News and Updates
Drug and Alcohol Screening: How to Document in the IHS RPMS EHR [PDF - 797 KB]
IHS is expanding education and outreach that utilizes evidence-based approaches to substance use disorder care which includes enhanced universal screening and care-coordination efforts that support patient engagement and reduce opioid overdose rates. See how to document in the IHS RPMS EHR. [PDF - 797 KB]
Overview of New TAPS and CAGE-AID Screening Tools for Substance Use – Webinar Recording
Discover insights on enhancing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) screening through a comprehensive examination of the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) process, alongside best practices. Uncover strategies for identifying at-risk patients utilizing the TAPS and CAGE-AID screening tools. Learn how to enhance patient assessments through the application of clinical documentation tools, ensuring thorough and effective evaluation in clinical practice.
Access the latest IHS Pain and Opioid Use Disorder Webinar recording via Zoom: Overview of New TAPS and CAGE-AID Screening Tools for Substance Use to explore these key learning objectives and advance your clinical skills.
Harm Reduction
Harm Reduction describes comprehensive strategies to reduce the negative effects of substance use, acknowledging that each person and their road to recovery is unique and important. Below are updated resources to support community strategies for Overdose Prevention.
- Naloxone Safety Net Pilot Project – IHS supports expanded harm reduction activities and works to promote low-barrier access to naloxone. A limited quantity of naloxone is available to support sites struggling to meet local naloxone needs. These doses are meant to augment existing program naloxone forecasting and should be used to fill unexpected I/T/U short-falls resulting from increased utilization or new programming needs. The shipments are coordinated by IHS Headquarters and delivered directly to approved IHS National Supply Service Center customers. Please email the IHS HOPE Leadership committee to request additional information.
- Drug Checking Equipment – In February 2024, the Indian Health Service released a Special General Memorandum (SGM) to support the procurement of drug checking equipment. This memorandum clarifies that drug checking equipment, including fentanyl and xylazine test strips, can be purchased when consistent with the grant purpose and within the scope of the grant award.
Resources
- Naloxone Saves Lives Poster [PDF - 525 KB]
TIP SHEETS
Harm Reduction: Issue 25 – January 2024 – Provides information and resources on naloxone administration and overdose prevention efforts. It highlights the importance of community access to naloxone, including within schools, and offers training materials for healthcare professionals and community members. Additionally, it discusses other harm reduction strategies, including drug checking equipment and syringe service programs, to promote health and wellness among individuals struggling with substance use.
Opioid Stewardship: Issue 24 – July 2023 – Highlights strategies, clinical pearls, and available services for advancing opioid stewardship within healthcare organizations. It emphasizes the importance of finding your role within the team-based approach to safe prescribing practices and care plans.
Treatment and Recovery: Issue 23 – April 2023 – Outlines the importance of integrated care teams and screening in supporting persons with SUDs, emphasizing patient-centered approaches and team-based decision-making, including a comprehensive set of tools for pregnant and parenting people. It also discusses effective opioid stewardship strategies, emphasizing safe prescribing practices and the utilization of data to inform clinical decisions with available training videos and office hours related to the IHS Opioid Surveillance Dashboard to assist, as well as recent changes to regulations surrounding buprenorphine prescribing for opioid use disorder.
Resources
- National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda – SAMHSA
- Behavioral Health and Wellness Program – Bureau of Indian Education
- Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Action Plan – Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
- Lessons from the Field Webinar: Understanding Access and Promoting Safety: Youth and Online Drugs – National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)
NEW IHS Essential Training on Pain and Addiction (ETPA) is now available!
All Federal IHS prescribers, contractors (that spend 50 percent or more of their clinical time under contract with the Federal Government), clinical residents and trainees are required by agency policy to successfully complete the IHS ETPA within six months from the start of IHS employment and complete a refresher course every 3 years.
The new training will serve as the approved training for all those needing to complete the required initial and refresher trainings at this time. This on-demand, web-based course delivers evidence-based updates to clinical practice guidelines and includes important content essential to support health equity for pain management conditions and opioid use disorders. The ETPA meets the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act requirements and provides 3 hours of the required training time.
Find out more about IHS Essential Training on Pain and Addiction.
IHS Educational Outreach Program (EOP): Pain Management Campaign Released!
Opioid stewardship is a key part of IHS's overall strategy to improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome or opioid use disorder. The EOP mission is to provide frontline clinicians with evidence-based interactive education, to build relationships with healthcare teams, and identify and address system barriers to decrease variability in the use of evidence-based treatments. New evidence-based pain management clinician guide, pocket-references (including opioid de-prescribing), fact sheets, and patient education are now available.
Educational Guide: Managing non-cancer pain in the care of American Indian and Alaska Natives [PDF - 3.9 MB].
The comprehensive Pain Management Campaign Materials are available for download.
Treatment and recovery support services help people with substance use disorders manage their conditions successfully. Download and customize the recovery card for IHS, tribal, and urban health facilities to use to connect people to resources in your community.
Watch a video to learn more about how IHS is Preventing and Treating Opioid Addiction in Tribal Communities.
