health, extension: advocacy, research, & teaching

HEARTHealth, Extension: Advocacy, Research, & TeachingAnnual Report 2019-2020

EXTENSION.USU.EDU/HEART

CONTENTS12346918333739454850515254575960646567

Authors and Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Faculty and Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Letter from the Associate Vice President of USU Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Letter from the Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

About HEART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Needs Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HEART Comprehensive Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Other Community Training and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Coalitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The HEART Beat Newsletter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HEART Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HEART Fact Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HEART’s Response to COVID-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Collaborations and Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Abstracts and Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

State, Regional, and National HEART Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HEART Team and Individual Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contracts and Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Special Thanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies: Executive Director of the Office of Equity, Alison Adams-Perlac, [email protected], Title IX Coordinator, Hilary Renshaw, [email protected], Old Main Rm. 161, 435-797-1266. For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit equity.usu.edu,or contact: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, [email protected] or U.S. Department of Education, Denver Regional Office, 303-844-5695 [email protected]. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kenneth L. White, Vice President for Extension and Agriculture, Utah State University.

HEART Annual Report 2019-2020 1

Authors and EditorsAshley YaugherCarbon & Emery CountiesHEART Coordinator & Team Lead

Maren Wright VossTooele & Utah Counties

Tim KeadyBox Elder & Cache Counties

Kandice AtisméDavis & Weber Counties

Gabriela Murza Utah County

Mateja Savoie-RoskosHEART Evaluator

Hailey JuddHealth & Wellness Coordinator

Katie Tams Staff Assistant

Olivia YeipUSU Extension Graphic Designer

Julene ReeseUSU Extension Public Relations Specialist

Andrea SnarrDonna FalkenborgUSU Extension Editors

2 HEART Annual Report 2019-2020

Faculty and Contact Information

Ashley Yaugher, PhDHEART FacultyTeam Lead Carbon & Emery Counties

(435) 636-3276

[email protected]

Gabriela Murza, MSHEART FacultyUtah County

(385) 268-6543

[email protected]

Maren Wright Voss,ScDHEART FacultyTooele & Utah Counties

(385) 468-4841

[email protected]

Mateja Savoie-Roskos,Ph.D., MPH, RDHEART EvaluatorStatewide

(435) 797-5777

[email protected]

Tim Keady,MS, CHESHEART FacultyBox Elder & Cache Counties

(435) 752-6263

[email protected]

Katie Tams Staff Assistant(435) 919-1327

[email protected]

Kandice Atismé, MHA, MPH, CPHHEART FacultyDavis & Weber Counties

(801) 203-4880

[email protected]

Visit our Directory for additional information: extension.usu.edu/heart/directory.

A special thank you to former HEART contributors influential during 2019-2020. Salt Lake County faculty Reshma Arrington and staff assistants Jodie Kempton and Meredith Meppen.

https://extension.usu.edu/heart/directory

https://extension.usu.edu/heart/directory


Letter from the Associate Vice President of USU Extension

Greetings,

The Utah State University Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching Initiative (HEART) team completed its second year of a cutting-edge, 4-year pilot program aligned with National Cooperative Extension’s focus on health and wellness. The program, which is based on four focus areas — prevention and education, stigma reduction, harm reduction, and strengthening community ties — has proven successful in addressing the current opioid crisis and other pressing public health issues in our state.

Over the last year, the HEART team has conducted several successful programs and events aimed at providing information and resources pertaining to the current opioid epidemic. These programs include the free community workshop series Living Well with Chronic Pain, the Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition, and collaboratively planning a 3-day Rural Opioid Health and Wellness Summit. In addition, HEART team members implemented 10 different wellness programs, authored four journal articles, produced seven peer-reviewed Extension fact sheets, and collectively received over $5 million in state, federal, and internal funding for programming in the past year.

As you browse through the attached 2019–2020 report, you will learn about the HEART Initiative and how we are providing incredible resources to promote health and healing. Additionally, you will find information about a new pillar coming soon to HEART’s strategic programming: resilience building.

At Utah State University our mission of building knowledge and improving lives is paramount as is serving the state with identified needs such as opioid harm reduction. We are proud of the impacts the HEART team is having in Utah communities and excited about the future and continuing these life-saving efforts.

Best,

Kenneth L. White, Ph.D.Vice President & Dean of USU Extension, and College of Agriculture & Applied SciencesDirector, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station (UAES)

Office of the Vice President

4900 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322-4900 Ph: (435) 797-2201 www.extension.usu.edu Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.

Greetings, The Utah State University Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching Initiative (HEART) team has completed its second year of a cutting-edge, 4-year pilot program aligned with National Cooperative Extension’s focus on health and wellness. The program, which is based on four focus areas — prevention and education, stigma reduction, harm reduction, and strengthening community ties — has proven to be successful in addressing the current opioid crisis and other pressing public health issues in our state. Over the last year, the HEART team has conducted several successful programs and events aimed at providing information and resources pertaining to the current opioid epidemic. These programs include the free community workshop series Living Well with Chronic Pain, The Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition, and collaboratively planning a 3-day Rural Opioid Health and Wellness Summit. In addition, HEART team members implemented 10 different wellness programs, authored four journal articles, produced seven peer-reviewed Extension factsheets, and collectively received over $5 million in state, federal, and internal funding for programming in the past year. As you browse through the attached 2019–2020 report, you will learn about the HEART Initiative and how we are providing incredible resources to promote health and healing. Additionally, you will find information about a new pillar coming soon to HEART’s strategic programming: Resilience building. At Utah State University our mission of building knowledge and improving lives is paramount as is serving the state with identified needs such as opioid harm reduction. We are proud of the impacts the HEART team is having in Utah communities and excited about the future and continuing these life-saving efforts. Best,

Kenneth L. White, Ph.D. Vice President & Dean of USU Extension, and College of Agriculture & Applied Sciences. Director, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station (UAES)


Letter from the CoordinatorDear Friends,

Thank you for your constant support in making the second year of the Utah State University Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching Initiative, also known as the HEART Initiative, a continued success. Our second year spanned from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. The second year of this diverse, multidisciplinary team built upon and continued previous efforts to promote the health and wellness of Utahns. Particularly, efforts focused on addressing the current public health opioid and mental health crises in nine counties and throughout the state, using a community-guided, comprehensive approach. The team has done an amazing job creating impacts in our four identified areas of need: (1) prevention and education, (2) stigma reduction, (3) strengthening community ties, and (4) harm reduction. We have also continued to evolve our programming and next year we will combine the Harm Reduction and Stigma Reduction pillars to make room for a new fourth pillar: Resilience Building. With new faculty expertise and growing needs in this area, we are eager to provide this needed information.

This report provides an overview of selected HEART programming and provides our readers with a comprehensive overview of the HEART Initiative purpose, targeted areas, and this year’s outcomes and impacts. Some of the highlights from this year include:

16 Newspaper

Article Features

3 Short Courses

Developed

$379,764State Funding

Acquired

10 Programs

Implemented

26 Conferences

Attended

$3,128,451Federal Funding Acquired

4 Extension

Fact Sheets Produced

13Individuals Provided Experience/

Employment/Mentorship Through HEART (e.g., Interns,

Coordinators, etc.)

51 Coalitions

Participated In

3 Website

and 6 Radio Ad Features

42 Trainings Received

$79,200 Internal/Extension Funding Acquired

4 Journal Articles

Authored

11 Peer Reviews Completed

456 Individuals

Trained on Narcan Education

51 One-time

Educational Events

Participated in

27 Conferences and Events Planned or Implemented

429 Narcan Kits Distributed

14 Other

Publications Authored

(Newspaper Articles, Brief

Articles)

31 Conference

or Other Professional

Presentations


The HEART Initiative is a key asset in addressing local health and wellness needs throughout Utah. Our focus on public health crises and the opioid epidemic has helped citizens across the state, including both rural and urban counties, that have been hit hard by these crises. HEART has strengthened community ties, and provided education, community programming, and much more during this year. We thank you for being a part of our efforts and for your collaboration. We look forward to continuing to serve the health and wellness needs of the state with a focus on continuing to reduce the opioid and mental health crises we are facing. We also look forward to continued collaborative efforts across the state and to bringing additional programming, funding, and support to our communities in the coming years.

Sincerely,

Ashley Yaugher, Ph.D.Professional Practice Extension Assistant Professor of Health & WellnessHealth Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (HEART) Initiative Program Coordinator and Team Lead

Ashley Yaugher


About HEART

What is HEART? The Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (HEART) Initiative is partnering locally and nationally to address the opioid epidemic and other pressing public health issues. A team of five health and wellness faculty are housed in nine counties throughout the state of Utah where Opioid Use Disorder has had some of the most devastating effects. HEART seeks to coordinate on-the-ground efforts that advance evidence-based information, community-based solutions, and multi-sector partnerships.

In July 2018, Utah State University Extension implemented a cutting-edge, 4-year pilot program aligned with National Cooperative Extension’s recently instituted essential focus area in health and wellness. HEART serves as a model of how Extension can join community partners to better address the health and wellness needs in our state.

What does HEART do? HEART brings unique academic resources into the community, partnering locally and nationally to address the opioid epidemic and other pressing public health issues. Additionally, HEART focuses on general health and wellness topics, including suicide prevention, substance use prevention, exercise and physical health education, mental and emotional health education, and other topics depending on identified local needs.

Where is HEART located? HEART serves all of Utah and is located in nine Utah counties where Opioid Use Disorders have had some of the most devastating effects: Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Davis, Emery, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah, and Weber counties.

Why an opioid focus and why were these nine counties selected? The opioid epidemic has created a national crisis. Carbon and Emery Counties have the highest rates of opioid overdose in Utah. Tooele, Weber, and Salt Lake counties have rates higher than the state and national rates. Utah, Box Elder, and Davis counties have rates higher than the national average.


What are HEART’s objectives?HEART is partnering with health departments, research experts, community coalitions, and other key stakeholders to coordinate on-the-ground efforts. A strategic plan identifying four main categories advances evidence-based information, community-based solutions, and multi-sector partnerships.

• Supporting evidence-based youth mentorship in partnership with 4-H. • Supporting education in schools in partnership with evidence-based programming.• Collaborating on suicide prevention and education.

• Collecting storytelling and narratives from persons in recovery, individuals actively using substances, and family members to share and spread awareness in hopes it can teach the public.

• Providing education to individuals, groups, the public, and key stakeholders.• Establishing mental health parity.

• Connecting, establishing, and supporting coalition partnerships. • Service mapping to address gaps in service provision and fostering community accessibility. • Engaging key stakeholders and community collaborators to ensure the community voice guides all HEART outputs and

projects.

• Supporting suicide prevention, education, and coping related to opioid and substance use. • Providing evidence-based programming in collaboration with other Extension professionals and key stakeholders. • Providing education, information, and harm reduction skills to communities (e.g., supporting naloxone use and

awareness, etc.).

Stigma Reduction

Preventionand Education

Strengthening Community Ties

Harm Reduction


Coming Soon• In addition to reducing stigma and harm, strengthening community ties, and prevention and education efforts, there is

a great need to help individuals build emotional and physical resilience. Thus, during a team meeting in late February 2020, HEART faculty discussed, reviewed, and adjusted our pillars by combining stigma and harm reduction into one pillar and adding resilience building as its own pillar. This was partly a result of adding a new faculty member and focusing on the skills and strengths she brings to the HEART initiative. To promote resilience building, HEART will continue to focus on partnerships to build emotional and physical resilience through strength-based programming, engendering a greater capacity to deal with struggles as well as promoting and strengthening resilience through evidence-based practice.

• Our 2018 HEART listening session showed an underlying need from the community for each of the pillars we include in our programming, ensuring community input in our efforts across the state. The need exists for additional efforts to support education, prevention, resilience building, harm reduction, stigma reduction, and strengthening community ties in our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic in Utah (HEART, 2018).

Resilience Building


Needs AssessmentHEART has continued to work in the nine previously identified counties in Utah that are continue to be disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic, and thus, have the greatest need for opioid prevention programming. To identify the needs and gaps, HEART faculty conducted needs assessments for each of these counties. An overview of each assessment is presented below. Opioid-related statistics are first presented for the state of Utah, then broken down by county where relevant county statistics identify critical needs for resources and programming.

Utah

Wasatch

Box Elder

Tooele

SaltLake

Davis

Weber

Cache

Rich

Morgan

Summit Daggett

UintahDuchesne

Carbon

GrandEmery

San Juan

Wayne

Garfield

KaneWashington

Iron

Piute

Sevier

Sanpete

Juab

Millard

Beaver

State of UtahUtah's rate of opioid overdose is consistently higher than the national rate. Over 60% of opioid deaths are due to prescription opioids rather than illicit substances. The detrimental impacts of the opioid epidemic require prioritizing and directing resources to address the problem in each community. The following data describe how the opioid epidemic has impacted the state of Utah.


In a report on opioid overdose hot spots in the state of Utah, the Department of Health reported that numerous small areas located within HEART counties were hot spots experiencing opioid overdoses at a rate significantly higher than the state and nation between 2014-2016 (UDOH, 2019). Each of the seven small areas highlighted in the chart below are located in three of the HEART counties (Carbon/Emery County, Weber County (downtown Ogden and Riverdale), and Salt Lake County (Glendale, Rose Park, Magna, and South Salt Lake).

