OD2A state: making a difference (MAD) in minnesota - the minnesota department of health (MDH) will reduce overdose deaths throughout the state using a data to action framework with a focus on…

OD2A state: making a difference (MAD) in minnesota - the minnesota department of health (MDH) will reduce overdose deaths throughout the state using a data to action framework with a focus on improving health equity and reducing disparities in overdoses. MDH will advance and enhance our overdose surveillance efforts. This will be done by collecting timely and comprehensive data on fatal and nonfatal overdoses. Our surveillance systems are designed for dissemination, with data that will be used to inform our drug overdose prevention activities. MDH will expand prevention activities focused on improving linkage to care supported by culturally responsive and trauma informed navigator services that empower people who use drugs to access the care they want. Partnering with healthcare systems will reduce stigma towards people who use drugs through provider education and improvements in healthcare system workflows. MDH is committed to integrating a harm reduction approach in all prevention activities. Through these surveillance and prevention efforts, minnesota will achieve the following long-term outcomes: - decreased fatal drug overdoses overall; - decreased nonfatal drug overdoses overall; reduce nonfatal, fatal overdoses, and harms associated with substance use; - decreased illicit opioid and stimulant use, including CO-use with other substances, OUD, and stud; - increased uptake of evidence-based treatment and retention with long-term recovery supports, with a primary focus on OUD and stud; - improved health equity among groups disproportionately affected by the overdose epidemic and those previously underserved by overdose prevention programs and the healthcare system; and - decreased stigma related to substance use and overdose. To achieve these outcomes, MDH will implement interventions with the following shared goals across proposed surveillance and prevention activities to create synergy across our efforts, between partners, and to address prevention at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. To accomplish these outcomes, MDH will incorporate navigator roles into all prevention strategies and will prioritize empowering people with lived experience, community-based organizations, and people who use drugs to lead the development and implementation of harm reduction informed culturally responsive programming across sectors.