April 27, 2025 • 30 mins
DR. MCNEILL DISCUSSES THEIR UPCOMING YOUTH FAIR WHICH PROVIDES HEALTH SCREENINGS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY MEMEBERS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON OPIOID AWARENESS
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Light Up the D, a focus on what's
happening in our community from the people who make it happen.
Here's your host, iHeartMedia Detroit Market President Colleen Grant.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning and welcome to Light Up the D. I'm
your host, Colleen Grant. Thanks for joining us today. Doctor
Cynthia McNeil, along with project assistants Mohammad al Hasham and
Boushrah Hassan, represent two multimillion dollar federally funded grants led
by Wayne State University College of Nursing with a shared
focus on addressing opioid related desks. These initiatives are dedicated
(00:35):
to reducing health disparities and improving community health outcomes in
partnership with local organizations. They're hosting a free, family friendly
event on May third, focused on addressing substance use featuring
health greetings, youth performances, over forty vendors, free food, and
comprehensive mental health and substance use resources.
Speaker 6 (00:57):
Welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Mohammad al Hasham, Bushrah Hassan and doctor Cynthia McNeil. Why
don't we just start by an overall description of the
grants and who you're helping in their goals?
Speaker 3 (01:10):
So we actually here are here representing two federally funded grants,
one of which is called the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program,
where we're looking at improving the care of geriatrics in
the state of Michigan. And the other grant is called
the Bridge Grant coming from the Healthy and Human Services Department,
and it's covering opio eight deaths and colorectal cancer screening
(01:31):
is what we're defining to address. But specifically we're here
to talk about how opioids touch both of these grants
and how we're using that platform on May third to
address that disparity.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Okay, great, and how severe are the problems that make
this grant so critical to the community.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Well, opioids impact everyone, right, we have We've seen a
growth in the opioid depths and in the youth. We
know that the adults have also an issue with opioid
depths and overdoses. And I can lean to Boush and
Mohammed to kind of give us some statistics about that data.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Absolutely, as doctor McNeil was saying, opioids do touch every
part of life within Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Most importantly,
Detroit residents are disproportionally affected by not just health outcomes
in general, but by opioid death's misuse in overdose. In
twenty twenty one, Detroit was disproportionately affected by COVID and
(02:24):
its long lasting effects. So Detroit residents have a lower
life expectancy than Wayne County, Michigan and the state of
Michigan as a whole.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
Something else that affects this problem is like how opioids
are actually prescribed. So there's actually like a data tool
called the Detroit Surveillance. Basically, they collect a bunch of
data when it comes to like opioids and things like that.
One of the things that they found is that when
you look at the prescription rate in Detroit, it's actually
about ninety five prescriptions per one hundred residents versus eighty
(03:00):
prescriptions per one hundred residents just an overall Michigan. So
there's like an obvious disparity there. And then when you
kind of hone in on it a little bit more,
you look at high dose prescription rates. So Detroit's rate
when it comes to this particular metric is actually double
that of the state average. So in Detroit you'll find
that thirteen per one hundred residents on average are prescribed
(03:21):
higher dose opioids versus seven per one hundred and just
Michigan overall. So obviously this is contributing to the problem
a very very big way.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Why the more prescriptions, why the higher dose is specifically
in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
So when you look at that, you know, some of
that just comes from the addictive nature of these particular medications.
And when though, you know, as you get tolerance for
these medications, again, your need for higher doses go up
and up and up. And unfortunately, people have the responsibility
to understand how addictive these medications are, both the patients
(03:55):
and the providers. And so what happens is that when
these prescriptions are valuable and prescribe, then they become accessible
to everyone in the family and the medicine cabinets. But
I think that one of the most pressing issues is
when you hear about the fitinel overdoses. So again we're
talking specifically about the prescribers and the prescriptions, but we
(04:15):
have not even touched on the amount of fitinel overdoses
and depths that we're seeing. The things that are our
laced with fitanyl now that are kind of street ready
that you can kind of buy off of the street,
whether that's buying somebody else's prescribe medication or whether there's
people who are formulating different things under the opioid category.
You know, people don't even know what's really in these
pills or in these tabs, and so they're taking them
(04:39):
and they have high levels of fitting all in them
as well, and.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
That is contributing to the need for higher doses and
the additions.
