'We need your input': State and local groups host Mat-Su Community Café to address substance misuse, inform next plan of action

Last week, members of the Office of Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention (OSMAP), Project HOPE, and the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force gathered with families and people in various stages of recovery to a Community Cafe to discuss the current opioid and polysubstance misuse crisis and to inform next the Statewide Opioid and Polysubstance Use Action Plan.

“It’s been five years; what have we done, what is working, what are you seeing, and what do we need to change? We need your input. Some of you have life experience, some of your family members have been impacted by opioids and polysubstance misuse,” said Heidi Hedberg, Director of Public Health.

The idea behind the Community Cafes is for agencies like DHSS and OSMAP, and the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force, to reach out to communities throughout Alaska and give everyone a voice, not just the person with the loudest voice. The Café model allows for every single person at the table to have a voice to be heard

“We want to make sure we respect the cultural and geographical diversity across the state,” explained Elana Habib, OSMAP Health Speacilist.

“It’s important because the so often we miss the smartest voices because it can be hard to get that attention.”

The idea was to have each group discuss a different topic related to substance use disorder while different facilitators took notes, then move to the next table and repeat what they learned at the previous table, and each group can learn, build, and add to the process.

City of Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford was on hand to give opening remarks: “Our community has witnessed the impact of this epidemic with indicators such as homelessness, infectious disease, behavioral health issues, increase in economic cost of addiction, and loss of life.”

“The opioid crisis is not one person’s or one entity’s responsibility…it takes a considerable framework of community dedicated individuals to focus on this emergency. Therefore, my question to you as a community member is ‘what are you doing to aid in this crisis?’”

Mayor Ledford went on to challenge community members all over to get involved, to volunteer, to support to help mitigate the ongoing substance abuse crisis within Wasilla and the Borough.

The highlight of the Community Café was a series of breakout groups, made up of supporters, people in various levels of treatment, parents who have lost children to overdose, all coming together to discuss what has been working, what hasn’t, challenges the Borough faces combating opioid and polysubstance abuse, and offer ideas and input as DHSS and OSMAP put together the next Statewide Action Plan.

The Community Cafes in 2018 were instrumental in helping construct the Statewide Opioid Response Plan. Hedberg said that it was through listening to the Community Cafes that the state was able to recognize gaps and focus on the opioid crisis.

During this Community Café, “polysubstance” was the buzzword heard, and the focus of much discussion.

“We did realize through listening at Community Cafes that we often refer to opioids, but it’s much more than opioids. That’s where we started to see the term ‘polysubstance use.’ That came from direct feedback,” said Hedberg.

Polysubstance refers using more than 1drug that has been mixed with other substances, either intentionally or unintentionally.

“People are not just overdosing on opioids alone. It’s almost always opioids and something else, like fentanyl or methamphetamines, so we want to make sure we are addressing this,” said Theresa Welton, the Unit Manager of OSMAP.

The team will be traveling to other communities throughout the state over the summer, collecting feedback and suggestions that will be used in the next 5-year plan.

“Now is the time to revisit the plan because you are going to be providing input for the next 5 years,” said Hedberg.

Residents who are interested in participating in a Community Café will have another opportunity at the Anchorage Community Café at the Fairview Recreation Center, Tuesday July 26, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.