49.1Carbon

Tooele

Box Elder

Weber

Salt Lake

Utah

Davis

Cache

0 3010 4020 50 60

18.1

17.7

12.5

25.3

18

15.2

8.4

HEART County Prescription Opioid Overdose Rates per 100,000 Population Ages 15+, 2014-2018

CDC Wonder (2020, July 11). Opioid Overdose Data

National Rate 12.3 per 100,000 populationState Rate 17.7 per 100,000 population

12.6Cache

South Salt Lake

Davis

Riverdale

Utah

Magna

Salt Lake

SLC (Rose Park)

Box Elder

SLC (Greendale)

Tooele

Ogden (downtown)

Weber

Carbon/Emery County

Carbon

0

0

30

30

10

10

40

40

20

20

50

50

60

60

19.8

27.9

21.2

30

24.5

39.1

15.6

27.8

21.1

29

23.7

33.9

55.6

47.7

HEART County and Opioid Overdose Ratesper 100,000 Population Ages 15+, 2014-2018

Highest Unintentional/Undetermined Opioid Overdose Ratesper 100,000 Population Ages 18+, by Utah Small Area, 2014-2018

CDC Wonder (2020, July 11). Opioid Overdose Data

UDOH (2020). Opioid Overdose Data by Utah Small Area

National Rate 15.8 per 100,000 population

National Rate 10.76 per 100,000 population

State Rate 20.2 per 100,000 population

State Rate 17.4 per 100,000 population


HEART’s work and purpose is guided by the needs of the communities served. In the first listening session conducted by HEART faculty (HEART, 2018) where communities voiced their concerns and needs in regards to the Utah opioid epidemic, the following resource needs were identified:

• Inclusive programming

• Resources need to reach the diverse types of individuals who are affected by the opioid epidemic (i.e., reach people who actively use drugs and their family members and include youth in programming efforts).

• Coordinated and appropriate approaches to programming

• Concerns exist of duplicate efforts throughout communities, revealing a need to focus on collaboration to identify and address gaps and needs within communities.

• Finding resources

• If resources are offered, they are difficult to navigate and find.

Box Elder and Cache CountiesBox Elder County borders Cache County in urban northern Utah but also contains rural communities. Box Elder County, while being affected by the opioid epidemic, is also disproportionately affected by the mental health crisis. Almost 25% of county residents report experiencing poor mental health, contributing to the elevated suicide rate of 30.1 per 100,000 population (UDOH, 2019a).

Bolded numbers are numbers higher than the state/national average. Data for opioid overdose rates from USDA (n.d.), for demographic statistics from U.S. Census Bureau (2019), and for unemployment rate from U.S. Bureau of Statistics (2020).aUnemployment rate as of May 2020.


Opioid Overdose

RatePopulation

High School Graduation

Rate

Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment

Median Household

Income

Unemploy-ment Ratea Poverty Rate

Box Elder 23.6 56,046 93.2% 23.3% $59,937 10.3% 7.3%

Utah 23.0 3,205,958 92.0% 33.3% $68,374 8.5% 9.0%

United States 18.3 328,239,523 87.7% 31.5% $60,293 13.3% 11.8%

Opioid Overdose

RatePopulation


Rate

Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment

Median Household

Income


Cache 13.8 128,289 93.1% 37.8% $56,840 4.8% 12.9%

Utah 23.0 3,205,958 92.0% 33.3% $68,374 8.5% 9.0%

United States 18.3 328,239,523 87.7% 31.5% $60,293 13.3% 11.8%

Cache County is located on the northern edge of Utah and is considered an urban center with some rural communities. Similar to Box Elder County, Cache County residents also report experiencing poor mental health and high levels of suicidality. Many county residents live in poverty, with 14% of county residents lacking adequate access to food.


In order to effectively address the unique and diverse needs of this region, the following resources were identified:

• Increase housing for community members in treatment and provide naloxone kits for substance use disorder.

• Continue education about opioid prevention efforts, alternative pain management resources, and treatment resources to decrease the associated stigma of substance use disorder.

• Address prevention, resources, treatment (pre and post), and stigma reduction in work with adult and adolescent mental health and suicide.

Carbon and Emery CountiesCarbon and Emery Counties lead the state in opioid overdose deaths. They are located in rural southeast Utah and are significantly underserved areas (USDA). Both Carbon and Emery Counties residents are living in poverty. Given the high poverty and rural index rates in these counties, food insecurity is also an issue in these communities with approximately 14 to 15 percent of people not having reliable access to food (Gundersen, Satoh, Dewey, Kato & Engelhard, 2015). Additionally, disability status is higher in Carbon (14.6%) and Emery (15.3%) for individuals aged 18 to 64 years than the state (8.5%) and national (12.5%) rate, indicating increased mobility issues and mental health difficulties (USDA, 2018).


Opioid Overdose

RatePopulation


Rate

Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment

Median Household

Income


Carbon 62.2 20,463 90.8% 16.4% $50,278 7.2% 14.4%

Emery 46.0 10,012 93.9% 14.7% $52,055 6.0% 12.5%

Utah 23.0 3,205,958 92.0% 33.3% $68,374 8.5% 9.0%

United States 18.3 328,239,523 87.7% 31.5% $60,293 13.3% 11.8%

In order to assist the community in its fight against the opioid epidemic, the following resource needs were identified by community stakeholders:

• Continue education about opioids, prevention efforts, and alternative pain management techniques.

• Reduce barriers (stigma related to substance use disorder) to implementing harm reducing services (e.g., naloxone, syringe exchange services, etc.)

• Lack of varied treatment options, inpatient options, transitional housing, or detox facilities (nearest city with resources approximately 60 miles away).


Davis CountyDavis County is located along the Wasatch Front region of northern Utah. It is considered a suburban community and is the smallest county in the state by size, of which only 35% is useable land. The Great Salt Lake is to the west of the county. Weber County is located against its northern border, Salt Lake County along the south, and the Wasatch Mountain Range runs along the eastern border. The county has the third largest population in the state and 33% of county residents are under the age of 18. It is the eighth highest ranking Local Health District and 12th highest ranking county in the state of Utah for opioid overdoses (Utah Department of Health, 2018).

Data for opioid overdose rates from USDA (n.d.), for demographic statistics from U.S. Census Bureau (2019), and for unemployment rate from U.S. Bureau of Statistics (2020).aUnemployment rate as of May 2020.


Opioid Overdose

RatePopulation


Rate

Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment

Median Household

Income


Davis 18.2 355,481 95.5% 37.5% $79,690 7.1% 5.7%

Utah 23.0 3,205,958 92.0% 33.3% $68,374 8.5% 9.0%

United States 18.3 328,239,523 87.7% 31.5% $60,293 13.3% 11.8%

Opioid Overdose

RatePopulation


Rate

Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment

Median Household

Income


Salt Lake 24.0 1,160,437 90.4% 34.5% $71,230 9.4% 9.0%

Utah 23.0 3,205,958 92.0% 33.3% $68,374 8.5% 9.0%

United States 18.3 328,239,523 87.7% 31.5% $60,293 13.3% 11.8%

Meetings and interviews with community stakeholders identified resource needs to assist the community in its fight against the opioid epidemic. Some of these needs included:

• Address the stigma surrounding harm reduction strategies, especially naloxone, to increase their use and availability. There is an insufficient number of trained persons to provide naloxone training as well as free kits to distribute.

• Provide accessible resource guide for first responders and family members.

• Address need for coordinated and unified substance abuse resources to eliminate duplicated or unknown efforts.

Salt Lake CountySalt Lake County is located in north-central Utah. The county borders the Great Salt Lake and the Rocky Mountains with Utah County to the south, Tooele County to the west, and Davis County to the north. The state capital is located within Salt Lake County. The estimated population is 1,160,437, making it the most populous county in the state.


The critical needs identified for the county to address the challenges caused by the opioid epidemic centered around staffing needs and resources for pain management as follows:

• Increase numbers of substance use disorder (SUD) professionals, including paraprofessionals who can be integrated into substance use disorder care teams.

• Expand service availability of pain education and management resources in non-clinical domains for substance misuse prevention.

Tooele CountyTooele County is located in western Utah on Nevada’s east border, with the Great Salt Lake to the northeast, and the Salt Lake Valley to the east. Tooele County is primarily rural with 32.6% of the population under the age of 18. Despite comprehensive community prevention efforts, Tooele County rose from the fourth hardest hit by opioid overdose deaths in 2016 to the second worst among Utah counties by 2017 at 27 deaths per 100,000 compared to the state’s average of 23 deaths. Opioid-related emergency department visits have an incidence of 83.5 per 100,000 population, well over the statewide rate of 62.1 per 100,000 population.


Opioid Overdose

RatePopulation


Rate

Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment

Median Household

Income


Tooele 27.1 72,259 91.0% 23.0% $71,020 9.0% 6.8%

Utah 23.0 3,205,958 92.0% 33.3% $68,374 8.5% 9.0%

United States 18.3 328,239,523 87.7% 31.5% $60,293 13.3% 11.8%

In order to address the crisis in Tooele County, the following needs were identified:

• Address immediate need to increase the number of prevention professionals working in the Tooele Local Substance Abuse Authority (LSAA) area, particularly outside of Tooele City and a need for coalition building outside of Tooele City with outreach to the Skull Valley Indian Reservation and Dugway.

• Provide stigma reduction and community education regarding harm reduction best practices and supply additional educational and training opportunities to individuals, groups, the public, and key stakeholders.

Utah CountyUtah County is located in the north-central part of the state, sharing borders with Salt Lake, Wasatch, Tooele, Juab, Sanpete, Carbon, and Duchesne counties (Utah State Government, 2020). At 2,003 square miles, it is larger than Salt Lake, Wasatch, Sanpete, and Carbon counties, and far exceeds the population density of its neighbors, with the exception of Salt Lake County (U.S. Census, 2010). The county is urban with an estimated population of 636,235, making it one of the state’s and nation’s fastest growing populations by county (U.S. Census, 2010).




Opioid Overdose

RatePopulation


Rate

Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment

Median Household

Income


Utah 22.4 636,235 94.2% 40.1% $70,408 6.2% 9.4%

Utah 23.0 3,205,958 92.0% 33.3% $68,374 8.5% 9.0%

United States 18.3 328,239,523 87.7% 31.5% $60,293 13.3% 11.8%

Opioid Overdose

RatePopulation


Rate

Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment

Median Household

Income


Weber 28.0 260,213 90.3% 23.8% $64,636 8.6% 9.4%

Utah 23.0 3,205,958 92.0% 33.3% $68,374 8.5% 9.0%

United States 18.3 328,239,523 87.7% 31.5% $60,293 13.3% 11.8%

In order to effectively address the opioid epidemic in Utah County. the following needs were identified:

• Expand education classes on chronic pain management and injury prevention to underserved groups in the community.

• Provide programs to reduce stigma surrounding those with substance use disorder and its treatment.

• Promote resilience-building education within the community to build strength, self-confidence, and positive habits.

Weber County Weber County is located in northern Utah bordering Davis County on the southern edge, Box Elder, Cache, and Rich counties to the north, the Great Salt Lake to the west, and Morgan County to the east. Weber County is considered an urban center with some rural communities (11% of the population residing in rural areas) and is the second smallest county in the state by size. Ogden City, housing 35.8% of residents, has the highest population in Weber County, making it the highest population-dense city in the state.

Meetings and interviews with community stakeholders identified resource needs to assist the community in its fight against the opioid epidemic. Some of these needs included:

• Address the insufficient access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and the lack of naloxone availability and funding for distribution.

• Increase community education and understanding about opioids and prevention efforts while also reducing stigma toward those with substance use disorder (SUD).

• Provide coordinated and unified substance abuse resources to eliminate duplicated or unknown efforts.


The opioid epidemic is identified as a crisis of unaddressed suffering (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2018). Many Utahns live with acute and chronic pain. Opioids are used in the treatment or management of pain and its symptoms. Certain occupations can increase the probability of injury where treatment, such as opioid, may be needed. Accident-prone jobs, increasing rates of injury, are higher than state and national rates in all nine HEART counties for at least one of the four categories listed by the USDA (see table below).

Construction Mining & Natural Resources Manufacturing Trade, Transportation,

& Utilities

Box Elder 7.3% 2.1% 28.3% 19.7%

Cache 4.7% 0.9% 21.0% 15.6%

Carbon 4.7% 8.2% 3.9% 22.1%

Davis 7.9% 0.4% 10.0% 18.0%

Emery 11.3% 9.1% 0.6% 29.2%

Salt Lake 5.4% 0.4% 8.1% 20.3%

Tooele 5.3% 1.2% 10.1% 21.2%

Utah 9.4% 0.6% 8.3% 18.0%

Weber 5.9% 0.5% 13.7% 17.6%

Utah (State) 6.6% 1.1% 9.1% 19.4%

United States 4.6% 1.4% 8.8% 19.1%

Injury-Prone Employment by County, 2012-2018

Bold indicates numbers higher than the state or national average. Data from USDA (n.d.).


Treatment for substance and opioid use disorder is very effective. However, due to various factors such as stigma and a lack of knowledge, there is an overall shortage of resources available to those in need. In their 2017 Utah Opioid Crisis Consequences and Resource Assessment report, the Utah Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) assessed and reported on the available opioid resources in each county across the state. The table below presents their findings, followed by the category definitions.

Opioid Treatment Providers

Buprenorphine Treatment

Practitioners

Licensed Treatment Providers

Recovery Homes/Residences Coalitions

Davis 2 16 25 2 2

Weber 1 10 21 1 4

Carbon & Emery 0 2 2 0 1

Cache 0 3 6 0 2

Box Elder 0 0 1 0 1

Tooele 0 3 6 0 3

Utah 3 24 50 14 3

Salt Lake 6 81 149 35 5

Opioid Resources per County, 2017

• Opioid Treatment Providers - Provide medication-assisted treatment for those with an opioid use disorder.