Speaker 6 (04:46):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
So again, if you're if somebody cuts you off as
a provider and says we don't want to prescribe for
you anymore because we're concerned about addiction, they're going to
go to the street and they can get access to
these medications even on the streets as well.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Which populations are you targeting with your effort to help.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
I would say, we're to the whole family, and we
looked at the data, and the data is showing that
these opioid overdoses and depths are impacting people from middle
school all the way through our aging population. So we're
definitely holding this event on May third to kind of
capture the whole family, get the whole family in one
space to kind of talk about even if you are
(05:24):
prescribed these medications, how to keep them safe? So the
grandchildren are not accessing these medications, are taking them to school?
Speaker 6 (05:30):
Are those kind of things?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Wow? Why Wayne State University College of Nursing, Why were
you appointed as the hub for this kind of work?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, I would say that nursing is in a great
position for health promotion and disease prevention. Even my colleagues
here with their masters in public health, I think nursing
really does a great job in bringing people together to
really address health disparities. And so that is one of
the reasons why we are leading these MUNTI million dollar
grants because we have the ability to kind of bring
everybody to the table, leverage them expertise on problem solving
(06:02):
and how can we find solutions related to addressing this
specific issue, but other health disparities as well. So with
both of these grants, we have a multi disciplinary approach
looking at pulling everybody together to make sure that we
are protecting our communities.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
And talk to me a little bit about you know,
the president of Wayne State's feelings on empowering health and
Detroit as a part of the university's prosperity of Chanda.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah, So at the president of Wayne State University has
made it very clear that health and prosperity is something
that we should be committed to as Wayne State University,
especially with us being located in Detroit, Michigan and seen
as a resource. So we feel responsible for making sure
that we're doing programming and doing initiatives that are definitely
impacting the lived experience of the people that are in
(06:51):
our area. Like I said, Waynes Stay University has been
here for decades.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
We didn't just come here.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
So we have been through many decades of being able
to leverage our resources and help the community, and we're
going to continue to do that even in this current climate.
So Wayne Say University is here and that's our responsibility.
These are our people, and so we want to make
sure that they know that we are here and make
sure that we're doing programming that's definitely going to touch
their lives.
Speaker 6 (07:16):
And this is not research. This is actual.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Things, skills and experiences that they can actually take with
them to improve their own families and communities as well.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Well. That kind of programming must be a huge undertaking.
Are there other organizations, local groups, or institutions that you
partner with to fulfill the.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Scram Yes, and that's really going to be seen on
May third. We have partnered with mental health institutions, We've
partnered with other health providers. We partner with other clinics
in the hospital systems. We partner with other community based
organizations using all of their expertise to kind of help
us address this issue. We've partnered with community centers anywhere
(07:54):
where we can touch the people that really need this
information and these skills. We have them as part and
everybody has agreed that we need to be doing this
and we need to be working together to leverage our resources.
So both grants have a lot of partners. For African
American community, for the MINA community, we've all came together
to address this specific issue.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
And what kind of you were talking about, like the
different skills and can you give us some examples of those.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
So yes, we actually trained one hundred people in NARCAN
training in the beginning of January. One of the grants
really focuses on empowering the community and community based organizations
to kind of help address these initiatives or these issues
on their own. So we trained one hundred people and
then they are representative of religious entities, community based organizations.
And so what happens is that now that they're trained,
(08:44):
we can partner with them to go to their communities,
let them take the lead, and then we provide them
with the support, the narcan, the education, anything that they
need to kind of disseminate this information. So it's not
the situation where we're coming into their community and doing
something for them and then leaving. We are coming into
their community equipping them with skills and tools that will
(09:05):
last way beyond the grant. And so this particular healthfare
on May third is another example of we'll be doing
NARCAN training. You will give NARCAN kits, We will be
able to kind of show you how you can go
out and then again spread the education, spread the knowledge
to address this disparity.
Speaker 6 (09:21):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
So if somebody's not familiar with NARCAN, give them, you know,
give us an idea of what that provides.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
Right, So when we look at opio eight deaths as
a huge disparity, people can use the NARCAN as a
medication that helps the individual survive and overdose. Now this
is only narcan only works when it's opioids related. So,
for example, if somebody was having an opioid overdose. The
administration of this NARCAN medication will take that those receptors
(09:50):
that's holding the opioid, that's causing the breathing to be decreased,
that's causing them to lead into this overdose presentation. That
nar can will pop off those opioids from those receptors
and allow that person to again to breathe easier while
we call nine one one to kind of get some help.
It buys us some time to prevent that person from
(10:14):
dying from this opioid overdose. And so right at this
particular moment, that's one of our most valuable tools is
to be able to have something that we can administer
in a crisis situation that can buy time for that
patient until the nine to one one or our rescuers
can get there to get them to a higher level
of care.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
And that's what we have right now.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, thank goodness.
