Conversaciones de Salud E-Newsletter: June 2024 Edition

sersilemciado e l periodismo nuncapodrá

PAGES 8 & 9

Devin J. Norring Foundation

The Youth Community Journalism Microinternship program, in collaboration with Carmen Robles and Associates LLC, will be led by the Youth Community Journalism Institute at the Strong Mind Strong Body Foundation in partnership with SPEAK MPLS, a public community media center in Minneapolis. This program will teach students ages 12-17 the fundamentals of community journalism, including reporting, storytelling, interviewing, multimedia journalism, video production, audio production, photography, field reporting, and live studio production. The program will culminate in a live news show produced by students in front of a live studio audience and broadcast on SPEAK MPLS cable TV stations.

Opioid epidemic

The misuse of and addiction to prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl is an increasing crisis that affects families and communities throughout the U.S.

Learn how Hennepin County is responding to the opioid epidemic.

Click here to see more Click aquí para ESPAÑOL

Opioid overdose prevention

Help someone reverse an active overdose

Safely dispose of prescription drugs

Sheriff's office response to the opioid crisis

Click here to see more

Hennepin County Equity Report Card - January 2024

In Hennepin County, 1 in 9 kids and 1 in 14 adults are Latino. Latino communities vary in their access to quality child care and education, affordable housing, transportation options, green space, healthy food options, and healthcare - all of which are necessary to stay healthy and thrive.

Click here to see more

Salud America! is a national Latino-focused organization that creates culturally relevant and research-based stories and tools to inspire people to drive healthy changes to policies, systems, and environments for Latino children and families. The network is a project of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio.

Amoment intime.

BY CARMEN ROBLES

It was a wonderful afternoon with my querida amiga, Maria Vega-Carrera celebrating her new studio apartment at the Living Suites Assisted Living on Robert Street in West St. Paul. We always joked about this time in our lives when we would look back and recap our life’s stories. How we would write our memoirs and share our escapades as single mothers embracing the era of women's rights, civil rights...Latin Power SI SE PUEDE!! An era of change

Maria, immersed in education, fighting for the rights of Chicanos en la universidad, finally losing her job because of her activism. Me climbing the corporate ladder in an industry that made bombs that destroyed people but saved property It wasn’t long before I, too, lost my job

But we were tough! We were entrepreneurial At one point doing a 'Cook and Book' service. We would go to a home looking like surgeons with our medical bags filled with sofrito and all the ingredients to turn any meal into a masterpiece of culinary delight. We would begin the meal and book (leave) - Cook and Book. Always something to do with cooking because it fed our kids Her three boys, my mija and mijo.

It was a beautiful day, indeed! Fiesta pa Maria Sr. CAPIAS, the event remembrance gifts for guests, were a great hit!!! I added a magnet so the CAPIA can be put on the fridge instead of sitting in the bottom of a drawer

A great time was had by all! The staff and residents of Suite Living joined the Vega-Perez family for their regular visit to family matriarch Maria Vega-Carrera. My pal since last century is now in a dementia hazed world. Frail, a bit confused but ever the hostess with the mostess passing out pastelillos and pinning CAPIAS on her residential mates.

Maria Vega-Carrera and Jose Antonio Machado

Jose Antonio Machado

Jose Antonio Machado, much like the hero with his black satchel, aka accordion case, by his side made a grand entrance scooping his querida friend in his arms. Their embrace solidified a history of groundbreaking community advocacy through church. Back then he was the new Puerto Rican pastor in town, she quickly became the council president and church became family time.

Fast forward 50 years and here we have come full circle.

Jose Antonio serenaded Maria, residents, staff, and the handful of guests at the Fiesta Par-Tay. His accordion bringing to life the tango, salsa, even a Polka. The music filled the large, comfortable dining area. It was a beautiful afternoon of building 'familia' among strangers.

When he asked a group of three women what their names were the first replied “Donna” which prompted him to break out into the song “Oh Donna!” followed by a round of applause. The second lady answered, “I’m Donna too!” causing a thunderous rendition of ‘Oh Donna!” mixed with deep belly laughs. When we got to the 3rd lady, she simply waved her hand in the air and said, ‘You can call me Donna!”. Causing a hysterical explosion of laughter to the beat of Jose Antonio’s fingers dancing across the keys.

We walked into a quiet, low energy home facility and left it filled with the fragrance of steaming pastelillos (beef, chicken, and cheese...yum!) and the echo of a child's giggles. The quiet facility was now filled with laughter, conversation, the afterglow of an uplifting moment. It’s amazing how music has no barriers…it evokes smiles which explode into laughter and the moving of a stagnant body. Breathing life into the soul.