• Buprenorphine Treatment Practitioners - Physicians authorized to treat opioid dependency with buprenorphine.

• Licensed Treatment Providers - Public and private organizations licensed to provide some level of substance use disorder treatment including day, outpatient, residential, and recovery support (can serve youth and/or adults).

• Recovery Homes/Residence - Locations that provide non-clinical sober living for people in recovery.

• Coalitions - Groups made up of organizations and individuals that coordinate to prevent substance use disorders and to improve their community’s health. While not all of these coalitions are currently focused on reducing opioid use and dependence, their presence signals potential capacity for mobilizing community efforts to address the issue down the road (Utah Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, 2017).

Data from DSAMP (2017)


HEART Comprehensive Programming

HEART provides a wide variety of programs to address opioid use across the state of Utah. The programs listed represent a few of the key programs HEART implemented over the past year.

Informing the National Narrative: Stories of Utah’s Opioid Crisis - Statewide Informing the National Narrative: Stories of Utah’s Opioid Crisis (Opioid Stories) project is spearheaded by the HEART team in collaboration with Utah Humanities, USU Library, and community partners. The purpose of Opioid Stories is to increase empathy in our communities through sharing personal experiences from community members--affirming attitudes of recovery, empowering self-determination, and reducing stigma to promote healing and health. Thirty-four total interviews were conducted in the course of this project across nine counties: Box Elder County (2), Cache County (8), Carbon County (5), Davis County (4), Emery County (2), Salt Lake County (2), Tooele County (5), Utah County (4), and Weber County (2). Thirty of these interviews are now part of the Opioid Stories digital collection accessible online through the Utah State University Digital History Collection at https://digital.lib.usu.edu/digital/collection/p16944coll134.  

Beginning in July 2020, Community Conversation events will be held in each of the HEART counties to discuss, connect, and reflect on the opioid epidemic, its impacts, and stigma in our communities. These virtual conversations are free and open to the public.  

Substance Use Disorder (SUD)/Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in Cache CountyIn Cache County with the help of our SUD treatment centers, collecting storytelling and narratives from persons in recovery, active users, and family members was very successful.

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Image from Leap With HOPE Suicide Prevention Festival in February 2020; pictured are Carbon County 4-H Coordinator DeLayna Barr along with HEART faculty member Ashley Yaugher.

https://digital.lib.usu.edu/digital/collection/p16944coll134


Many volunteered to share and spread stigma awareness with their own stories to teach the public that people with SUD or OUD are not “addicts or bad people,” but are people in our community with a medical condition that need treatment. Alcohol, opioids, meth, fentanyl, and other drugs are killing our fellow community members. Naloxone, with education and training (including Narcan®), and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and mental health awareness (e.g., suicide prevention) and education are examples of harm reduction tools that work for reducing opioid deaths, drug addiction, and suicide. Reducing the bias and stigma of using these lifesaving interventions continues to drive our programs.

Stigma Reduction Curriculum in Carbon, Emery, and Weber CountiesIn April 2020, HEART Initiative faculty Ashley Yaugher and Kandice Atismé, in collaboration with faculty from the USU Department of Psychology, were awarded over $250,000 by the Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) grant. The project focuses on creating an evidence-based curriculum to reduce the stigma against opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in three opioid overdose hot spots (Carbon County, Emery County, and downtown Ogden). The Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition and Ogden Civic Action Network (Ogden CAN) are key collaborators and will provide significant support for these community efforts.

The stigma reduction curriculum will be presented at eight free community events throughout these identified hot spot communities. Through continued collaboration with local coalitions and agencies in these areas, HEART will reach those experiencing OUD, family, friends, and community members. This program will be conducted from April 2020 through September 2022.

These events are aimed at reducing the stigma of the community attendees. Community members will gain knowledge, understanding, and resources in their local area to share, which will contribute to reducing the overall social stigma in these key areas and improve treatment access. This will lead to an improved social climate which is supportive of people with OUD seeking help, increase knowledge of local resources, and improve the social safety net for everyone in these communities. The project will also evaluate the effectiveness of the stigma-reducing curriculum it creates. This will ensure the information provided is impactful, is communicated effectively, and that HEART continues to provide valuable information to the communities we serve.

Currently, the OD2A grant team has hired three part-time staff members, completed a review of the literature, and are developing an evidence-based, stigma-reducing curriculum for community members through a collaborative approach. By drawing on proven intervention and evaluation methods, the curriculum will contribute to reducing stigma in these hot spots surrounding opioid use disorder treatment specifically and mental illness treatment more generally. HEART is eager to continue to develop and provide this information to our communities, and we look forward to the many impacts to come related to this project!

Stigma-Reducing Curriculum

Resource Location Awareness

Carbon County

Reduced Stigma

Emery County

Prevention and Treatment Awareness

Downtown Ogden

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• Introduction to HEART and Harm Reduction

• Budgeting/Finances

• COVID-19 Health – Mental, Physical, Emotional, Spiritual

• CPR – Hands Only and Managing Injuries

• Exercise and SUDs

• Food Sense – 4-Week and 6-Week Series (depending on group)

• General Discussion of SUDs and Addictions

• Harm Reduction and SUDs

• Hands-on Landscaping Tips

• MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)

• Myths of SUDs

• Nutrition and SUDs

• Opioid and Treatment Education

• Planting – Microgreens and Other Small Plants

• Relationships

• Resilience

• Self Esteem

• Sleep Hygiene and SUDs

• Starting a Business – Division of Workforce Services

• Stigma and Bias – Recognition of Societal and Personal Language

• Stress Management

• Super-Smart Goal Creation

• Workforce Services – Resources for Patients and for Patients with History of Incarceration

Naloxone Trainings

Weber County HEART faculty provided five naloxone trainings in the community in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Held at the Weber County Library system, YCC, and Lantern House, 230 people participated in these naloxone trainings. Naloxone is a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication that anyone in Utah can obtain and be trained to help save a life. 

Cache Valley Recovery Harm Reduction Group The benefits of our Harm Reduction Group program were featured when the owner of a local SUD treatment facility excitedly contacted Cache and Box Elder County HEART team faculty member, Tim Keady, after hours. He informed us that their State of Utah Division of Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health certification review went very well. The facility’s clinical review had impressed the evaluator, who highlighted and positively congratulated the owner for utilizing a weekly Harm Reduction Group and naloxone education and training by USU Extension.

The treatment center’s owner expressed his sincere gratitude to the USU Extension faculty member for showing continual commitment to their clients. Providing the weekly Harm Reduction Group curriculum to his clients has been an amazing experience for their clients and staff. And, he reported that when he informed the evaluator that our naloxone education and training saved the lives of a number of their clients' family and friends, the evaluator was speechless. This unexpected phone call with great news was a very welcome experience for our team.

Group Classes 2020 | Narcan Training – Hands-on, Weekly as Needed (Currently Online)

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Recovery Day 2019 in Price, UT; pictured is Health & Wellness Intern Justin Sacco and HEART faculty member Ashley Yaugher.


Cache and Box Elder Counties Coalition partnerships continue to be strengthened with additional inclusion of organizations who are interested in collaborating with the HEART Initiative. After approximately 2 years, many people across the state are aware of the evidence-based research and experience we bring to their communities. The Bear River Heath Department, Northern Utah Substance Abuse Prevention Team (NUSAPT), Parents Empowered, Box Elder Safe Communities Coalition, Box Elder Suicide Coalition, Workforce Services, Cache Council, Intermountain Healthcare (IHC), and Northern Box Elder Suicide Coalition are examples of the local groups interested in building a healthier community with the HEART Initiative.

In Cache and Box Elder Counties, subject areas of collaboration include substance abuse prevention, suicide prevention, harm reduction programming, adult and youth mental health awareness, physical health and wellness, employment assistance, family education, school prevention programming, and naloxone education and training. With the assistance of our community partners, town assessment led to identifying the areas of greatest concern. These include: substance use disorder, bias and stigma, recovery housing, and suicide prevention.

Further examining opportunities for housing community members in treatment, “Sober Living Housing” (more inclusive term, recovery housing), found it is currently not available. In conversations with patients in treatment, the inability to find housing is consistently rated as one of the most difficult aspects to remain substance free. With the lack of recovery housing available, HEART team members in Cache were approached with the option of two possible rental properties that were available for use. After an exhaustive search of community policies, restrictions, and options, the Oxford House Model was selected as a possible option. Although the time frame could not be met for the property owner in this situation, the information gathered will allow a coordinated and timely response to the next opportunity. HEART Faculty are valued members of the substance use disorder treatment community across the state.

Davis and Weber County Coalition Work  The HEART faculty in Davis and Weber Counties is involved with six community coalitions in the area and two statewide coalitions. These coalitions include the Ogden Civic Action Network Partnership, Weber Communities That Care (CTC), Roy CTC, Fremont CTC, North Davis CTC, and Davis HELPS. The coalitions strive to make improvements in their communities and impact the public health of individuals and families. The programming completed in coalitions bring forth attention for communities to become more engaged with the resources available and become more aware of the events and activities in their community. HEART has played an integral role in this programming and in strengthening ties between these coalitions and other community resources. 

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Strengthening Community Ties

Youth Mental First Aid training, January 2020; facilitated by Tasha Killian, USU Extension and Cacilia Jensen, Four Corners Community Behavioral Health.


A Light to Remember  A Light to Remember, an annual opioid awareness event, was first held on August 31, 2019, at the Wetland Discovery Point in Kaysville. This event was part of International Overdose Awareness Day as a tribute for loved ones lost to overdose. Over 100 community members joined the HEART faculty in Davis County to learn, share, and remember their loved ones. There was a time for connection and remembrance followed by a touching lantern tribute across the water.

Carbon & Emery County Opioid & Substance Use CoalitionCommunities that come together in the face of a crisis such as the opioid epidemic can be strengthened in many ways, including volunteerism, coalition partnerships, service mapping, collaborative efforts, and consistent messaging. In Carbon and Emery counties, two of the hardest-hit counties in the state of Utah due to opioid overdose, there are many resources emerging and available as a result of the statewide attention this has provided. However, key stakeholders may not always be aware of current resources and needs. A needs assessment revealed a higher number of opioid-related overdose deaths in Carbon and Emery counties in 2018. Furthermore, rural areas are at higher risk due to limited resources and stigma, calling for collaborative partnerships to turn the tide of this epidemic.

During needs assessments, community members asked for approaches that involve families, provide education, reduce stigma, bring people together to comprehensively address substance use and opioid misuse, and incorporate people who have substance use disorder in programming. The Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use coalition was created in November 2018 to fill this gap by bringing people together once a month to discuss actionable steps. The Coalition seeks to coordinate the efforts of our communities to comprehensively address the opioid epidemic we are facing; to decrease stigma; increase effective prevention, treatment, harm reduction, mental health and other efforts; and come together to create healthier communities.  

HEART faculty continue to focus on connecting, establishing, and supporting coalition partnerships. They also focus on service mapping to address gaps in service provisions and fostering community accessibility, and in engaging key stakeholders and community collaborators in the Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition. During original listening session reports in 2018, it was established that community members would like and need to be more involved with programming and local efforts. Carbon and Emery County are continuing to collaboratively come together monthly to make a difference at the local level.

Over the course of almost 2 years, coalition meetings have consistently been frequented by an average of 30 community member and key stakeholders—totaling 150 unique members. The coalition has created strong collaborative partnerships and developed local resource lists for services offered in our areas. The coalition has published 17 articles in the local newspaper (12 from July 2019-June 2020) to provide hope and educate the public on various topics such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and emergency resources. This increases public awareness and education surrounding substance use services and opioid resources.

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“It has been helpful for me to meet other people involved, to network and have a better

picture of WHO is doing WHAT in the overall progress.”

“It has been a good experience, knowing

what is going on in the community, learning more about opioids.”

“I think it is a great

undertaking and will

continue to be a catalyst

for improving lives.”

“I love the coalition and am

proud to be a part of it.”

“Great gathering of like-minded folks that want to improve the health of our

community.”


Poor (1)

Fair (2)

Good (3)

Very Good (4)

Exceptional (5)

Not Applicable (NA)

0 421 53 6 127 8 9 1110

Considering the Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition meetings overall, please provide an evaluation of the following:

Average survey responses for Coalition members (n = 20); survey was completed in March 2020.

Coalition Meeting Structure Avg. 4.25/5 Collaboration with Other Agencies Avg. 3.93/5

Information Provided During Meetings Avg. 4.19/5 Coalition Content Avg. 3.93/5

Coalition Workgroups Avg. 3.40/5 Coalition Effectiveness Avg. 3.68/5

Coalition Meeting Minutes Avg. 4.19/5 Overall Satisfaction with the Coalition Avg. 4.00/5

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Strongly DisagreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

Not Applicable (NA)

0 421 53 6 97 8

Considering the Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition meetings overall, please provide an evaluation of the following:

Average survey responses for Coalition members (n = 20); survey was completed in March 2020.