Speaker 6 (10:34):
Did you have something to say, bosh.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Oh, I was just going to go along and just
with doctor McNeil what she was saying and really empower
individuals to use the narcan as well and think that
it applies to everybody of all ages. So whether you're
a twelve year old in the house who may have
to administer it to an older brother or to your grandma,
or if you're twenty six twenty seven going out partying
(10:58):
and just keeping that in your purse, are in your pocket,
or even just the geriatric individual. I'm just keeping that
on hand and really just empowering individuals to use it
when needed, and really emphasizing the power that it does
not hurt an individual, it can only help them. So
if an individual is not overdosing, when you administer the narcan,
it will not hurt them. So in the event that
(11:19):
they are overdosing, you can only help them by administering our.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, it can be a real life saver. Yeah, so
there's no risk. You want to give something a try,
you're going to need to pull that out and help
that person out and hopefully that's the solution for them. So, hey,
I understand high school students play a role in your effort.
We were talking about how the community is involved and
different partners are involved. But high school students, why is
(11:45):
it good for them to be involved? How are they
involved in us?
Speaker 6 (11:48):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
So, the May third event, and we called this stumping out.
It has been an existing since twenty and twelve and
it came from an understanding that most of the time,
youth are being total information and they will be receptive
if they were involved in the whole health promotion piece,
because adolescent is a great time. It's the best time
to really get those strong characteristics and those strong health
(12:10):
behaviors to lead to healthier outcomes over lifespan. So the
stumping out initiative came out of save them with the
stomping away various epidemics by teaching health education and mentoring.
We do an annual health fare where the youth teach us.
So now we've turned the tables where the youth have
taken time to learn about the disparity, learn about the epidemic,
(12:33):
and they're going to be teaching us on this day
their perspectives related to this year it's opioid. Every year
we change the theme, and over the past twelve years,
you'd be amazed at how wise youth are and how
their perspective about certain diseases and disparities really bring education
for all of the other peers and adults in the room.
(12:56):
And so on May third, they're going to be performing
it's called a step show, but they're going to be
performing using this theme and telling a story to the
audience about why it is important to address this disparity.
And like I said, the youth bring everybody in the
whole family, their parents, their grandparents, their siblings, So they're
the greatest catalysts to be leaders in this area and
(13:16):
be able to share with us their perspective and let
us have a conversation about how we can better improve
the disparity.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
O world well, and for them to be involved in
that way. You know, in what ways are other community
voices or other lived experiences shaping the design and delivery
of your programs.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Right, So, like I said, we've been doing this for
twelve years and just the feedback alone. In twenty sixteen,
we published an article which showed that just as many
youth as adults learned from this particular activity. And so
we take those feedback and we improve the event year
after year. So like now we're talking about substance use,
a majority of our vendors on May third will be
(13:57):
related to mental health and substance use. We will all
have physical health screening by like Wayne Health Mobile, so
if you need a physical health screening. But again taking
in the comments that we want a holistic approach to health.
We want it to be a non threatening way for
individuals to access information and we will have fun. We
have a music we have DJ we have a photo booth.
(14:18):
So again, this is a way to learn information, to
lean on the expertise of our health care entities, our
mental health providers in the community to allow to have
this readily available support, and like I said, in a
non threatening way so that people can ask questions, to
have conversations without feeling targeted or without feeling ashamed.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Well, let's get into the nuts and bolts of the
May third event. Tell us about the time, where it's located.
All you mentioned vendors that you have involved in activities
that are going to be fun. Let's delve more into that.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
So this event will be Saturday, May third, from eleven
am to three pm at Dirphy Innovation Society. We have
the direct address, but if you just pull it in
into Google, that'll come up. So this event is for
all ages. We want to make sure everybody brings their family,
even if you're alone, come out and join us at
(15:11):
any point, whether you want to join for the step show,
to learn from our youth on opioids or if you
want to just simply get a health screening from Wayne's
mobile health unit. We are excited to see you all.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
And it's called Stomping Out Substance Abuse.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
This year's theme is Stumping out Substance Abuse, And the
previous years we've had different themes, like the last two
years have been just mental health. So again, changing the
theme every year allows us to use this platform to
address multiple disparities. And like I said, May third, we're
really focusing on substance use with a strong emphasis on opioids.
