CA awards $5.7 million for opioid use education, outreach in LGBTQ communities
By SDCN Editor
Sacramento, CA–As part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s $1 billion Master Plan for tackling the fentanyl and opioid crisis, California Monday awarded $5.7 million for opioid and stimulant use education and outreach in Two-Spirit/LGBTQ plus communities.
The grants will be used to increase awareness and education, for and within those communities, about opioids and stimulants, decrease stigma related to drug use and treatment, and integrate and strengthen treatment referral pathways for opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder.
“California has an all-hands-on-deck strategy for tackling the fentanyl and opioid crisis impacting every community across our state and country,” said Governor Newsom. “Education and outreach are critical tools in our arsenal – to prevent tragedy, to connect people with treatment, and to fight the life-threatening stigma that stops too many people from getting help. The best way forward is together – leaving no one alone in this battle.”
The funding opportunity awards $5.7 million to 25 entities, with a maximum of up to $250,000 per awarded entity for the 12-month contract period from July 1 through June 30, 2024.
More than 1.8 million individuals in California identify as part of the 2S/LGBTQ+ population. “2S” refers to “Two-Spirit,” which is a Native American concept referring to sexual and gender diversity. Compared to heterosexual individuals nationwide, lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults report higher rates of stimulant use and substance use disorders. In 2019, 1.4 million LGB adults, nationally, reported illicit opioid (prescription pain reliever, fentanyl, heroin, etc.) use. Some factors contributing to opioid use and stimulant use in the community include mental illness, the risk of experiencing violence, structural stigma, and discrimination.
The project is part of the Department of Health Care Services’ broader efforts to address substance use disorders as part of the California Medication Assisted Treatment Expansion Project, a holistic effort to increase access to treatment, reduce unmet treatment needs, and reduce opioid overdose-related deaths through the provision of prevention, treatment, and recovery activities. The treatment project is the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, which is effective in the treatment of opioid use disorders and can help some people sustain recovery.
“Awardees will support 2S/LGBTQ+ organizations’ outreach and education activities for opioid use and stimulant use disorders, while creating tangible links to services and treatment providers within their communities,” said Michelle Baass, director of the Department of Health Care Services. “These organizations are focused on the 2S/LGBTQ+ community, striving for health equity through culturally and linguistically appropriate prevention and education projects.”
Governor Newsom has dedicated more than $1 billion in funding to fight the opioid crisis by removing opioids from the streets, providing resources to California communities in need, and increasing education and awareness to prevent harm. In the fiscal year 2022-23, the Department of Health Care Services is investing more than $558 million in various opioid prevention and treatment grant activities. Earlier this year, Newsom announced the state would begin the process of creating its own Naloxone – through the CalRx Initiative – to make the lifesaving drug more accessible and more affordable across California.