1. I am more knowledgeable about prevention and/or treatment strategies for... Avg. 4.50/5

Avg. 4.44/5

Avg. 4.56/5

Avg. 4.25/5

3. I am more confident finding and utilizing community resources on opioid...

2. My perceptions of opioid treatment are more accepting and understanding.

4. I am more likely to step in as a first responder during an emergency situation...


• Members of the Utah Coalition for Opioid Overdose Prevention (UCO-OP)

• Members of the Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition

• Carbon & Emery County Community Members

• Members of the Utah Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium (UROHC)

• Event Attendees and Community Members

• Four Corners Community Behavioral Health

• Southeast Utah Health Department

• Carbon County Commissioners and Mayors

• Emery County Commissioners and Mayors

• Eastern Utah Spine and Pain

• Carbon Medical Center

• Green River Medical Center

• Castleview Hospital

• Carbon County Sheriff Offices, Local Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services

• Emery County Sheriff Offices, Local Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services

• Emery County Attorney

• Carbon County Attorney

• Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) and Recovery Community Center

• Eastern Utah Women’s Health

• Positive Pathways

• ETV 10 News

• KOAL Radio

• Utah State University -Eastern and The SUN Center

• Utah State University Extension and HEART Initiative

• USU Extension HEART Health and Wellness Interns

• Everyone else who was involved in advertising, helping set up/take down, and making our events successful!

In June 2019, only 7 months after initiation of the coalition, HEART Faculty secured funding to provide four community education dinner events, educational materials, and resource guides via collective efforts of coalition members from June 2019 to June 2020. The coalition brought six community education dinners and online events to Carbon and Emery Counties in the last year to continue these efforts and make a difference in the lives of individuals with substance use disorder and their families. The community education events served over 289 participants and distributed over 1,400 copies of the Recovery Resources Book. Through the surveys given at the educational dinners and online events, we exceeded the 80% goal of behavioral and psychological change predicted in the 133 surveys returned. Surveys showed the following results for respondents indicating strongly agree/agree: 94% are more knowledgeable about prevention and/or treatment strategies for opioid misuse, 87% are more accepting and understanding perceptions of opioid treatment, 92% are more confident finding and using community resources on opioid misuse when needed, and 86% are more likely to step in as a first responder during a medical emergency (naloxone).

Special thanks to all contributors, community members, and Coalition members:

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Overdose Awareness Day 2019 in Price, UT; pictured are Health & Wellness Interns Justin Sacco and Alise Williams Condie along with HEART faculty member Ashley Yaugher.


Feedback from Community Education Events Participants:

• “Things are changing—more resources are available!”

• “I love the work the coalition is doing!!”

• “I learned about how to manage my prescriptions better, and how to better help others when they are having pain.”

• “We are 'rich' in resources locally regarding recovery.”

• “Prevention works, treatment is effective, recovery is possible!"

To view an online recording of the event, please visit extension.usu.edu/heart/community-education-dinner.

I am more knowledgeable about prevention and/or treatment strategies for

opioid misuse.

I am more confident finding and utilizing community

resources on opioid misuse when needed.

My perception of opioid treatments are more accepting and

understanding.

I am more likely to step in as a first responder

during a medical emergency.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

3

4.5

2.5

4

5

3.5

Overall Community Education Dinner Participant Responses

Average Response

4.44 4.3 4.46 4.39

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extension.usu.edu/heart/community-education-dinner


Community education dinner January 6, 2020. Castle Dale, Utah (55 attendees).

Community education webinar, June 2, 2020. Dinner was provided as takeout for participants (29 attendees).

Community education webinar and dinner flyer.

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Cache and Box Elder Counties All of our HEART Initiative programs available to Cache and Box Elder Counties provide evidence-based information that can be tailored to professionals, clients with opioid use disorder, community members, and youth. USU Extension has provided opportunities for stigma and bias reduction training, naloxone education and training, suicide prevention, harm reduction, nutrition, 4-H mental health collaboration, treatment facility behavioral health awareness education, and COVID-19 awareness information.

The HEART Initiative’s administrative directive to reduce opioid use disorder deaths and the impact of substance use disorders in the state of Utah was important for many reasons. From a public health and law enforcement perspective to financial costs to society, to lives cut short or severely impacted by this crisis/epidemic, to emergency and hospital staffs who deal with this on a daily basis, the outcomes we are creating have a measurable impact on the quality of life for all Utahns.

Path to Opioid Prevention 5K and Half Marathon The Bonneville Communities That Care Coalition, in partnership with South Ogden City and Wright on Time, hosted their second annual Path to Opioid Prevention 5K and half marathon on August 17, 2019, in Riverdale, Utah. The Weber County HEART faculty partnered with the Ogden Civic Action Network (Ogden CAN) to be present at the finish line, providing information and educational materials for 250 participants as they completed their race.

Prevention & Education–Online Videos Utah had its first case of COVID-19 in the beginning of March and shutdowns began shortly thereafter. The need for virtual education on topics such as managing stress and practicing mindfulness is especially needed during a pandemic impacting everyone’s lives when in-person education is not available. Along with other COVID-19 efforts, HEART responded quickly to provide these education opportunities to build resilience and coping skills during a stressful time. In the spring of 2020, HEART released an educational video on practicing mindfulness during difficult times on March 26 and another video on how to manage stress on April 2. These videos were viewed many times in the first several months of posting and shared widely on social media platforms.

USU Extension – HEART Facebook post on How to Understand and Manage Stress, Video

USU Extension – HEART Facebook post on Practicing Mindfulness During Difficult Times, Video

YouTube1. Stress & Stress Management

77 Views, 1 Likes

2. Practicing Mindfulness During Difficult Times208 Views, 7 Likes

Facebook1. Stress & Stress Management

3 Likes, 6 Shares

2. Practicing Mindfulness During Difficult Times6 Likes, 11 Shares

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Prevention and Education


The 2019 Rural Opioid Health & Wellness SummitWe identified a need for educating community members as well as professionals in the field. Along with this was the need for funding to implement educational conferences. The HEART Initiative partnered with community organizations and with USU’s Tribal and Rural Opioid Initiative (TROI) on TROI’s grant to host the 2019 Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit. TROI was launched by the Utah State University's College of Education and Utah State University Extension in 2018 to provide effective resources to address opioid use among rural Utahns. The College of Education and Human Services and the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science received the SAMHSA Grant Award #1H79TI081890-01, and NIFA Grant Award #2018-46100-28782. Project directors Sandra Sulzer and Suzanne Prevedel partnered with many agencies, including USU Extension HEART faculty. Additional partners for the 2019 summit included One Voice Recovery, the Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA), the Southeastern Utah Health District, Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, USU Extension faculty and staff, Adult Parole and Probation, University of Utah PARCKA Team, Utah State University Eastern, Castleview Hospital, the Utah Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium (UROHC), the Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition members, community members, people in recovery and family members, and many others!

The HEART Initiative faculty served as collaborators on this grant initiative. HEART faculty were each involved in collaboratively planning, organizing, presenting, evaluating, sponsoring, and other tasks to execute the summit. The local Carbon and Emery HEART faculty member, Ashley Yaugher, was the lead summit organizer for the conference this year, along with One Voice Recovery’s Patrick Rezac as local co-host, the grant leadership team Suzanne Prevedel and Sandra Sulzer, Tribal Opioid Resource Center Coordinator Michelle Chapoose, and many agencies and community partners. Thanks to this collaborative planning process, a successful three-day summit, the Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit occurred in Price, UT, on July 18 and 19, with a pre-conference on July 17 in 2019.

As part of a large grant, the summit included many training and learning opportunities. These opportunities were for community members as well as professionals, which included continuing education credits. Learning opportunities included naloxone training, a legal panel, youth education, education to reduce stigma, suicide prevention education, a community dinner, stories of recovery and hope, and much more. In 2020, an Intertribal Summit will be held and planned through collaboration with lead summit organizer Michelle Chapoose.

Community key take-aways from the event.

“STIGMA EXISTS AT ALL

LEVELS - FRIENDS/FAMILY/

SOCIAL CONTACTS OF THOSE

WITH SUD - EVEN WITHIN

TREATMENT GROUPS.”

Summit Attendee, 2019

“THIS EVENT WAS WELL

ORGANIZED, GREAT

ACCOMODATIONS, AND GREAT

SPEAKERS!”

Summit Attendee, 2019

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Number of Event Attendees

Adults Youth

306 30

Number of Trainings

presenters on various topics related to physical, mental, and emotional health to support SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery

53

Event details

Naloxone Trainings

16

Participants

274

TribalMembers

90


Community key take-aways from the event.

USU Extension HEART faculty, Tim Keady (left), and Southeastern Utah Health Department Opioid Prevention Specialist, Savannah Eley (right) discussing steps for responding to an overdose and using naloxone at the 2019 Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit in the Geary Events Center, USU Eastern, Price, Utah.

Community partners and agencies putting together the swag bags, event tables, and other aesthetic pieces at the 2019 Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit in the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center, USU Eastern, Price, Utah.

Flyer for the 2019 Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit.

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Daily Dose of WellnessA 2019 survey conducted by a USU sociology professor assessed health behaviors, well-being, and health and wellness needs among USU Extension faculty. Of the 99 respondents, the majority (64.5%) reported eating habits and physical activity engagement in line with the most current dietary guidelines and physical activity recommendations. However, physical activity decreased dramatically at work, with 89% reporting the majority of hours sitting in the workplace, 84% having 10 or fewer opportunities to stand, and 56% spending 6-10 hours looking at a screen. Regarding well being, over 90% considered their health as excellent or good/very good despite 89% and 88% showing signs of depression and burnout, respectively.

In assessing faculty health and wellness needs, respondents were first asked to place themselves in a category assessing their readiness to change (based on the Stages of Change Model). Seventy-six percent reported that they made some health behavior changes or have had a healthy lifestyle for years, with the remaining respondents marking themselves as either thinking about changing or preparing to make a change in the next 30 days. When asked to mark all topics the faculty would be interested in, 40% or more listed physical activity, online health assessments, health coaching, mental health, life skills development, stress management, and work-life balance. Almost 50% reported wanting information as brief videos (under 1 hour) and in email formats, mainly during the lunch hour, and as individual (as opposed to group) activities done one to several times a week.

In April 2020, a team of four USU Extension Health and Wellness faculty representing Utah, Cache/Box Elder, Beaver, and Davis counties started Daily Dose of Wellness, an online wellness program available to Extension faculty and staff. These 15-minute sessions were conducted in the afternoons Mondays-Thursdays via an online meeting platform, with each team member being responsible for a day of the week. The instructors also maintained the same type of activity for their respective day. Mondays were dedicated to light cardio and stretching, Tuesdays focused on mindfulness and relaxation techniques, Wednesdays were Tai-Chi, and Thursdays included a combination of light movement and breathing techniques.

The four faculty provided some type of physical activity, mindfulness, and relaxation programs in their respective communities, and had a common interest in making them available to Extension faculty and staff, understanding the difficulty in finding opportunities to engage in these types of activities during work hours. Although the survey was completed independently of the Daily Dose of Wellness series, the faculty used the responses to craft the format and types of activities that kept in mind respondents’ needs. The initial phase was a pilot, held from April-June 2020 with 25 sessions reaching 65 Extension faculty and staff. The majority who attended enjoyed the program and shared positive feedback. Some stayed after the sessions to speak with the instructor and ask wellness-related questions. Over the summer months, they will evaluate and adapt the program to begin in the Fall of 2020.

“... I DO WANT

TO EXPRESS MY

APPRECIATION FOR

THIS PROGRAM

YOU HAVE.”

USU Program Leader/participant

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D E

DU

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Tooele County: 4H Health Rocks!Because substance use patterns begin early in life and addiction is hard to treat, prevention is seen as a key to reducing substance misuse, particularly for at-risk populations. For youth with multiple risk factors, mentoring is a proven method to build protective factors and minimize the risk factors that lead to problem behavior. A strong, pro-social relationship with a trusted mentor builds attachment to community and individual resilience.

HEART faculty helped acquire funding for a 4-H Health Rocks! mentoring club. Year 1 was so successful, the grant was offered a continuance for a second year of funding, doubling the target population from 30 youth in Tooele and Utah Counties to 60 youth. The program is designed to introduce youth to new ideas, experiences, and support that can be life changing. The 4-H Health Rocks! Club is dedicated to helping youth live healthier, happier lives. The club consists of high school mentors and middle school youth meeting together each week to foster friendships, work on projects, and explore health through different activities.

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Certified Peer Support Specialist Training Program Utah has a workforce shortage in trained addiction specialists to support substance use disorder/opioid use disorder treatment programs. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identified peer support recovery as the future of behavioral health (SAMHSA, 2012). Systematic reviews show that patients who engage with a peer support professional have improved substance use outcomes (Bassuk et al., 2016) and the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) cites a 31% increase in reunification of substance use disorder impacted mothers with their children after recovery coaching. Peers can help substance use disorder/opioid use disorder patients address everyday

Tim Keady, leading “Exerbox” as part of a Daily Dose of Wellness presented by USU Extension Faculty.

An example of Deskercise exercises used in Daily Dose of Wellness.

Health Rocks Coordinator Emily Hamilton leads a ‘paint it your way’ 4H activity to reinforce independence in health decisions.

Jason Swann shows off Health Rocks cake decorating at a Family Night Out activity.

Youth mentors decorate Thanksgiving baskets with mentees in Health Rocks program.


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All respondents said they were “very satisfied” with the course and the average rating on a scale of 1 to 10 was a 9.

“This class has given me

a push, I needed

this

“Walking more,

happier, helped my confidence

level”

“Gave me the

confidence to be an

advocate for myself.”

total participants attended in total

and received

hours of pain education

and support85 430

challenges before they build into serious health consequences (Min et al., 2007). Building the Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) Training program in the rural recovery community can:

1. Build a passionate and dedicated workforce and increase trained experts in rural locals,

2. Build a financially viable treatment model,

3. Support the ongoing recovery of the trained peer specialists, and

4. Produce trained rural experts who participate in promoting community education, prevention, stigma reduction, and harm reduction at rural sites.