We will have vendors there that are specific to training
(15:48):
for opioid and narcan administration. We will have like I said,
mental health providers because we're not just addressing the opioid use,
we're also addressing the underlying reasons why individual go to
substances right looking at mental health conditions such as depression
and those things. So now we're gonna really talk about
really the core of why individuals may even turn to
(16:10):
substances to begin with, and let them know that resources
are there to kind of help them navigate mental health resources,
a counselor those individuals are going to be there to
kind of help kind of navigate that space. But then again,
mental health is just as important as physical health, and
that's another thing that we try to emphasize with this
may third event. We're gonna have the blood pressure, We're
gonna do cholesterol testing, we're gonna check a kidney function. Again,
(16:33):
these things work together to give people the best quality
of life and the best health outcomes that they can
have there. And like I said, we have incentives. We'll
do raffles, we'll do gift cards. We'll also have free
food and music and different things like that. But a
lot of our vendors are going to be individuals in
the community that are providing a service. And so though
we have a focus on opioids, the vendors there are
(16:55):
vast We have universities for individuals that are looking to
go to college soon. We have resources in the community
for utility assistance or like I said, counseling services or
clinics that are in an area that can provide other resources
and services. So though we focus on a health topic,
we have the forty vendors that cover a wide range
(17:16):
of needs in the community.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
That's great. We're just joining us today. We're joined by
Wade State University College of nursings representatives doctor Cynthira McNeil,
Mohammad al Hasham, and Boushah Hassan speaking today about stomping
out substance abuse in the event happening May third, let's
take a little stop down where would people find more
information on the event if they wanted to see everything
(17:42):
that you've just described.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Sure, so, our community partner again is Save Them stomach
away various epidemics by teaching, health education and mentoring. So
if you go to Save Them Detroit all one word
dot org, you will be able to find more information
the flyer, more information about our previous events, and hopefully
will entice you to come out and join us.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
So you said you've been doing the working under the
SCRANT program for twelve years.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Else, well, to Save Them initiative has been going on
for twelve years. The grants that we referred to, the
one that's dealing with addressing opio eight deaths and collorectal
cancer screening, and the one dealing with improving geriatric care
we just received last year.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Okay, all right, well that's great, congratulations on that's such
a big deal. And then you've been working with Save
Them for the twelve years. Have you had any noticeable
outcomes thus far? What have you seen happen over the
course of the time period.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Yeah, so, like I said, in twenty sixty, we actually
published a peer review article that really gave some data
and demographics about how many people were actually coming. That's
when we learned that just as many adults come as youth.
So initially it was about attracting the youth and giving
the youth a platform, but we found that through that
article and looking at the data that just as many
adults come out and they learn, and so when we
(18:59):
look at at how effective this particular event is about
touching everybody in the family. That was validated in twenty sixteen.
We've also got some anecdotal responses about just even the
step teams as they're working on their performances, they're learning, right,
they have to learn factual information in order to incorporate
it into their performance. And it is a thousand dollars
(19:19):
grand prize, so they are very motivated to really do
a great juice. Yes, but there's one thousand dollars grand prize,
So the youth are very motivated to make sure they
are given a great performance. But they actually learn as
they're creating their performances about the facts related to this.
So that's another way to impact the youth about these
particular disparities.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
What additional initiatives is the grant supporting specifically to address
opioid related tasks.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
So we, like I said, we just trained one hundred
individuals in January with the NARKAM training, and we continuing
to do the NARKM training throughout the community. We were
at middle schools, we're at high school we're doing youth
and posiums. Mohammed can tell us a little bit more
about some of the initiatives that we're even doing in
the Mina community.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
Yeah, so we're actually reaching out to a few different
community partners in the Mina community to actually address some
of this stuff. And you know, some of the things
that you'll learn when you're actually working with these community
partners is, particularly with minority groups, there's a lot of
stigma that kind of you know, surrounds this type of issue.
So when it comes to like data collection, for example,
(20:28):
you can't really fully capture what's actually happening. And if
the you know, interventions you're doing are actually you know,
doing what they're saying they're doing. So, you know, some
of the stuff that we're doing is trying to figure
out ways to navigate that problem, to better capture the data,
to better reflect you know, what the community actually wants
from the types of interventions that we're doing. So for example,
(20:51):
like one of the things that you'll notice is people
are very like picky when it comes to like their
name being collected or their rayfnic see all these things, right, Like,
they especially with a lot of things that are going
on now, like they just want to be very discreet
as possible. So kind of tailoring those like data collection
methods to basically make it to where they're comfortable sharing
(21:16):
their experiences and not feeling intimidated. And it's kind of
a you know, give and take type of situation where
like we as the academics could actually learn from these
type of things so that we can make tailored approaches
to you know, the interventions that we're trying to implement
in these communities and.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Working with different cultures, you will realize that people don't
talk about certain things, you know, because of maybe embarrassment.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
That's a great point, and so again we're.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Really trying to be culturally appropriate when we're trying to
work with these different communities because we want you to
be safe and feel safe. If you have an addiction
that is not something that talks badly about you as
a person.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
That's a health issue.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
We can help with that, we can talk about what
we need to do to kind of get you to
a better space. But when people feel like they're going
to be stigmatized, when they feel like people are going
to judge them and talk about them, they are less
likely to seek help. And right now we're just trying
to change that.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
I hear that so often in so many different organizations,
just the reduction of stigmatism and really making you know,
education available is that it's a health situation that they're
working through and that you're trying to help them with.
