Eastern Sierra Substance Use Project

Mission

Mono County’s Substance Use Task Force is a collaborative gathering of public and private sector community partners with a goal of reducing the adverse effects of harmful substance use. We seek to enhance prevention, treatment and harm reduction services and to reduce stigma.   

Vision

A collaborative and cohesive community group that promotes understanding of substance use as a disease and improving treatment and harm reduction access and strategies.

Values

Promote health and dignity for all.

Check us out on Facebook!

Eastern Sierra Substance Use Project Facebook page

Inyo County's Eastern Sierra Harm Reduction Facebook page

News Release

January 14, 2021: The US Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was removing the requirement of an DATA 2000 X waiver for physicians to prescribe buprenorphine to treat  Opioid Use Disorder, making MAT much more widely available.

HHS announced physicians can treat up to 30 patients with buprenorphine without obtaining a waiver. Details are still being released but briefly:

Only applies to physicians, not PAs or NPs.
Limit of 30 patients
Only treat patients in the same state physician is licensed
Hospital based physicians (ie. Emergency department) have no limit on the number they can prescribe.

See News release

Next Meeting:

April 7, 2021

10-11:30 AM

https://monocounty.zoom.us/j/99627064192

AGENDA STILL TO COME- EMAIL jcroissant@mono.ca.gov if you have any items to add

Previous Meetings 

Upcoming Live Trainings and outreach events

 March 5, 2021 05:00 – 07:00 PST- Street Drugs Discussions: A deep dive on the regulation of stimulants

They will be discussing stimulant regulation, harm reduction and the use/misuse of these drugs. Furthermore, they will extrapolate on the role of pharmacists and policy makers to reduce the harms of stimulant use.

March 10, 2021 11:30-1200 PM- Meet the Partner: Saving Lives with Pharmacy Leaders

Pharmacists can play a meaningful role in supporting overdose prevention and linkages to treatment. The perception of a pharmacist as someone behind a counter counting out pills is outdated. Join the National Overdose Prevention Network  (NOPN) for the next Web Forum in our Meet the Partner series for a live discussion with James Gasper, PharmD, a Board Certified Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorder Pharmacist with the California Department of Health Care Services. We will speak with Dr. Gasper about the role of pharmacists, how to partner effectively, and what strategies look like in action. Register today and read more about Dr. Gasper’s story here.

 March 31, 2021 10:00 – 11:00 PDT- Understanding Steroid Use - Dr Christian Jessen

Why do people use anabolic steroids? What are the physiological and mental affects of steroid use? What can be done to reduce any potential harms?

Science Series

Check out upcoming webinars or archived recordings of past webinars

The Northeast Node of the Clinical Trials Network sponsors an academic bimonthly Science Series on the state of the science on addiction and integrated care models, occurring during the lunch hour from 12:00 to 1:00 PM EST, and is open to all health and mental health professionals. Continuing Education credits are available for medical professionals (1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits approved by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center) and clinical professionals (1.0 CEU from the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation for allied mental health, substance abuse counselors, social workers) who attend the interactive session.

National Harm Reduction Coalition Training Calendar

National Harm Reduction Coalition facilitates trainings around the country. We open our virtual doors to individuals and teams seeking training on important evidence-based harm reduction strategies.

Please email jcroissant@mono.ca.gov if you have any live trainings to share

Recorded or On-Demand Trainings

Eastern Sierra Substance Use Conference (virtual)

This was an all-day event on December 2, 2020 with 6 speakers, 2 panel sessions (community and professional/community discussion). Topics ranging from MAT, harm reduction, stigma, perinatal substance use, hepatitis and so much more. Event was recorded, see recording link below.

Conference flyer/agenda/panelist info

Facebook Event page 

Recording of Conference

(FYI: 1 hr break for lunch in middle)

Free Motivational Interviewing course through APNA

This three-part presentation is designed to help you learn Motivational Interviewing and how to apply it in your practice. It discusses the core principles of Motivational Interviewing and provides case studies for practice.

Implicit Bias Training: UCLA Implicit training resource site. Take an implicit bias test, review recorded implicit bias training videos and other implicit bias training resources. 

Local Training:

Zoom recording of Naloxone Training by Dr. Tom Boo:

PDF of PowerPoint from training

General training to review Naloxone, harm reduction measures and information about accessing services. This training is required for staff distributing Naloxone to community members through the Mono County Naloxone Distribution Program.

