications: Mentored Internship Program (MIP)
DHCS looked for nonprofit 501(c)(3) behavioral health provider organizations, tribal organizations, and county-operated providers who offer behavioral health services and care deeply about mentoring the next generation of behavioral health professionals. Funding was available for such organizations to develop and implement an in-house MIP to assist in the treatment and recovery of patients with Substance Use Disorder, Mental Health, or co-occurring disorders. Priority was given to those organizations proposing to expand the workforce with staff that are trained to specifically work with individuals who have or are at risk of developing opioid use disorder. Applications were due Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. PST.
This project receives funding from Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF) through California’s Opioid Settlements.
Resources
For more information about the Behavioral Health Workforce Development project, visit the BHWD Website.
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