Peers assist substance use disorder/opioid use disorder patients in building “recovery capital” and sustaining positive health changes (Cloud & Granfield, 2008). Recovery specialists are able to share the wisdom of their experience, reduce stigma, advocate for community integration, and reduce feelings of shame that prevent treatment seeking. But rural communities have very few trained CPSSs to provide this critical recovery support. USDA Rural Utility Service funds supported the development of a hybrid CPSS half online/broadcast and half face-to-face (F2F) training. The first training is scheduled to broadcast online and F2F in Tooele, Utah, in September 2020. The goal is to expand the number of trained CPSSs in rural Utah and expand the treatment and recovery capital of rural communities.

Pain Education The overall U.S. approach to pain management has fed the opioid epidemic. Opioids in the U.S. are prescribed at 2.5 to 4 times the rate in Western Europe (Vokinger, 2018). Americans often feel that the goal of pain management is 100% pain relief. These beliefs and prescribing practices, which may result in long-term use of opioids for pain management, expose patients to risk of endocrine system hypogonadism, including loss of libido, infertility, fatigue, depression, anxiety, loss of muscle strength, osteoporosis, impotence, menstrual irregularities (Katz & Mazer, 2009); gastrointestinal distress, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation (Annemans, 2011); immunosuppression, sleep disruptions, neonatal risks, opioid use disorder, poisoning/overdose, as well as opioids use linked to depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing (Darnall et al., 2012). A number of pain conditions often treated with opioids have little to no evidence suggesting opioids are effective, including chronic headaches, pelvic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, or fibromyalgia. Opioid may even make it worse. (Darnell et al., 2012). Other common conditions like low back pain have very limited or mixed evidence that opioids are at all effective (Darnall et al., 2012).

Evidence-based Living Well with Chronic Pain is a self-management workshop series produced by Stanford researchers proven to reduce pain. Participants receive a manual and 6 weeks of facilitated group discussion on topics such as gentle exercise, action plans, healthcare communication, and relaxation, among others. As a free community workshop, it helps provide alternative pain management options to community members so that opioids are not the only source of pain relief. With Extension faculty located in counties throughout Utah, this partnership allows program expansion to rural areas with limited pain management options. The 2019-2020 workshops with HEART facilitators were conducted in Salt Lake County and online for the first time in the Stanford-based program’s history.


Health Rocks 4H Training, Club Meetings, and Family Night Out This grant-funded mentoring program trains high school mentors and supports middle school-aged youth and their families as a protective factor against substance use risk.

Other Community Trainings and Events

The HEART team provided numerous additional valuable trainings, outreach, and services in communities across the state. Below is a select list of events HEART faculty hosted or assisted with in 2019-2020.

• Events provided in SLC, Tooele, Utah County, and other locations statewide.

• 1,033 adults and youth attended these various Health Rocks 4H events.

Cache and Box Elder Counties • Daily Dose of Wellness – 8 weeks

• Opioid Stories Interview – 12 Individual Interviews

• HEART Bunch Videos

• Cache Interagency Council – Presentation

• Cache High School Tour – Opioid Education

• Rural Opioid Summit – 5 Stigma, Naloxone Education and Training

• Clear Recovery Health Fair - Master of Ceremony and Speaker

• SUD, Stigma Awareness and Reduction Education, and Naloxone Training – Dairy Farm in Vernal

• SUD, Stigma Awareness and Reduction Education, and Naloxone Training – Farm Store in Millard

• Launch Party-Debunked – SUD, Stigma Awareness and Reduction Education, and Naloxone Training

• Tribal Rural Opioid Initiative Training

• Clear Recovery of Cache Valley - Charla Bocchicchio – Naloxone Education and Training

• Cache Valley Senior Center – Opioid and SUD Education

• Utah Association of Family and Consumer Sciences UAFCS - Stress, Sleep, and Success in FCS

• Cache County Council Meeting – Naloxone Introduction to Council

• Logan Hispanic Health Fair

• Lantern House – Harm Reduction - Opioid Education and Naloxone Training Nov, 2019

• Utah Farm Bureau Federation - Utah Farm Bureau Convention – Narcan® Demo

• Managing Stress and Suicide Prevention - Box Elder County crop management school – Invited as an Observer

• Cache Valley Recovery Open House – Naloxone, OUD, Suicide Prevention

• 2020 Tribal Opioid Wellness Summit

• 3 SUD, Stigma, and Naloxone Education Presentations


Utah County

UAFCS conference 9.28.19- Ashley, Tim, and Zuri

South Franklin Community Partnership Presentation• Titled “Utah County Health and Wellness Program and

HEART Initiative.”

• Served as an introduction of new faculty, program areas, and collaboration interests.

• Included a partnership with government, nonprofit, and public organizational leaders who focus on youth and family health, wellness, and economic stability.

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Food Safety Training • Created a partnership with a USU Extension specialist

to create an online food safety training program for EFNEP program assistants.

Daily Dose of Wellness (DDW) Exercise Sessions • Piloted April 20-June 4, 2020, targeting Extension

faculty and staff. DDW is a collaborative program with faculty in Cache/Box Elder, Davis, and Beaver counties.

• Held four days a week each week for 15-minute sessions.

• Taught by each faculty on the same day each week.

• Included activity themes such as cardio, stretching, mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, and tai chi.

• Conducted 27 exercise sessions targeting Extension faculty and staff via DDW sessions and Utah County stretch breaks.

HEART Bunch Video Project• Begun April 2020, all HEART Initiative faculty record

and post monthly videos on YouTube.

• Faculty maintain the calendar of topics; plan video topic and layout; coordinate video format and progression; and post the video link to the HEART website after it’s posted on YouTube.

• The HEART team created two videos posted to YouTube and the HEART website.

members

participants

total YouTube views

Reached

Reached

21

55

216


Salt Lake and Tooele CountiesMaster Health Volunteer Program2019-2020 Pilot Director

Suicide Prevention Training Eighty-nine percent of attendees reported increased ability to ask someone about suicidality, and 86% increased in knowing how to get the person needed help.

Stress Management Daybreak There was an increase from 30% to 90% of participants stating they had high to very high knowledge of stress management options and 85% of participants said they would take one action this week to lower their stress levels.

Time Management Salt Lake County Employee Enrichment

Communities Talk Prevention Movie Screening

Huntsman Senior Games Booth

Tooele County Senior Expo Booth

Recovery Day Tooele Booth

Tooele Save Family Dinner Night Survey

Tooele Latin Festival Booth

Veteran’s Health Showcase Tooele Booth

Unchanged

Higher

Much Higher

0 402010 5030 60

Change in Knowledge of Suicide After Attending Suicide Prevention Training

Warning signs of suicide

How to get help for someoneHow to ask someone about suicide

Local resources for help with suicide

individuals piloted the program and returned

hours of volunteer service

6 240

attendees36

attendees32

attendees230

attendees70

attendees180

attendees850resilience surveys collected

310

attendees571 Living Well with Chronic Pain flyers distributed

200

prevention surveys collected151

attendees120 increase over 2018 attendance

50%

attendees377 Living Well with Chronic Pain flyers distributed

150

resilience surveys collected30


Carbon and Emery Counties Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR)• QPR trains people how to recognize the warning signs

of a suicide crisis and how to assist by using techniques that question, persuade, and refer.

• Training provided at the Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition meeting in November, 2019 (co-facilitated with Amanda McIntosh, Southeastern Utah Health Department).

Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition Meetings• Coalition meetings include planning and developing

community events, and developing partnerships and implementation plans.

Opioid Epidemic Overview (Instruction/Lecture, Adults):• Held November 2019 and March 2020.

HEART Overview (Instruction/Lecture, Adults)• Held June 2020 with USU social work students

providing local assessment and an overview oft he HEART Initiative.

2020 Leap With HOPE Festival (Suicide Awareness and Prevention Festival, Adults and Youth)• Held February 29, 2020 in Price, UT.

Recovery Day Booth and Collaborative Planning (Field Day/Demonstration/Tour, Adults and Youth)• Held September 7, 2019 in Price, UT.

Overdose Awareness Day Booth and Collaborative Planning (Field Day/Demonstration/Tour, Adults and Youth)• Held August 24, 2019 in Price, UT.

Youth Mental First Aid (YMHFA)• HEART planned and coordinated a January 2020

YMHFA training provided to 14 individuals, facilitated by Tasha Killian, USU Extension and Cacilia Jensen, Four Corners Community Behavioral Health.

Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition Meetings

participants

participants

participants

Coalition meetings

16

participants150

30

30

12

participants engaged in education on the local opioid epidemic and solutions40

participants will view the presentation20

people at each30 unique

attendees150+


CoalitionsThe HEART team collaborates with public health professionals and community members from across the state. Each HEART faculty member is actively involved in local, regional, and national coalitions that aim to reduce opioid misuse and that support other related public health initiatives. HEART faculty actively participate in the coalitions listed below.

Cache and Box Elder Counties

Davis County

Carbon and Emery Counties

• Bear River Safe Communities Coalition

• Bear River Opioid Response Task Force

• Brigham City Suicide Coalition

• Box Elder Safe Communities Coalition

• Northern Box Elder Suicide Coalition

• Northern Utah Substance Abuse Prevention Team

• Parents Empowered Committee

• Suicide Coalition of Box Elder

• Utah Public Health Opioid Response Team

• Veterans Administration OEF-OIF Partnership

• Clearfield-Syracuse Communities That Care Coalition

• Centerville Cares Coalition

• Davis Hospital and Medical Center Controlled Substances Committee

• Davis HELPS Prevention Coalition

• Davis County Human Services Directors Group

• Davis County Opioid Workgroup

• Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition

• Carbon Addiction, Reduction, & Elimination (CARE) Prevention Coalition

• Coal Country Strike Team

• Emery County Addiction & Reduction (E-CAR) Coalition

• Faith Based Coalition (addiction and recovery focused)

• HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties

• MAS/ICC Community Meetings

• Utah Coal Country Strike Team

• Utah Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium (UROHC)

• Veterans Outreach Committee


Salt Lake County

Tooele County

Utah County

Weber County

State Coalitions

• Salt Lake County Opioid Task Force

• Utah State Opioid Task Force

• Utah Syringe Exchange Network

• Salt Lake County Suicide Prevention Coalition

• Opioid Crisis Response Group

• Tooele Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium

• Tooele Interagency Prevention Professionals Coalition

• Wendover Prevention Coalition

• Utah Valley Drug Prevention Coalition

• Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA)

• Tooele Health Department: Community Health Improvement Plan

• 4-H National Council

• Mental Health and Wellness Champion Group

• National Opioid Crisis Response Workgroup

• Wendover Prevention Coalition

• Tooele Community Health Improvement Plan SUD Workgroup

• Opioid Crisis Response Group

• Utah Valley Drug Prevention Coalition • South Franklin Community Partnership

• Weber Communities That Care Coalition

• Fremont Communities That Care Coalition

• Roy Communities That Care Coalition

• Ogden Civic Action Network Health Subcommittee

• Ogden Civic Action Network Opioid Taskforce

• Weber County Prevention Advisory Council

• Weber County Coalition of Resources

• Utah Coalition for Opioid Overdose Prevention (UCO-OP) - Steering Committee

• Public Awareness; Advocacy; and Policy Subcommittees

• Utah Suicide Prevention Campaign Evaluation Technical Advisory Committee Member

• Utah Chapter of the Society of Public Health Education (USOPHE) and Utah Public Health Association (UPHA)

• Utah Prevention Coalition Association (UPCA)


Social Media

BackgroundHEART has accounts on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. All social media pages were created at the end of March 2019. Since then, HEART has established a strong presence on each platform.

PurposeThe purpose of the social media program is to share news, upcoming events, happenings in the community, and helpful health and wellness information related to the HEART team via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Through these platforms, HEART hopes to engage with the community in a positive way and contribute helpful insights and resources.


GoalThe goal of having a social media presence is to increase visibility and familiarity of the HEART initiative, educate and engage with community members, build relationships, and promote awareness of the opioid epidemic and other public health issues.

EvaluationFrom July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020, the social media program measured the total number of people reached, and the volume of messages sent within each social media platform.

Social Media Platforms

MEANINGFUL MONDAY

TRUTH TUESDAY

DID YOU KNOW? WEDNESDAY

THINGS TO TRY THURSDAY

FRIDAY FEATURE

Any type of introduction or definition to a

topic.

Any fact or definition of a topic related to

the overarching topic (e.g., chronic pain is overarching and

meditation is the “truth” discussed in the post).

Any fact or thought that might not be

known.

New technique/practice/activity

etc., to try.

Highlighting a feature/class/event/seminar

etc., in the community.


TWITTERUSUHeart (@usuHEART)

Twitter Analytics/Results

Sample Tweets

INSIGHTS

Impressions: 74 Total Engagements: 3

INSIGHTS

Impressions: 66Media Views: 1Total Engagements: 4

INSIGHTS

Impressions: 114Total Engagements: 10

Quarter Tweets Impressions Profile Visits New Followers Mentions

July - September 12 7558 28 7 3

October - December 9 5563 8 7 0

January - March 13 3913 12 10 1

April - June 43 8477 44 5 7

TOTALS 77 25,511 92 29 11

Note. Refer to glossary on page 51 for a complete list of definitions.