Wait, there’s more … One of Maria’s caregivers is a former Jovenes de Salud member Maria Lara, Johnson H.S. Class of 2012. Maria Lara is a welcomed addition to Conversaciones de Salud’s evolution into storytelling through Jovenes de Salud METELE GANAS cross generational social media health project.

FUN FACT: Jose Antonio Machado visits senior living facilities several times a month using his accordion as his secret weapon to evoke joy! Much like the Pied Piper, his music is hypnotic, and we all surrendered to the life affirming musical beat we all carry within us.

Maria Lara

CAPIAS

OMAHA, Neb. – Community members across the five state Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division safely disposed of 18,614 pounds of unwanted and unused medications at the 26th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event held April 27. Nationally, DEA and its law enforcement partners collected 670,136 pounds of medications at close to 5,000 sites.

“We know how busy weekends can be and we’re grateful for everyone who took time to clean out medicine cabinets and drop off unneeded medications at one of our Take Back Day locations,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “It’s important to realize that this one small act can make a big impact on the well-being of our communities.”

Earlier this year, DEA launched a new campaign encouraging the public to “Make Every Day Take Back Day,” by utilizing year-round collection sites to dispose of unneeded medications. The DEA has registered nearly 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals and businesses nationwide to help provide a safe place for community members to regularly and safely dispose of unwanted medications. A list of these locations can be found here. Additionally, many police departments provide year-round drop boxes.

According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a majority of people who use prescription medication for a nonmedical purpose obtained that medication from a family member or friend.

Since the program’s inception in 2010, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has removed more than 18.6 million pounds of unneeded medications from communities across the country. Complete results for DEA’s spring National Prescription Drug Take Back Day are available at Take Back Day (dea.gov).

Drug Enforcement Administration

OMAHA FIELD DIVISION

Steven T. Bell, Special Agent in Charge www.dea.gov

X: @DEAOmahaDiv

Date: May 31, 2024

Contact: Emily Murray, Public Information Officer

Phone Number: 571-387-3545

Overdose Prevention Update - May 2024

Work with MDH on Overdose Fatality Reviews

The Overdose Prevention Unit is seeking partnership with at least five Local Public Health and/or Public Safety Departments who are interested in conducting Overdose Fatality Reviews. Overdose Fatality Reviews and Public Health and Safety Teams are two separate, companion models used by a growing number of communities across the country to strengthen their response to the overdose epidemic.

Overdose Fatality Reviews are confidential meetings in which a diverse group of community stakeholders collaborate to share data and study the death of a specific individual to identify gaps in the system that could have saved that person's life.

Public Health and Safety Teams are partnerships between public health officials, law enforcement representatives, and other local groups dedicated to preventing overdose deaths. Such teams are well positioned to help perform OFRs.

Interested in launching an Overdose Fatality Review?

MDH is available to support new and existing review initiatives through training and technical assistance. To contact the MDH Injury and Violence Prevention Section’s Overdose Fatality Review and Public Health and Safety subject matter experts, please fill out this Overdose Fatality Review TA Request Form.

For additional information about OFRs, please check the MDH Overdose Fatality Review Webpage.

To register for an upcoming training session, please click on an available date below:

Training Session: July 10, 10 a.m. - noon.

Training Session: Aug 14, 10 a.m. - noon.

Training Session: Sep 11, 10 a.m. - noon.

Monthly drug overdose death snapshot: April 2024

The monthly fatal overdose snapshot provides a look at the prior month's overdose death data. This snapshot was created by MDH and is close to real time data.

Each monthly snapshot highlights the following measures:

Suspected overdose deaths compared to the same month for the prior year.

Last 24 months of confirmed and updated provisional overdose deaths in Minnesota.

Suspected overdose deaths compared to the previous year for the relevant time period.

Here is the Monthly Drug Overdose Deaths Snapshot: April (PDF)

DevinJ.Norring Foundation

FightAgainstSubstanceMisuse

Fromtheirsite:

“The Devin J. Norring Foundation is committed to addressing substance misuse, with a focus on education and awareness. Our mission is to provide comprehensive information, support, and resources to individuals, families, and communities impacted by fentanyl and other dangerous substances.

