Latest News

  • July 27, 2022 11:43 AM | Anonymous

    Gov. Evers, DHS Announce $2.5 Million in Telehealth Grants for Behavioral Health Providers
     Neighborhood access stations to help remove barriers to care

    Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) today awarded more than $2.5 million to 27 providers for community behavioral health services that will provide access to mental health and substance use treatment and recovery supports through telehealth. Grantees will use this one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to expand access to these important services by removing location and technology barriers to care. Private behavioral health telehealth stations with the tools needed for virtual appointments will be set up in central locations for people who may be struggling to access the services they need. This includes community centers, food pantries, homeless shelters, libraries, long-term care facilities, and schools.  
     
    "Every Wisconsinite should have access to quality, affordable health care they need when they need it, and that includes behavioral and mental health services,” said Gov. Evers. “These grants will help ensure more folks can meet with a provider no matter where they live, closing gaps in services and building a behavioral health system that works for everyone at a time when treatment and recovery supports for mental health and substance use are more important than ever.” 

    Read more.

  • July 24, 2022 9:48 AM | Anonymous

    It is accepted that medications for opioid use disorder save lives.

    In the midst of the ongoing opioid epidemic, exacerbated by the pandemic and inflation, many people are feeling economically pinched. Some people with opioid and other substance use disorders are struggling to maintain housing.

    When people find recovery-oriented housing, they are excited because they feel they will get the support they need.

    But it is very challenging when they then sometimes find that they are not allowed to stay at the supportive living environment if they are taking medications for their medical illness.

    The idea of taking medications for substance use disorders being equivalent to not being in recovery is flawed. If we define recovery as taking medications as prescribed, we can shift the discussion to providing an environment that will set a person up for success that is more inclusive and supportive of the idea that there is no one-size-fits-all for recovery. The Department of Health Services has recently taken steps to encourage recovery housing to allow medications for substance use disorders on site.

    Is the recovery community ready to support people who are taking medications?

    Dr. Ritu Bhatnagar, president, Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine

    Read original post here.

  • July 21, 2022 4:00 PM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Medical Society 

    The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (Lifeline), a free, confidential behavioral health and support line is now available. Anyone can utilize the Lifeline at any time by calling 988 (multiple languages available), texting a message to 988 (English only), or using the chat feature at 988lifeline.org (English only). People can connect with a trained crisis counselor to get help for themselves or a loved one experiencing a crisis, such as is thoughts of suicide, a mental health concern, substance use issue or any kind of emotional distress.

    Additional details about the Lifeline:

    • Wisconsin Lifeline counselors are trained to reduce stress, provide emotional support and connect people with local resources.
    • The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available to use at no cost to Wisconsin residents. Additional care or intervention may come with a cost.
    • Wisconsin Lifeline is not able to send an in-person response directly. An in-person response requires a transfer to another service and could involve law enforcement.
    • Calls, texts and chats with Wisconsin Lifeline are confidential between the person and counselor, unless there is imminent danger for the person or others.

    Jerry Halverson, MD, DFAPA, WisMed Board Chair and Rogers Behavioral Health Chief Medical Officer, told Fox6, "The purpose of 988 is to help you get over that crisis point, and get you someone that can help you more definitively. This is going to open up access to a lot of people who wouldn’t have taken advantage in the past. It can be a game-changer."

    The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a network of more than 200 support centers around the country. Contacts not answered by in-state partners roll over to a national backup system. The Wisconsin Lifeline has helped ensure that as many contacts as possible are answered by Wisconsin-based counselors who have the best understanding of local communities, cultures and resources. 

    Learn more about Lifeline here.

  • June 15, 2022 10:11 AM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Health News

    Fueled by a continued surge in fentanyl use, opioid-related deaths set another record in Wisconsin last year, Paul Krupski, director of opioid initiatives for the Department of Health Services said Tuesday, previewing data the department plans to release this fall.

    Nearly three-fourths of the deaths were linked to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, according to Krupski.

    “It’s clearly the driver of what we are seeing,” he said at a panel hosted by Wisconsin Health News.

    Krupski’s announcement mirrors national trends.

    A record-breaking 107,622 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, a nearly 15 percent increase from the prior year, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the reported deaths, two-thirds involved fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, up 23 percent from 2020.

    “Fentanyl is so cheap, and it’s so easily accessible and readily available,” said Rep. Jesse James, R-Altoona, chair of the Assembly Committee on Substance Abuse and Prevention.

    James, who spearheaded a new law decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, called for strengthening Good Samaritan laws.

    “Stop having our citizens that are using become criminals because they have to become criminals before they get the services offered to them,” he said. “There’s a problem there. We need to really look at that.”

    With the first payment of a more than $400 million opioid settlement set to hit the state by this fall, counties, which are receiving 70 percent of the funds, have an eye toward education.

    “Part of what will happen at the local level is we will partner with our educational facilities to try to increase awareness and education so that we don’t have the problem and play catch up when someone needs Narcan, or when we are arranging a funeral,” Wisconsin Counties Association CEO Mark O'Connell said. “We got to do it earlier.”

    Dr. Ritu Bhatnagar, president of the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine, said more needs to be done to address the systemic issues that are leading to a growing number of Wisconsinites abusing substances. She called for policies aimed at the social determinants of health to make recoveries more sustainable.

    “The education part is important,” she said. “But when the children go home, they are going back sometimes to very dysfunctional areas.”

  • June 08, 2022 12:07 PM | Anonymous

    The recent passage of Senate Bill 600 to decriminalize fentanyl test strips is to be commended.