Quarter Page Views Page Previews

New Page Likes Post Reach Post En-

gagementsPage

Followers Posts

July - September 233 9 25 3444 879 27 36

October - December 102 4 13 874 163 14 18

January - March 132 - 27 2118 378 27 24

April - June 346 6 35 6303 1374 36 55

TOTALS 813 19 100 12739 2794 104 133

Notes. Some data for “Page Previews” is missing for August 2019 and November 2019 – May 2020. Future reporting will include monthly data for “Page Previews."

Refer to glossary on page 51 for a complete list of definitions.

FACEBOOKUSU Extension – HEART (@usuHEART)

Facebook Analytics

INSIGHTS

Reach: 270Engagements: 22

Likes: 10 Comments: N/A

Shares: 2Link Clicks: 3

Photo Views: 1

INSIGHTS

Reach: 601Engagements: 37Likes: 3Comments: N/AShares: 6Link Clicks: 5Other Clicks: 7

INSIGHTS

Reach: 187Engagements: 16

Likes: 6Comments: 1

Shares: 2Link Clicks: N/APhoto Views: 3

Sample Facebook Posts


Quarter Likes Post Reach Post Impressions

Interactions (Profile Visits) Posts Storiesa

July - September 236 - - - 17 3

October - December 126 - - - 12 2

January - March 95 - - - 12 3

April - June 223 1894 2225 28 38 3

TOTALS 680 1894 2225 28 79 11

INSTAGRAMUSU Extension HEART (usuextension_heart)

Instagram Analytics

Sample Instagram Posts

Notes. Some Instagram data was deleted, indicated by the dashes in the table. Future reporting will include all quarterly data for “Post Reach, Post Impressions, and Interactions.” Refer to glossary on page 51 for a complete list of definitions.

aStory views are only available for 48 hours after the post. This data was not recorded and is therefore not reported here. Future reporting will include “Stories Views.”

INSIGHTS

Likes: 5Comments: N/A

Saves: 1 Profile Visits: N/A

Reach: N/AInteractions: N/AImpressions: N/A

INSIGHTS

Likes: 22Comments: 1Saves: N/AProfile Visits: N/AReach: N/AInteractions: N/AImpressions: N/A

INSIGHTS

Likes: 10Comments: 1Saves: N/AProfile Visits: 2Reach: 90Interactions: 2Impressions: 107


Sample Instagram Story


The HEART Beat NewsletterBackgroundThe HEART Beat newsletter was created in February 2019. Twelve issues were sent from July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019. The monthly newsletter reaches subscribing partners, stakeholders, and community members directly to their inboxes.

PurposeThis newsletter helps the HEART team relay relevant information regarding community resources, partnership and funding opportunities, current and future programs, as well as happenings around the state of Utah in regard to the opioid epidemic and other pressing public health issues to letter recipients.

GoalThe HEART Beat newsletter aims to promote health and wellness, focusing on the opioid epidemic, and emphasizes the four main objectives of the HEART Initiative: stigma and harm reduction, strengthening community ties, prevention and education, and resilience building.

Subscriber InformationAnyone can subscribe to HEART Beat by submitting their email through the mailing list landing page (shown below). The landing page has been shared on each of HEART’s social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook), and is included in several HEART team member’s email signatures. The newsletter landing page is currently linked on our website, as are the current and previous newsletter issues.

EvaluationThe HEART Beat newsletter was evaluated for the year July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020, by measuring the total number of people reached, the volume of messages sent, and the success of each campaign based on the number of times it was opened and the number of times a link was clicked.


HEART Newsletter FeedbackDuring the June 2020 issue of HEART Beat a survey was sent out to gain feedback of the newsletter's effectiveness. Responses received indicated an overall positive impact made by the HEART Beat newsletter over the past year.

Personal Survey Responses

What about the HEART general Health & Wellness updates or ideas is most helpful to you?

How has the HEART Beat newsletter benefited you or your community?

“They point me to resources that are good to share with my coworkers and community.”

“It is interesting to see the work that you are involved in. You really want to make a difference in the lives of individuals and our community.”

“How to work with other organizations in my community.”

“I’m a Prevention Program Coordinator, we do have a newsletter that is done quarterly and your newsletter has inspired to provide relevant information to the community I serve. I tried to have similar content to share with my community.”

“For me it is just being aware. It is not something that has ever been a concern in my life or any of my family’s lives. But it is still good to know about so I know where to turn in the future if needed.”

“It has kept the community abreast to the ongoing efforts and provided multiple opportunities to learn.”

“Greater awareness of events, resources.”

Number of Responses

9Question Average (scale 1-10)

How much do you like the HEART Beat Newsletter? 7.7

How much do you find the content relevant to your community? 7.6


Is there anything else that you would like to share with us that we did not ask about or any other feedback you may have?

“Thanks so much for putting effort to help educate me and our communities.”

“Job well done. You all should be very proud of the work you are doing in all our communities.”

Newsletter Analytics

Newsletter sample

Quarter Recipients Open Rate Opened Click

Rate Clicked Total ClicksClicks Per

Unique Opens

July - September 130 43% 54.5 3% 3.5 4.5 7%

October - December 139 41% 56.5 5% 6.5 11 12%

January - March 148 41% 59.5 6% 8.5 15 15%

April - June 155 29% 44.5 4% 6.5 16 19%

Average 143 38% 53.5 5% 6.5 11.5 13%



Page Link Page Views UniquePage Views

Avg. Time on Page

Extension HEART/heart/index/

https://bit.ly/2PJcsVd 1,439 898 1:29

Stigma Reduction and Harm Reduction/heart/stigma-reduction-and-harm-reduction

https://bit.ly/2DOYFtv 85 71 1:03

Strengthening Community Ties/heart/strengthening-community-ties

https://bit.ly/2PFTNcW 135 120 1:06

Prevention and Education/heart/prevention-and-education

https://bit.ly/3gPssks 166 140 1:07

Resilience Building/heart/resilience-building

https://bit.ly/2XR0eye 58 45 1:12

HEART Website BackgroundThe HEART website was created in winter 2018-2019. It is updated monthly with the HEART Beat newsletter. All other categories on the website are updated on an as needed basis to keep information and upcoming events current.

PurposeThe purpose of the website is to support the HEART pillars by providing relevant information that promotes health and wellness and by sharing the impacts of the HEART Initiative, news, upcoming events, community engagement, current research, and additional resources supporting the opioid epidemic and other pressing public health issues.

GoalThe goal of the HEART website is to provide useful resources and information to our target audience as well as highlight important happenings pertaining to the HEART Initiative.

EvaluationThe HEART website was evaluated during the year July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020. Reports show positive traffic related to users viewing resources on our website. Evaluation methods also provided insights into future improvements for the HEART website.

Website Analytics

https://bit.ly/2PJcsVd

https://bit.ly/2DOYFtv

https://bit.ly/2PFTNcW

https://bit.ly/3gPssks

https://bit.ly/2XR0eye


Impacts/heart/impacts

https://bit.ly/31I1pkz 458 303 2:39

News/heart/news/index

https://bit.ly/33RW1OO 386 222 2:41

Stories of Utah’s Opioid Crisis/heart/opioid-stories

https://bit.ly/3iy92Ba 222 176 1:54

Carbon & Emery Community Education Dinner Materials/heart/community-education-dinner

https://bit.ly/30MDjG2 89 61 1:37

Resources/heart/resources

https://bit.ly/3fM1Sra 577 337 3:21

Research/heart/research/index

https://bit.ly/30Nzh0g 115 72 1:11

Note. As shown by the above data, Unique Page Views shows how many individuals have visited the site. Pageviews indicates viewers came back for more information, so we can assume they found the website helpful. Average time provides insight into how much information viewers are getting from the site; this time length ranges from 1 minute to almost 3.5 minutes, which indicates people are staying on the page long enough to read the messages. Refer to glossary on page 51 for a complete list of definitions.

https://bit.ly/31I1pkz

https://bit.ly/33RW1OO

https://bit.ly/3iy92Ba

https://bit.ly/30MDjG2

https://bit.ly/3fM1Sra

https://bit.ly/30Nzh0g



HEART Fact Sheets Below is a list of Extension fact sheets that have been published by HEART faculty. You can find Extension fact sheets on extension.usu.edu/heart/research/index.

Three of the fact sheets are published on the HEART website and are reported using Google Analytics “Pageviews” and “Avg. Time on Page”. The remainder of the fact sheets are housed in Digital Commons and are reported by “Abstract Views” and “Downloads”.

Analytics

Fact Sheet Abstract Views Downloads Page Views Avg. Time on Page

Substance Use Disorder Stigma: What It Is and How You Can Prevent It 129 156 NA NA

Mindfulness for Chronic Pain Management 224 381 NA NA

Exercise Tips for Chronic Pain Management 48 150 NA NA

Anxiety and Depression: Can Diet Help? 131 485 NA NA

Evidence-Based Alternative Pain Management Techniques for Chronic Pain 165 233 NA NA

Opioids and Other Common Substances: What You Need to Know NA NA 44 3:21

Reducing Stigma Toward Medication-Assisted Treatment: An Evidence-Based Overview of Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

NA NA 72 3:43

Recovery Relationships NA NA 31 3:12

extension.usu.edu/heart/research/index


GlossaryAbstract Views Number of times the abstract of an artifact has been viewed.

Avg. Time on Page Average amount of time users spent viewing a specified page or screen or set of pages or screens.

Clicks Per Unique Opens Percentage of recipients that registered as an open who also clicked a link in your campaign.

Click Rate Percentage of successfully delivered campaigns that registered a click.

Downloads Number of times an artifact has been downloaded.

Impressions Times a user is served a tweet in timeline or search results.

Interactions (Profile Visits)

Interactions: Measures the actions people take when they engage with your post.Profile visits: The number of times your profile was viewed.

Mentions Number of times your @username was mentioned in tweets.

New Followers Number of new followers you gained.

New Page Likes Number of new people who have liked your page.

Open Rate Percentage of successfully delivered campaigns that registered as an open.

Opened Number of recipients that opened this campaign any number of times.

Page (Google Analytics) Pages visited, listed by URI. The URI is the portion of a page's URL following the domain name; for example, the URI portion of www.example.com/contact.html is /contact.html.

Page Views Number of times your page has been viewed.

Page Previews Number of times people hovered over your page name or profile picture to see a preview of your page content.

Page Followers Number of times people have followed your page.

Posts Number of posts.

Post Engagements Number of times people have engaged with your posts through likes, comments, shares and more.

Post Impressions Number of times your post has been seen.

Post Reach 1. The number of people who had any posts from your page on their screen. 2. The number of unique accounts that have seen your post.

Profile Visits Number of times users visited your profile page.

Recipients Number of contacts the campaign was sent to.

Story Views Number of unique accounts that viewed your Instagram story.

Total Opens Total number of times the campaign was opened by recipients. This count includes multiple opens from individual recipients.

Total Clicks Total number of times tracked links were clicked by recipients. This count includes multiple clicks from individual recipients.

Unique Pageviews Number of sessions during which the specified page was viewed at least once. A unique pageview is counted for each page URL + page Title combination.


HEART’s Response to COVID-19

Situation COVID-19 has impacted the way individuals and families live, work, learn, and socialize. Social distancing guidelines have strongly encouraged, or required, minimal contact with others for fear of spreading the virus. Many employers and schools have turned to remote opportunities for work and learning, resulting in missed opportunities for social interaction. Examples like these are having an effect on mental health, with individuals seeking resources to help them cope with isolation, loneliness, job loss, and reduced engagement with others.

What Is Being Done In response, USU Extension created a timely online resource that specifically provides resources for addressing COVID-19 concerns, including personal well-being, finance, working professionals, parenting, and nutrition. The HEART team contributed posts, articles, videos, and quick courses that are available on the USU Extension COVID-19 Resource website, USU Extension HEART Initiative website, YouTube, and social media platforms

Why? Prior to COVID-19, one in five adults reported having a mental illness in the past year. According to a poll conducted in March 2020 by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), 45% of adults in the U.S. reported that worry and stress about the virus have negatively impacted their mental health (KFF, 2020). Providing safe, relevant, and useful resources are important to help reduce the likelihood of individuals turning to unsafe coping strategies, such as drug and alcohol use, and suicide.

Impacts

Activity Audience Media Type Title Source Views

HEART Bunch Videos Adults Videos (2)

How to Manage Stress; Staying Con-nected with Cowork-ers during COVID 19

https://bit.ly/3iygNXD 157; 63

Article Adults/families Article Making a Family Plan https://bit.ly/2PMd24G 26

Article Adults/families Article Sheltering in Place: Making a Supply Kit https://bit.ly/2CiMpB4 14

Article Adults/families Article Activities for Surviv-ing Downtime https://bit.ly/3h0ykXW 0

Short Course Adults VideoPracticing Mindful-

ness During Difficult Times

https://bit.ly/30MMupY

https://bit.ly/2XSJkiD208

Short Course Adults Video How to Understand and Manage Stress https://bit.ly/3gTtX0Y 77

https://extension.usu.edu/covid-19/

https://extension.usu.edu/heart/resources

https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/

https://bit.ly/3iygNXD

https://bit.ly/2PMd24G

https://bit.ly/2CiMpB4

https://bit.ly/3h0ykXW

https://bit.ly/30MMupY

https://bit.ly/2XSJkiD

https://bit.ly/3gTtX0Y


Social Media Posts Adults Facebook,

Instagram, Twitter Various https://bit.ly/2DRe0tI

See Example

Posts Below

Article Adults, Carbon & Emery Counties

ETV 10 Newspaper

Article

Little Cities of Hope Series: Know Your

Recovery and Other Resources During

COVID-19

https://bit.ly/31CPqow 10,000

Fact Sheet Adults, Extension Professionals Fact Sheet Online Meeting

Etiquettehttps://extension.usu.edu/heart/resources

Extension Listserv

(500)

HEART Beat Newsletter

(March 2019)

Subscribers to newsletter Newsletter Community Highlight:

COVID-19 Update https://bit.ly/2E1Eb0R 60

https://bit.ly/2DRe0tI

https://bit.ly/31CPqow



https://bit.ly/2E1Eb0R


Collaborations and Partnerships

The HEART team has continued to establish excellent partnerships with organizations around the state that are also focusing efforts toward reducing opioid misuse. Below is a list of the partnerships established in each county.