Through evidence-based education initiatives, advocacy efforts, and collaborative partnerships, we strive to prevent addiction, reduce harm, and promote recovery. By fostering a compassionate and nonjudgmental environment, we aim to empower individuals to make informed decisions, and lead healthier, substance-free lives

Our organization envisions a society where every person has the knowledge and tools to overcome substance misuse, and where communities are united in their commitment to prevention, education, support, and recovery. Only together can we create a future free from the devastating effects our families have had to endure.”

Devin J. Norring 12/19/2000 - 04/04/2020

Click here to open Devin J Norring Foundation site

Bridgette Norring

MinnesotaHouseofRepresentatives

Online marketing prioritizes ‘profits over our kids,' says House lawmaker — she aims to change that

With a framed photograph set in front of her, Bridgette Norring spoke Wednesday about her son Devin, and how he died in 2020 from a fentanyl overdose.

“Devin is forever 19,” she said.

He accidentally overdosed on fentanyl he bought on Snapchat, mistakenly thinking it was a Percocet pill to relieve his migraine pain.

“Right now, social media companies are allowed to have a business model where our children, their most vulnerable users, are their most lucrative product,” she said.

After his death, Norring learned her son and a friend had gone on Snapchat and found a drug dealer known for selling to local teens via the platform.

Click

What is Buprenorphine?

Buprenorphine is the first medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) that can be prescribed or dispensed in physician offices, significantly increasing access to treatment. As with all medications used in treatment, buprenorphine should be prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes counseling and other services to provide patients with a whole-person approach.

Buprenorphine offers several benefits to those with OUD and to others for whom treatment in an Opioid Treatment Clinic is not appropriate or is less convenient.

How Does Buprenorphine Work?

Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist. It produces effects such as euphoria or respiratory depression at low to moderate doses. With buprenorphine, however, these effects are weaker than full opioid agonists such as methadone and heroin. When taken as prescribed, buprenorphine is safe and effective.

Buprenorphine has unique pharmacological properties

Diminish the effects of physical

and cravings Increase safety in cases of overdose

Lower the potential for misuse

Source: Shirley Cain

Stimulant Use Disorder in RURAL COMMUNITIES

CRWS: Incentive-Based Interventions for Stimulant Use Disorder into Rural Community Settings

This UVM CORA Community Rounds Workshop Series webinar is entitled "The Fourth Wave of the U.S. Overdose Crisis: Disseminating Incentive-Based Interventions for Stimulant Use Disorder into Rural Community Settings." The speaker is Tyler Erath, PhD, NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Vermont Center on Behavior and Health at the University of Vermont. This presentation explores the role of psychomotor stimulants in the ongoing overdose crisis and discusses contingency management treatment for stimulant use, including current obstacles to its use in community settings.

Learning objectives:

1. Review the role of stimulants in drug-involved overdose deaths in the U.S.

2. Define contingency management (CM) as a treatment for stimulant use disorder

3. Describe current challenges to using CM and some efforts to overcome them

4 Explore CM components such as financing, protocol considerations, using technology-based CM apps, and ways to implement CM in rural areas

5. Discuss the role of certificate programs as training opportunities for health professionals including in rural areas

The Community Rounds Workshop Series is provided live by the University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction (UVM CORA). UVM CORA was established in 2019 through a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). Learn more about our mission, who we are, and what we do at UVMCORA.org.

Children and Teens Make Up Majority of Delta-8 THC Exposures

Americans under the age of 20 made up 56 percent of all 2022 exposures to Delta-8 THC, a psychoactive substance found in cannabis sativa plants like marijuana and hemp

And while teenagers comprised 15 percent of these exposures, children 12 and under constituted 41 percent, according to data from America's Poison Centers 2022 Annual Report of the National Poison Data System.

q u i n Latina

The decade for people of African Descent

At its 2016 General Assembly, the Organization of American States (OAS) approved the Plan of Action for the Decade of Afro-Descendants in the Americas (2016-2025), in recognizing that people of African descent in the Americas are descendants of millions of Africans who were forcibly enslaved and transported as part of the inhumane transatlantic slave trade between the 15th and 19th centuries.

PARTNERS PAGE PARTNERS PAGE

We would like to extend our recognition to Hue-Man and Cynthia Munguia for their exemplary leadership within the Hispanic/Latino, Afro-Latino, and Indigenous-Latino communities. Your dedication is inspiring, and we are grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside such formidable warriors. TOGETHER we CAN make a difference!

Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment Through Research

HACER will be hosting a series of FB live events Tuesdays in June on separation ordinances, crime prevention and U and T visas.

J ournalism cannever

besilent

Youth Community Journalism