    The only way people with substance use disorders can get to treatment is if they are alive. Fentanyl test strips work much like a home pregnancy test or rapid COVID tests. These low-cost strips provide a person deciding to use a substance immediate information about whether or not fentanyl is present. Providing fentanyl test strips to people who are at risk of overdose allows them to make informed choices about their use of any substance. With the prevalence of fentanyl in many substances (opioids, methamphetamine, “fake Adderall” and even cannabis), a single pill can kill.

    To all the people who are thinking about trying something “just to feel better for a moment,” please remember that a single pill can kill.

    Wisconsin is wise to pave the way to provide resources to help people be safe. Now we need a concerted effort to get fentanyl test strips to first responders and emergency departments.

    Read more.

  • May 26, 2022 10:08 AM | Anonymous

    Pictured below is Dr. Ritu Bhatnagar, current WISAM President, attending and speaking at the Wisconsin Recovery Alignment Day on Tuesday, May 3 at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Recovery advocates and allies from across the state joined for the second annual day. The day included recovery and legislative speakers, meetings with the state representatives and senators, and opportunities to connect with recovery advocates. Special guest was Ryan Hampton. 

     

  • May 23, 2022 2:39 PM | Anonymous

    Back in January 2022, WISAM leaders created the attached letter which was sent to all Wisconsin Sheriffs. You can preview the letter below and access the full copy for use as needed to advocate in your own communities.

    As advocates for the well-being, health and survival of our patients, the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine urges County Jails, the DOC and DHS to take concrete and expedited steps to ensure that individuals incarcerated in our state’s jails and prisons have access to the standard of medical care for opioid use disorder (OUD). This means identifying both individuals currently receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) including buprenorphine, methadone, and extended release naltrexone, and individuals who would benefit from MOUD. Steps are needed to ensure that these individuals continue to receive MOUD while incarcerated. Buprenorphine and methadone, in particular, have been associated with reductions in mortality.

    Access MOUD in Jails Letter Here

  • May 20, 2022 12:04 PM | Anonymous

    As the State Administering Agency for federal justice grant funds, the Wisconsin Department of Justice develops statewide strategies, determines funding priorities, and advises the Governor and legislature on justice policy issues.

    Read more.

  • May 17, 2022 12:11 PM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Health News

    A state regulatory board on Friday said the Legislature will have to act to legalize kratom in Wisconsin, after lawmakers asked them to look into making the change.  

    Kratom, a herbal substance with stimulant and opioid-like effects, has been illegal in Wisconsin since a 2014 law replaced the definition of synthetic drugs with a description of their chemical structures.

    A bipartisan group of 11 lawmakers wrote in a letter to the Controlled Substances Board last month that two of the chemical structures included in the law are found naturally in kratom. 

    “We believe this was done without adequate research and understanding of kratom in its natural form,” they wrote. “Therefore, we ask the board to review the research and provide guidance as to whether natural kratom merits scheduling.” 

    The lawmakers said kratom could be an alternative to prescription drugs.

    Board Chair Doug Englebert said at Friday's meeting that they heard presentations on kratom in 2015 and 2018. They opted not to take action since the Legislature scheduled the drug and they didn’t know lawmakers’ intent.

    “We didn’t feel it was appropriate for the board to undo that action without going through the legislative process,” he said. 

    The board unanimously voted to reiterate that position.

    Mac Haddow, a senior fellow on public policy at the American Kratom Association, told board members that many of the concerns around kratom have to do with mixing the substance with more dangerous drugs. 

    “We understand that kratom is controversial," he said. "Part of that is because kratom has become a popular product for adulteration."

    He noted that the substance is not illegal at the federal level and that recent research has shown that kratom is “not dangerously addictive and that it’s helping people, particularly those that are dealing with opioid addictions.” 

    Dr. Subhadeep Barman, a psychiatrist and board member, said the evidence that kratom is a viable product for the opioid use disorder is “just not there.” 

    “It’s a dangerous product,” he said. “In clinical practice, we come across kratom routinely as a problematic substance.”

     Legislation that would have legalized kratom passed the Assembly Committee on State Affairs this spring 9-2. It didn't move beyond that and faced opposition from groups representing doctors and law enforcement. 

  • April 21, 2022 11:08 AM | Anonymous

    Wisconsin Department of Health Services

    Funding Awarded to Cover Room and Board Costs for Residential Opioid Use Disorder Treatment for Medicaid Members

    $2.5 million in grants removes barrier to this level of care

    An estimated 1,100 Wisconsin Medicaid members with an opioid use disorder will have access to residential treatment this year, thanks to $2.5 million in grants from the Department of Health Services (DHS) awarded to agencies serving 54 counties and four tribes. The funding from opioid settlement dollars will be used to cover room and board costs for this benefit. Federal law prohibits Medicaid from reimbursing residential substance use disorder treatment providers for a client’s room and board expenses. Lack of funds to cover room and board costs is the primary reason Medicaid members do not enroll in this level of treatment.

    Funding for room and board expenses was included in Governor Evers’ 2021-23 biennial budget but was not approved by the legislature. These grants awarded today are funded by Wisconsin’s share of a multistate settlement with McKinsey & Company, a global consulting firm that for years fueled the opioid epidemic nationwide through its work with the manufacturers of opioid drugs. DHS is receiving $10.4 million over five years from this settlement. The funds must be invested in strategies to address Wisconsin’s opioid epidemic.

    View full news release.

Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine
563 Carter Court, Suite B,
Kimberly, WI 54136

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