Utah County• VA SLC Primary Care (PC)

Pain Education and Opioid Monitoring Program (POP)

• Utah County Local Substance Abuse Authority

• Valley Behavioral Health

• United Way of Utah County

• Intermountain Healthcare

• Utah County Health Department

• Brigham Young University

• Utah Valley Drug Prevention Coalition

• South Franklin Community Partnership

• Utah County National Alliance on Mental Health

Davis and Weber Counties • Diamond Tree Recovery

• Ogden Civic Action Network

• OgdenCAN Opioid Taskforce

• Weber-Morgan Health Department

• Weber Human Services

• Davis Behavioral Health

• Davis4Health

• Utah Department of Health

• Ogden Civic Action Network

• Utah Coalition for Opioid Overdose Prevention

Carbon and Emery Counties • DEA 360

• Positive Pathways

• University of Utah

• One Voice Recovery

• Carbon Medical Center

• Coal Country Strike Team


• Green River Medical Center

• Eastern Utah Spine and Pain

• Utah State University Eastern

• Eastern Utah Women’s Health

• Southeast Utah Health District


Cache and Box Elder Counties • Bear River Health

Department

• Brigham City Police Department

• Brigham City School District

• Clear Recovery of Cache Valley

• Department of Workforce Services Cache County

• eXtension Impact Collaborative


• NPR Utah State

• Parables Treatment Center

• USU Sociology Department Community Assessment

• Box Elder School District

• Boys and Girls Club of Northern Utah

• Opioid Stories Interview with Clear Recovery

• SAMHSA/NIFA Tribal Opioid Outreach Team Meeting

• SAMHSA

• Tribal Rural Opioid Initiative

• PROSPER SFP 10 – 14 (Iowa State University)

• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – Regional Behavioral Health

• Cache Valley Recovery

• Cache County Council, Councilwoman Worthen

• Bear River Health District (Utah Dept. of Health)

• Box Elder County

• Cache County

• Rich County

• Northern Utah Substance Abuse Prevention Team (NUSAPT)

• Iowa State University - PROSPER

• USU Student Health and Wellness Center

• USU Police

• Create Better Health

• American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP)

• USU Office of Health Equity & Community Engagement

• OEF/OIF Partnership - Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)

• Utah Farm Bureau Federation

• Utah Workforce Services

• Utah Small Business Office

• UPR

• University of Utah College of Nursing: Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program

• Utah Suicide Prevention Campaign Evaluation Technical Advisory Committee

• SLC Veteran’s Administration (VA)

• Four Corners Community Behavioral Health

• Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition

• Utah Rural Opioid Healthcare (UROHC) Consortium

• HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties

• Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA)

• Carbon Addiction Reduction & Elimination (CARE) Coalition


Salt Lake County• Utah Support Advocates for

Recovery Awareness


• Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health

• Salt Lake County Health Department

• Young People in Recovery (Draper and Salt Lake Chapters)

• Addicted We Stand


• University of Utah School of Law

• Timpanogos Law Center

• Disability Law Center

Tooele County• 4-H National Council

• Tooele County School District

• Valley Behavioral Health

• VA SLC Primary Care (PC) Pain Education and Opioid Monitoring Program (POP)

State• Utah Coalition for Opioid Overdose Prevention (UCO-OP)

• DEA 360


Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles Sulzer, S., MacArthur, S., Garcia, Z., Jensen, C. E, Prevedel, S., & Voss, M. W. (2020). Scaling community health coalitions: The well connected communities pilot initiative. Journal of Extension, 58(2). https://joe.org/joe/2020april/iw1.php

Voss, M. W., Yaugher, A., & Atismé, K. (2020). Opioid misuse viewed through person and place in rural America [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Utah State University Extension, Utah State University.

Wray, P., Prevedel, S., MacArthur, S., Voss, M. W., & Sulzer, S. (2020). Farm field days for Navajo youth opioid education [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Utah State University Extension, Utah State University.

Yaugher, A. C., Bench, S. W., Meyers, K., & Voss, M. W. (2020). How psychologists can impact the opioid epidemic. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 51(1), 85-93. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pro0000287

Peer-Reviewed Extension Fact Sheets Atismé, K., & Prestwich, H . (2020). Recovery relationships. Utah State University. https://extension.usu.edu/heart/research/recovery-relationships

Sacco, J., Yaugher, A. C., Keady, T., & Atismé, K. (April, 2020). Opioids and other common substances: What you need to know. Utah State University. https://extension.usu.edu/heart/research/Opioids_and_other_common_substances Williams Condie, A., Yaugher, A. C., Swensen, K., & Voss, M. (January, 2020). Evidence-based alternative pain management techniques for chronic pain. Utah State University. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/extension_curall/2079/

Yaugher, A.C., Atismé, K., Prestwick, H., Arrien, M. , & Williams Condie, A. (March, 2020). Reducing stigma toward medication-assisted treatment: An evidence-based overview of treatment of opioid use disorder. Utah State University. https://extension.usu.edu/heart/files/mat_and_oud_stigma_4.1.20.pdf

Other and Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications Alder, C. & Murza, G. (2020) Utah County community needs assessment in relationship to the opioid crisis. Utah State University Extension.

Atismé, K., Yaugher, A.C., Keady, T., Murza, G., Wright Voss, M., & Savoie-Roskos, M. (2020). Health Extension: Advocacy. Research. Teaching. (HEART) Initiative one pager. https://extension.usu.edu/heart/

Murza, G. (2020). Sheltering in place: Making a supply kit. COVID-19 Resources, Utah State University Extension. https://extension.usu.edu/covid-19/sheltering-in-place-making-a-supply-kit


Murza, G., Atisme, K., Keady, T., Savoie-Roskos, M., Voss, M., & Yaugher, A. C. (2020). Making a family plan. COVID-19 Resources, Utah State University Extension. https://extension.usu.edu/covid-19/making-a-family-plan

Williams Condie, A., Sacco, J., Yaugher, A.C., Meier, C., & Hill, P. (2020). Extension online etiquette guidelines. Utah State University Extension.

Yaugher, A. C. (2020, January). Bringing mindfulness with you in the new year. Utah State University Extension: Aware – Mental Health Education. https://aware.usu.edu/images-ou/Bring-Mindfulness-with-You-in-The-New-Year.jpg

Yaugher, A. C., et al. (February 2019-Present). Little Cities of Hope [Monthly local newspaper series]. In ETV 10 News, Price, UT. View all 17 articles at https://etvnews.com/

Yaugher, A. C., Arrington, R., Atismé, K., Keady, T., Murza, G., Voss, M. W., & Savoie-Roskos, M. (February 2019-Present). Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (HEART) monthly eNewsletter. Retrieve all 17 Newsletters from https://extension.usu.edu/heart/news/index

Yaugher, A. C., Arrington, R., Atismé, K., Keady, T., Wright Voss, M., & Savoie-Roskos, M. (2020). Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (HEART) impact report. https://extension.usu.edu/heart/

Yaugher, A.C., Arrington, R., Atismé, K., Keady, T., Wright Voss, M., & Savoie-Roskos, M. (2019). Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (HEART) 4-page impact document. Retrieve from https://extension.usu.edu/heart/

Yaugher, A.C., Atismé, K., Sacco, J., Williams Condie, A., Arrien, M., McIntosh, A., … Olsen, M. (2019). Community education dinner slides. Price, UT: Carbon and Emery Opioid and Substance Use Coalition. Retrieve online version from https://extension.usu.edu/heart/

Yaugher, A.C., Sacco, J., Arrien, M., & Williams Condie, A. (2019). Substance use disorder & recovery resources. Price, UT: Carbon and Emery Opioid and Substance Use Coalition. Retrieve online version from https://extension.usu.edu/heart/


Abstracts and Posters Atismé, K., Yaugher, A.C., Williams, R., & Williams Condie, A. (2020, February). Informing the national narrative: Stories of Utah’s opioid crisis. Poster presentation at the Utah State University Annual Extension Conference, Logan, UT.

Voss, M.W., Yaugher, A.C., Williams Condie, A., & Swenson, K. (2020, February). Pain education and opioid monitoring program. Poster presentation at the Utah State University Annual Extension Conference, Logan, UT.

Williams Condie, A. , Yaugher, A.C., Swenson, K. , & Voss, M.W. (2020, April). Primary care pain and opioid monitoring program. Poster presentation at the Utah State University Student Research Symposium, Logan, UT. *Presentation reviewed and accepted, and convention online due to COVID-19.

HEART poster presentations at the 2020 USU Extension Annual Conference.

Student intern, Alise Williams Condie, presenting at the 2020 USU Extension Annual Conference.


State, Regional, and National HEART Presentations

Conference PresentationsArrington, R., Yaugher, A. C., Dolan, K., Oliver, R., Torgerson, D., Betts, V., & Cunningham, K. (2019, July). Town hall: Access and resources for justice. Moderator at the Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit, Utah State University Extension, Price, UT.

Atismé, K. (2019, August). HEART background and opportunities for collaboration. DavisLINKS. Farmington, UT.

Atismé, K. (2019, November). Opioid stories equipment training. Online training via Zoom platform.

Atismé, K., Yaugher, A., Bench, S., Taylor-Olsen, C., Clawson, T., & Marshall, R. (2020). HEART Initiative upcoming programming. Coalition of Resources (COR), Ogden, UT.

Halk, H., & Yaugher, A. C. (2019, July). Making connections: Pathways to recovery. Oral presentation at the Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit, Utah State University Extension, Price, UT.

Hamilton, E., Swenson, K., & Voss, M. W. (2020, February). Stories of Utah’s opioid epidemic from Tooele, Utah. Oral presentation at the Utah State University Undergraduate Research Conference, Logan, UT.

McDonald, C., Atismé, K., & Williams, R. (2019, November). Opioid stories community conversations training. USU Extension Davis County, Kaysville, UT.

Voss, M. W. (2019, November). Measuring lost-work opportunity at retirement age. Gerontological Society of America Annual Conference, Austin, TX.

Voss, M. W., Sulzer, S., MacArthur, S., & Cable, C. (2019, July). Master health volunteer program. Oral presentation at the Rural Tribal Opioid Summit, Utah State University Extension, Price, UT.

Voss, M.W., & Yaugher, A. C. (2020, February). Getting published: Peer reviewed journal publication basis. Oral presentation at the Extension Leadership Conference, San Antonio, TX.

White, K. L., Yaugher, A. C., & Chapoose, M. Q. (2019, July). Closing & opportunity drawing. Oral presentation at the Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit, Utah State University Extension, Price, UT.

Willson, J., Dolan, K., Yaugher, A. C., & Bera, J. (2019, August). Rural solutions - development of the Utah rural opioid health care consortium. Oral presentation at the National Association of Rural Mental Health (NARMH), Santa Fe, NM.

Voss and Yaugher presenting at the Extension Leadership Conference in San Antonio in February 2020.


Yaugher, A. C. (2019, July). Closing – Shine a light to illuminate recovery. Oral presentation at the Rural Opioid Health & Wellness Summit, Utah State University Extension, Price, UT.

Yaugher, A. C. (2019, September). Mindfulness overview and activity. Oral presentation (4) at the Utah Association of Family and Consumer Science Fall Conference (UAFCS): Fuel Your Passion From Within, Sandy, UT.

Yaugher, A. C. (2019, September). Psychology and the opioid crisis – roundtable discussion. Oral presentation at the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

Yaugher, A. C., & Shakespear, K. D. (2019, November). Enhancing rural impacts through effective partnerships. Oral presentation at the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) National Rural Health Day 2019, Online. https://services.choruscall.com/links/hrsa191121.html

Yaugher, A. C. (Moderator), Shakespear, K. D., Prevedel, S., & Voss, M. W. (2020, April). Opioid use disorder panel. Panel presentation at the Rural Health Association of Utah 2020 Annual Conference Webinar: Building Partnerships for Rural Well-Being, St. George, UT.

Yaugher, A. C., Bench, S. W., Meyers, K. J., & Voss, M. W. (2020, April). How psychologists can help with the opioid crisis. Oral paper presentation at the 2020 Annual Rocky Mountain Psychological Association Convention, Denver, CO. *Presentation reviewed and accepted, and convention cancelled due to COVID-19.

Yaugher, A.C. (2020, March). Stigma and cultural competence from rural community perspectives. Oral presentation at the American Psychological Association (APA) Interdisciplinary Summit on the Opioid Crisis (ISOC), Washington, DC. *Summit postponed due to COVID-19.

Image from the 2019 National Association of Rural Mental Health (NARMH) Conference presentation with community partners as part of the Utah Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium (UROHC).