Keynote Presentation: Channeling the Power of Human Connection toward Whole Health

MAT: Medications For Addiction Treatment 8 Hour Waiver Training

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy: Online training with Dr. Russ Harris

Applied Empathy in Health Behavior Change

One of many talks at the Agents of Change Summit 2020

Addiction Free CA recorded resource library videos 

Mental Health and COVID-19: How the Pandemic Complicates Current Gaps in Care and What Can Be Done

The Power of Addiction and The Addiction of Power: Gabor Maté at TEDxRio+20

Canadian physician Gabor Maté is a specialist in terminal illnesses, chemical dependents, and HIV positive patients. Dr. Maté is a renowned author of books and columnist known for his knowledge about attention deficit disorder, stress, chronic illness and parental relations. His theme at TEDxRio+20 was addiction, from drugs to power. From the lack of love to the desire to escape oneself, from susceptibility of the being to interior power -- nothing escapes. And he risks a generic and generous prescription: "Find your nature and be nice to yourself.

Recommended Articles

New Evidence on Substance Use Disorders and COVID-19 Susceptibility (NIH article)

PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR PATIENTS FROM IMPLICIT BIASES
By Michelle van Ryn, PhD, MPH
 

The Role of Vitamin E Oil in Causing Vaping Related Severe Lung Illness

Multi Criteria Decision Analysis for Evaluating Government Policy Responses to Heroin Use

Medical cannabis dependence: A critical review of issues and evidence

Online curriculums/CEU opportunities

Specific to Providers/Nurses/first responders:

SUD 101 Core Curriculum 

Chronic Pain Core Curriculum 

Performance-in-Practice (PIP): Improving Clinical Practice with Patients who have Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)

ACA and Addiction Treatment and Recovery: What Every Addiction Professional Needs to Know

First Responder Course: Creating Safe Scenes (specific to Mental illness/substance use) 

Substance use pocket guide screening for nurses

The Acute Care Nurse’s Role in Harm Reduction for Persons with Substance Use Disorder (SUD)- 0.25 CEU, free

Substance Use Disorders and Co-Occurring Disorders: Essential Curricular Thread for Nursing Education- 0.25 CEU, free

Local Resources 

Naloxone (Narcan) for Opioid Overdose

Mono County Behavioral Health Provider Directory

Mono County Behavioral Health Webpage

Mammoth Hospital Behavioral Health Resources

Toiyabe Indian Health Center Substance Abuse Treatment page

Mono County Community Resources Pamphlet (English/Spanish)

New! Mono County Resource Book

Mono County Cannabis Health Education

Mono County Tobacco Education Program

Archived Online Trainings and Resources

Alcohol Use

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous Meetings

Perinatal Substance Use Prevention

ACE's (Adverse Childhood Experiences) 

NEW: Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic (one page handout)

ACE's Aware : The ACEs Aware initiative offers Medi-Cal providers training, clinical protocols, and payment for screening children and adults for ACEs. The two-hour online curriculum is easy to access for a wide range of health care professionals and will provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits.

​​​​​​​​California Department of Health Care Services resources: Trauma Screenings and Trauma-Informed Care Provider Trainings

ACE's Online Learning: Early Trauma Online Learning Course for Practitioners, professionals and volunteers who work with children, young people and their families.

Adverse childhood experiences: What we know, what we don't know, and what should happen next

Cannabis

Cannabis among youth: awareness and prevention- video recorded training (1hr 30min)

Cannabis Awareness & Prevention Toolkit

Harm Reduction

PRINCIPLES OF HARM REDUCTION (Video): Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use. Harm Reduction is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs 

Training Guide-Spirit of Harm Reduction: A Toolkit for communities of Faith Facing Overdose

MENTAL HEALTH

Mental Health Screening Tools

OPIOID USE

Opioid Overdose Resource page

Training for RN/APRN's: Effective Treatments for Opioid Use Disorders

Medication Assisted Treatment introduction for all and MAT waiver training (different online curriculums for MDs, RNs, and MAs)

Perinatal

Opioid Use + Pregnancy

FACTSHEET - Substance Use and Pregnancy During COVID-19/El Uso de Sustancias y el Embarazo Durante COVID-19/Uso de Substâncias e a Gravidez Durante COVID-19

Tobacco

The Vaping Phenomenon - What It Is, Why It Happened, and What We Can Do About It (Webinar video from Stanford's Health Improvement Program)

APNA Nursing Competencies for Treating Tobacco Use Disorders

TOBACCO & NICOTINE USE SCREENING TOOLS & ASSESSMENTS

Visit Mono County Tobacco Education Program website for cessation resources/trainings and Mono County Prevention Coalition website for meeting information and trainings.

Stigma

Social Stigma Toward Persons With Prescription Opioid Use Disorder: Associations With Public Support for Punitive and Public Health–Oriented Policies