News and Updates
Drug and Alcohol Screening
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.
Watch How to Use SBIRT: Identifying Those With and at Risk of Substance Use Disorder.
Complete the Improving Patient Care Change Package Worksheet: SBIRT Practice Assessment Tool [PDF - 191 KB] to assess where your team is in implementing SBIRT goals, objectives, and strategies.
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 discover insights on enhancing substance use screening.
Resource: How to Document Drug and Alcohol Screening and Assessment Tools in the IHS RPMS EHR. [PDF - 797 KB]
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
- Dear Tribal Leader Letter [PDF - 243 KB] – May 8, 2024
- Naloxone Saves Lives Poster [PDF - 525 KB]
TIP SHEETS
- Harm Reduction [PDF - 1.3 MB]
- Opioid Stewardship [PDF - 617 KB]
- Treatment and Recovery [PDF - 558 KB]
Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) Interdepartmental Coordinating Committee Meeting Minutes [PDF - 320 KB] – 3/28/2024
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.