Other PresentationsAtismé, K., Yaugher, A. C, Bench, S. W., Taylor-Olsen, C. u, Clawson, T., & Marshall, R. u (2020, April). HEART Initiative Upcoming Programming. Coalition of Resources (COR). Ogden, UT.

Weekly harm reduction group at Clear Recovery of Cache Valley, Providence, UT.

Keady, T. (2019, July). Naloxone education and trainings (4 trainings). Oral presentation at the 2019 Rural Opioid Health and Wellness Summit, Price, UT.

Keady, T. (2019, July). The Truth, Clear Recovery Quarterly Conference, Clear Recovery of Cache Valley, Whittier Community Center, Logan, UT.

Keady, T. (July, 2019). Wound care. Oral presentation at the 2019 Rural Opioid Health and Wellness Summit, Price, UT.

Keady, T. (2019, August), Seniors and opioids - Risks, options, and overdose, opioids and seniors. Cache Valley Senior Center, Logan, UT.

Keady, T. (2019, September). How do we reduce suicide in our community? [Town Hall Meeting: From Hope to Cope (Suicide in our Community]. Box Elder Suicide Prevention Coalition, Box Elder Fairgrounds, UT.

Keady, T. (2019, December). Opioid and naloxone education and training for farms in Utah, safety education featuring opioid and naloxone education and training to dairy farm employees. Nye Family Dairies, Millard County, UT.

Keady, T. (2019, December). Safety education featuring opioid and naloxone education and training to retail store employees. USU Extension, IFA Country Store, Delta, UT.

Keady, T. (2019-2020). Harm reduction group educational presentations at Clear Recovery of mentorship model to teach healthy living practices to Native American youth. Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI.

Keady, T. & Atisme, K. (2019, November). Opioid and naloxone education and training. Homeless shelter opioid and naloxone education and training. Lantern House, Ogden, UT.

Murza, G. (2020, May). Utah County Health and Wellness Program and HEART Initiative. [Virtual presentation]. South Franklin Community Partnership Meeting. GoToWeb Platform.

Neff, K., Slade, J., Clegg, P., & Voss, M. W. (2020, June). We’re all in this together: Lessons from coalition building in rural Utah. Addiction and Policy Update, PARCKA, Salt Lake City, UT. *Presentation reviewed and accepted, and convention postponed due to COVID-19.

Voss, M. W., & Austin, M. (2020, June). Peer support specialist training: A hybrid model to increase accessibility. Addiction and Policy Update, PARCKA, Salt Lake City, UT. *Presentation reviewed and accepted, and convention postponed due to COVID-19.

Wray, P., MacArthur, S., Sulzer, S., Prevedel, S., Keady, T., "Utilizing a Peer Mentorship Model to Teach Healthy Living Practices to Native American Youth", Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI. January 2020.

Yaugher, A. C. (2020, March). Practicing mindfulness during difficult times. [Video]. https://youtu.be/1hJ69M3OdKw or https://extension.usu.edu/heart/resources


Yaugher, A. C., & Williams-Condie, A. (2019, September). Public input on USU Extension impacts and sustainability needs. Oral presentation at the Utah State Legislature’s Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee Opioid Overdose Crisis Town Hall, Price, UT.

Yaugher, A. C., Campbell, E. & Eley, S. (2020, May). Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition Overview. Utah Prevention Coalition Association (UPCA). [Online webinar]. Retrieve online information from https://utahprevention.org/coalition/carbonandemery/

Yaugher, A. C., Wright Voss, M., Keady, T., Atismé, K., & Arrington, R. (2020, April). Stress & stress management: A brief overview. [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd9AOS4gZ3g or https://extension.usu.edu/heart/resources

Yaugher, A. C., Wright Voss, M., Savoie-Roskos, M., Atismé, K., Keady, T., & Murza, G. (2020, April 10). How to manage stress – Extension HEART team tips [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lZendBXzrY

Yaugher, A. C., Atismé, K., Sacco, J., Williams Condie, A. , Arrien, M., McIntosh, A., … Olsen, M. (2020, April). Community education dinner slides. Carbon and Emery Opioid and Substance Use Coalition. [Online Webinar Presentation]. https://extension.usu.edu/heart/community-education-dinner

Yaugher, A. C., Atismé, K., Sacco, J., Williams Condie, A. , Arrien, M., McIntosh, A., Beecher, R., Halk, H., Jensen, C., Bera, J., Anderson, A., Dolan, K., Willson, J., Eley, S., Donathan, K., Marvidikis, D., Hopes, C., Jensen, L., Montgomery, A., … Olsen, M. (2020, June).  Community education dinner webinar- Green River. [Online webinar]. https://extension.usu.edu/heart/community-education-dinner

Yaugher, A. C., Atismé, K., Sacco, J., Williams Condie, A. , Arrien, M., McIntosh, A., … Olsen, M. (June 2019- February 2020). Community education dinner. [Oral presentation]. Carbon and Emery Opioid and Substance Use Coalition (4 in-person events). Carbon and Emery Counties, UT.


HEART Team and Individual Awards

Epsilon Sigma Phi Western Distinguished Team Award (ESP, National)

Distinguished Team Award (HEART Initiative), Epsilon Sigma Phi IOTA Chapter (ESP, Utah)

Peer Recognition Award (Ashley Yaugher), Utah Extension Association of Family & Consumer Science (UEAFCS)

Innovative Program Individual Award (Ashley Yaugher, Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition), UEAFCS

Innovative Program Team Award (HEART Initiative), UEAFCS

Marketing/Public Relations Team Award (HEART Beat Newsletter), UEAFCS

Diversity Team Award (Informing the National Narrative: Stories of Utah’s Opioid Crisis; HEART Team), UEAFCS

Innovative Program Team Award (Master Health Volunteer Program), UEAFCS

Diversity Team Award (Tribal and Rural Opioid Initiative), UEAFCS

Family Health & Wellness Award (Tribal and Rural Opioid Initiative), UEAFCS – Maren Voss

Outstanding Quarterly Member (July–September 2019), Utah Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium (UROHC) HRSA Grant – Ashley Yaugher

Center for Large Data Research and Data Sharing in Rehabilitation: Visiting Scholar – Maren Voss

Science-Industry Research Awarded Collaborator, Stanford Center on Longevity – Maren Voss

Marketing/Public Relations Team Award (Debunked Podcast), UEAFCS

Impact Collaborative Summit: Catalyzing Innovation & Organizational Change for Greater Local Impact – HEART Team Award

Create Better Health – Outstanding Community Partner – Tim Keady

2020

2020

2020

2020

2020

2020

2020

2020

2020

2020

2019

2019

2020

2020

2019

2019

Epsilon Sigma Phi HEART Team Award 2020.


Contracts and Grants

Grants Yaugher, A.C. [Principal Investigator, (PI)], Atismé, K. (Co-PI), & Bench, S.W. (Co-PI, Evaluator). (2020, April 1–2022, August 31). Decreasing opioid use disorder treatment stigma with data to action education. State of Utah Department of Health Violence & Injury Prevention Program. $252,334.79. Funded.

Yaugher, A.C. (PI). (2019, June 1–2020, June 30). Advancing UCO-OP goals with community education through the Carbon and Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition. Utah Coalition for Opioid Overdose Prevention (UCO-OP). $19,551. Funded.

Murza, G. (PI), Meier, C. (Co-PI), Pay, C. (Co-PI), & Yaugher, A. (Co-PI). (2020 June–2020 December). Adapting the master remote work professional certificate course for use in Utah prisons: Identifying best practices to address the needs of inmates. Rural Online Initiative. $3,500. Funded.

Voss, M.W. [Co-Project Director (PD)]. (2019–2022). Rural communities opioid response-implementation. HRSA Grant. $1,000,000.

Voss, M.W. (PD) (2019–2020). 2019 Distance learning and telemedicine grant—opioid funding. USDA RUS Grant. $175,039.

Voss, M.W. (PD). (2019). Needs assessment for pain education opioid monitoring program for community-dwelling veterans. VA-SLC Grant. $31,878.

Voss, M.W. (PD). (2019). Pain education and opioid monitoring program. USU Extension Grant. $30,000.

Voss, M.W. (Co-PD). (2019–2021). Health rocks! 4-H mentoring program implementation. 4-H National Council Grant. $54,466; 4-H National Council Continuance Grant. $48,000.

Federal - $3,128,451

Internal/Extension - $79,200

State - $379,763.79

External Funding Acquired for Conferences (Non-grant) Sponsorships/ In Kind Donations of over $40,000 for 2019 Rural Tribal Opioid Summit.


Voss, M.W. (Co-PD) (2019). Communities talk. SAMHSA Award. $1,500.

Voss, M.W. (Evaluator). (2019–2024). Community capacity building grant for prevention services. Subaward. $24,000.

Voss, M.W. (Mentor). (2019–2020). Utah public health student research grant award. UPHA Award. $1,000.

Voss, M.W. (PD). (2020–2021). PEACE pain education support group. Rocky Mountain Power Association. $2,000. MacArthur, S. (PI), & Keady, T. (Co-PI) (2019, June 20–2021, July 1). PROSPER - Box Elder School District. Iowa State University, Private, $110,000. Current Status: Funded

MacArthur, S. (Co-PI), Keady, T. (Co-PI), Narine, L. K. (Co-PI), Jensen, C. E. (Supporting), & Wray, P. (Supporting). (2019–2021). Opioid prevention for rural Utah youth through PROSPER. National Institute of Food and Agriculture. $324,841. Current Status: Funded.

Sulzer, S. (PI), Prevedel, S. (Co-PI), Savoie Roskos, M. (Supporting), Keady, T. (Supporting), Yaugher, A.(Supporting), Arrington, R. (Supporting),…Chapoose, M. (Supporting). (2018, September 30–2020, September 29). Translating effective opioid harm reduction and wellness training to tribal and rural Utah. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Federal. $1,094,338. Current Status: Funded.

Sulzer, S. (Principal), Savoie Roskos, M. (Supporting), Arrington, R. (Supporting), Keady, T. (Supporting), Voss, M. (Supporting), Yaugher, A. (Supporting), & Atismé, K. (Supporting), (2018, September–2020, August). Rural health and safety education grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NIFA UTAH, Federal. $320,267. Current Status: Funded.

Atismé, K. (PI), Yaugher, A.C. (Co-PI), Williams, R. (Co-PI).: Arrington, R., Voss, M., Keady, T.,… Community Scholars (Collaborators). (2019 April–2020, October). Informing the national narrative: The stories of Utah’s opioid crisis. Utah State University Extension Grants Program. $26,700. Funded.

Keady, T. (PI), Yaugher, A.C. (Co-PI), Voss, M. (Supporting), Arrington, R. (Supporting), Atismé, K. (Supporting), & Savoie Roskos, M. (Supporting). (2019, June 1–2019, December 1). Impact collaborative summit grant: USU HEART team grant application. eXtension Foundation. $5,000. Funded.

Contracts Yaugher, A.C. (2019, September–2022, September). Membership stipend/MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AND BYLAWS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE “Utah Rural Opioid Healthcare Consortium (UROHC). Southern Utah AHEC. $9,000.

Murza, G. (PI). (2020, May–2020, September). USU Extension internship grant 2020–2021. USU VP for Extension. (May 2020-September 2020). $4,000. Funded.

Murza, G. (PI). (2020, February–2021, February). New faculty grant 2020-2021. USU VP for Extension. $10,000. Awarded.


Special Thanks The HEART team would like to give a special thanks to the following individuals and organizations for their support and assistance over the past year.

• Community members throughout Utah, without your collaboration and input we could not do the meaningful work needed in our communities!

• County Commissioners: Davis, Weber, Cache, Box Elder, Utah, Salt Lake, Tooele, Carbon, and Emery counties.

• County Law Enforcement: Davis, Weber, Cache, Box Elder, Utah, Salt Lake, Tooele, Carbon, and Emery counties.

• Local Medical Providers and Specialists: Davis, Weber, Cache, Box Elder, Utah, Salt Lake, Tooele, Carbon, and Emery counties.

• Carbon & Emery Opioid & Substance Use Coalition Members

• DEA 360



• Bear River Health Department

• Davis County Health Department

• Salt Lake County Health Department

• Southeast Utah Health District

• Tooele County Health Department

• Utah County Health Department

• Weber-Morgan Health Department

• Utah Department of Health Violence & Injury Prevention Program

• Utah Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH)

• Utah State University Eastern

• Clear Recovery of Cache Valley


• Kent's Markets

• SAMHSA and NIFA Grant Team Members

• USU Extension Leadership, Home and Community Department

• USU Extension Colleagues: Davis, Weber, Cache, Box Elder, Utah, Salt Lake, Tooele, Carbon, and Emery counties.

• USU HEART Initiative Team Members

• Cristian Meier, Ph.D.

• Mateja Savoie Roskos, Ph.D.

• Sandra Sulzer, Ph.D.

• Salt Lake Public Health Center

• Utah Coalition for Opioid Overdose Prevention (UCO-OP)

• Red Butte Garden

• River Writing, Nan Seymour

• PARCKA and University of Utah

• NAMI Utah

• Lydia Bangerter

• Ogden Civic Action Network Opioid Taskforce

• Weber Human Services

• Local Substance Abuse Authority: Bear River Mental Health, Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, Davis Behavioral Health, Salt Lake County Behavioral Health, Utah County Division of Substance Abuse, Valley Mental Health-Tooele, Wasatch Mental Health

• Davis4Health

• Utah Women & Leadership Project

• Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA)

health, extension: advocacy, research, & teaching

Documents