Mental Health and Substance Use Initiatives

The Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force seeks to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic that continues to take a large toll on the Genesee County community.

In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic, the Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force developed a community-wide strategy to show the importance of cross-sector collaboration in regard to sustainable and tangible outcomes. The Community Wide Strategy involves collaboration between multiple sectors including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, behavioral health, recovery, and social determinants of health. This is a collaborative, multi-sector effort to build and strengthen current workforce capacity, utilize upstream prevention strategies, and create an innovative, integrated system to improve access to treatment for and prevention of the misuse of opioids and other substances.

Since the implementation of the Community Wide Strategy, we have been able to serve Genesee County through the following projects and programs:

• Genesee County Quick Response Team
• Reach, Inspire, Serve, Empower (R.I.S.E.) Jail-Based Initiative
• Know More Genesee Substance Use Prevention Education Program
• Layperson Narcan Administration Training
• County-wide Narcan Distribution Programs
• Harm Reduction Advocacy and Distribution
• Faith-based Programs

The opioid epidemic is a national public health crisis and it does not discriminate against the individuals or communities it affects. Genesee County ranks third in the state for its number of opioid overdose deaths, making the work of the Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force all the more necessary. The Task Force will continue to expand its existing efforts and partnerships to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of programs to help mitigate the effects of the opioid epidemic.