STR-TA Consortium Officially Launches
and Begins Accepting TA Requests
The State Targeted Response Technical Assistance (STR-TA) Consortium has launched the STR-TA website and technical assistance (TA) process for submitting requests for education, training and support in the prevention, identification, treatment and recovery of opioid use disorders across the country.  

On Feb. 1, 2018, SAMHSA awarded the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) and a coalition of 22 national healthcare organizations (many are also PCSS partners) a two-year grant to provide assistance to the 50 U.S. States and 7 territories to help target the opioid crisis. After a quick ramp-up, the consortium is now ready to accept requests for technical assistance at www.getSTR-TA.org. More than 40 TA requests were made in the first 24 hours of launch, an indication of the great need.

The STR-TA Consortium is focusing on making use of evidence-based resources that have already been created and reviewed to avoid recreating the wheel or wasting resources, including those from PCSS. 

The goal of STR-TA is to be responsive to meet community’s needs by providing training and TA on evidence-based practices in the prevention, treatment, and recovery of opioid use disorders through local experts. This effort has been designed as a tailored, locally driven approach to TA delivery. 
We urge you to share this flyer with your colleagues and community. The STR-TA Consortium and a team of TA consultants stand ready to assist STR grantees and others across the prevention, treatment, and recovery as it relates to opioid use disorders

Together we can make a difference!
PCSS Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Webinar: Pain Care Legislation and Public Policy
Date: May 16, 2018
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET
Presenters: Michael Barnes, Esq.,Managing Partner, DCBA Law & Policy in Washington, DC; Wade Delk, BA, Director of Governmental Affairs, for the American Society for Pain Management Nursing
Sponsor: American Society for Pain Management Nursing ( ASPMN)

W ebinar description: This webinar will provide insights in to the thought process of those making policy, and how that policy will affect healthcare providers.. [ More ]
Of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E-Book Gives Parents, Families Info on Heroin, Fentanyl

The Partnership for Drug Free Kids, a PCSS Steering Committee member, has released Heroin, Fentanyl & Other Opioids: A Comprehensive Resource for Families with a Teen or Young Adult Struggling with Opioid Use. The book is written for parents and families, providing them knowledge and skills to identify opioids, spot early used, and take effective action

Please feel free to share with your patients. Download your copy.
Webinar: Navigating TJC and the New Pain Standards

The American Society of Pain Management Nursing is holding a webinar May 9, 2018 from 1:30 pm. to 2:30 p.m. to discuss The Joint Commission standards related to pain assessment and management. The webinar will include information on how the Technical Advisory Panel contributed to these updates, and how to communicate with TJC if a surveryor has questions about your institutions policies. [Learn more]
PrEP Provider Database and Locator Widget Available

CDC’s National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) and Emory University have integrated data to provide a comprehensive, national directory of health service providers in the U.S. that offer pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection.

The integrated database provides information about each health service provider, including key services and if a provider offers PrEP access assistance and/or PrEP to uninsured patients at a low cost. To simplify access to information in the database, NPIN released a new PrEP locator widget where users can enter a zip code and get a list of nearby PrEP providers. [ Learn more ]
Updated Parity Website Explains Mental Health and SUD Coverage
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has updated its mental health and substance use disorder parity website, which provides resources to help answer questions about protections under federal parity laws. The site is a guide for people who:

• Have been denied coverage
• Have reached a limit on their plan (such as co-payments, deductibles, or yearly visits)
• Have an overly large copay or deductible
Secretary Azar, Surgeon General Praise Private
Sector Support for Naloxone Advisory
Following the early April release of the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Naloxone and Opioid Overdose, which recommended that opioid treatment providers prescribe or dispense naloxone to patients with elevated risk of overdose, two naloxone manufacturers (Adapt Pharma and kaleo, Inc.) announced this week that they will be partnering with the National Council on Behavioral Health to distribute 30,000 doses of donated naloxone to National Council members. [ Read more ]
New Guide on Pregnancy and Opioids Now Available
A new PDF guide, Pregnancy & Opioids from the Partnership of Drug Free Kids, provides support and information to women who are working hard in recovery while pregnant. The guide includes sections on helping the mother-to-be get to appointments, stigma, breastfeeding and newborn health.

Please share with your patients and clinicians in your practice.
News and Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PCSS Online Brochure. Please share this link with colleagues: https://goo.gl/G1ay6H
Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant nos. 5H79TI025595-03, 5U79TI026556-02 and 3U79TI026556-02S1 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.