Mission Statement
The mission of the Steve Rummler HOPE Network is to heighten awareness of the opioid crisis, address its impact on the physical and emotional burdens of addiction and chronic pain, and improve the associated care processes.
Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
Purchase nearly IM naloxone kits distributed across the state; from EMTs to UPS drivers, from social workers to homemakers. These demographic surveys also indicate that, on average, 30% of kit recipients have previously used a kit to reverse an overdose, revealing we are effectively getting kits into the hands of people who may be in a position to save a life
Purchase nasal Narcan kits to help accommodate speciality requests in circumstances where IM kits are not a viable option. As SUD, and OUD, has continued to have an outsized impact on communities of color in our state, one of the hardest hit populations has been East African and Somali communities. In these communities, especially with older or more recently immigrated individuals, the IM format can pose challenges due to language barriers, heightened stigma surrounding substance use and generationally-linked cultural differences in attitudes towards safe use and recovery. As such we have made efforts to maintain some quantities of nasal Narcan specifically for meeting this need.
Develop an online user portal to provide a virtual format for our overdose prevention training during ongoing restrictions on in-person gatherings. Since launching, this training tool has reached over 400 individuals! We hope to expand the content hosted on this learning platform over the coming year to include topics related to SUD, OUD, addiction and chronic pain that build upon our core curriculum of naloxone education.
Host in-person community training events across the state prior to the shut-down in March. Our Overdose Prevention Manager travelled to trainings spanning from Two Harbors to Northfield to White Earth, and reached five of the seven regional designations of the state before transitioning to a primarily virtual model for the remainder of the year.
Current Goals
The Steve Rummler Hope Network (SRHN) will enhance its successful work of overdose prevention training,
naloxone distribution and education in the state of Minnesota. SRHN will expand on community partnerships in
targeted rural areas and tribal nations. We will create encompassing educational material and resources specific
to opioid use disorder, treatment, overdose awareness, naloxone, and stigma.
One of the most significant barriers that can affect the degree to which naloxone is effectively distributed is
stigma in various forms. Attitudes toward naloxone vary widely among both health practitioners, the general
public, and among people who use or misuse opioids. While stigma is common across the country and across the
political spectrum, there is reason to believe it is more intractable and embedded in rural communities. By
building out local resources and education, communities will have an extensive list of material to offer those
who are combating opioid use disorder. Furthermore, by convening a diverse range of local agencies, care
providers and community groups we will facilitate the integration of naloxone, and SRHN’s services, into the
broader continuum of treatment.
Community or Constituency Served
Individuals and loved ones affected by the opioid crisis due to addiction and/or chronic pain.
Geographic Area Served
state of Minnesota
