by April Scheinoha
Editor
The Red Lake County Opioid Task Force is attacking substance use from various fronts.
Formed in May 2024, the task force was created to invest in grassroots solutions to combat substance use. The task force includes public health, behavioral health service providers, the Red Lake County Social Services Department, law enforcement, county commissioners, school superintendents and Inter-County Community Council. It is funded with the opioid settlements provided to the state of Minnesota.
Miranda Greichen, public health educator with Pennington and Red Lake County Public Health & Home Care, is among those serving on the task force. She said the task force has distributed naloxone kits to four locations in Red Lake County. The kits can be found at Inter-County Community Council in Oklee, the Red Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Red Lake Falls, and fire halls in Oklee and Red Lake Falls. Besides including naloxone, which rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, the kits include test strips for fentanyl and xylazine. Each kit also contains information about community resources.
In addition to providing the kits, the task force hosts naloxone education events and provides funding. Two types of funding are available – flex funds and mini-grants. Flex funds are provided to cover a month of monthly expenses for an individual enrolled in treatment or their family.
Mini-grants are available for businesses and faith-based organizations for their substance use prevention efforts. Mini-grants range from $500 to $3,000. For instance, Greichen said the task force may provide funding for community and advocacy events.
In April, the task force hopes to start a support group similar to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. The support group will use “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.” Greichen explained it will focus on issues related to substance use addiction and recovery as well as such issues as gambling addiction and recovery, dysfunctional families and trauma.
The task force is also trying to create a Youth Advisory Board.
For more information, contact Miranda Greichen at 218-681-0876, ext. 163 or magreichen@penningtonmn.gov.