Are there any anecdotes that illustrate the importance or the
impact of the work that you're doing that you can share.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
So I think that one of the biggest anecdotes have
just been those individuals that have made it through maybe
addiction and talking about how it's been so valuable when
they heard that somebody was not judging them and that
they actually had an opportunity to get.
Speaker 6 (22:48):
Resources in a non threatening way.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
And so, as I said at this particular event that
we're having on May third, the mental health providers are there.
They will provide culturally appropriate resources for you, sometimes even
providers that look like you. And I think that that's
another big piece that individuals sometimes struggle with, is finding
providers that actually look like them and kind of understand
(23:10):
some of their cultural background.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
And so hearing that because.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
We made this available, because we made this platform in
this space available, they felt comfortable actually talking to somebody now,
and that now we made it into a way where
it's not stigmatizing, and now we made it into a
way where they feel comfortable seeking help with it. They've
been told it's okay, it's okay to seek help. I
think that's one thing. And the other thing I think
is very important to me, I think is equipping communities
(23:37):
to address some of these disparities on their own. They
may not know me, but if I couldn't equip the pastor,
or if I couldn't equip somebody from that community that
you do know, and then they can then go in
and do that education piece, show you where the resources are.
You may not get it from me because you don't
know me or you may not feel comfortable, but we
were equipping people that you do feel comfortable with. And
(23:58):
I think that that's going to be one of the
greatest outcomes of this particular initiative is that we are
going to leave something in the community when the grant
funding is over. We're going to leave them with skills
on the disparity of opioid overdoses. We're going to leave
them with skills in terms of being able to use
in our cant, understanding where to go get in our
can if you find yourself in that position. Again, these
(24:21):
skills are what's going to sustain the community after.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Really, how long is the grant period?
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Four So the two grants, one is four years and
one is five years. So the one that's dealing specifically
with opioid overdoses and collarectal cancer is a four year grant,
and the one that's dealing with the improving the care
of geriatrics in general, that's a five year grant.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
And how do you sustain you know, you'd said, obviously
you're teaching people, and they're teaching people and hopefully they're
but how do you sustain all the work that you're
doing all the good you know that you're creating in
the community, how do you sustain that after a grant ends?
Speaker 3 (24:54):
So, you know, I think that that's a very good question,
and one of the things that we were very intentional
about who our partners. So we apply for this grant,
This is a grant as a certain period of time,
but our partners are people in the community that we're
doing this work before us, and that will continue to
do this work after us. One great example is the
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Again, they were
here before we got this grant funding, they will be
(25:17):
here after us. But what happened is that now that
we have this grant, we can then find best practices.
We can then be able to have them involved as
partners in the beginning to help us, help guide us,
and whatever we find that's gonna be something that is
gonna stick or something that's best practices, they're gonna continue
moving forward. So I think the answer to your question
(25:37):
is that we were very intentional with who our partners were,
and we partner with entities that were already in these
spaces so that when this grant is over, they still
will have the skills we're empowering them.
Speaker 6 (25:49):
We're giving them the skills, We're giving the community the skills.
We could just step.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
Back once we've done our job, and then they will
still be able to have the tools and the skills
necessary to not only make an impact in this but
also be able to capture the impact, to evaluate the
impact we're teaching them. How do you why why is
it important to have attendencies? Why is it important to
capture your impact? Just in case it's another grant opportunity,
(26:14):
you will be able to make a stance on your
own accord that you have been able to make these
impacts based off of your organization mission may based off
of your work in the community.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
There have been a lot of changes in federal funding.
Can you give an idea of like the concerns that
you have about the future of the Grand.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
Okay, I would I would would be lying if I
said I was not concerned. I am hoping that the
work speaks for itself. I'm hoping that the impact that
these particular grants are having are going to speak volumes
to why it's needed and why it's so important. And
I think that you know, with the things that we've
already been doing the partnerships that we've already created, that
(26:54):
we will be able to show that. Whether that's going
to be received or not, I can't say. But the
one great thing is that the people that were brought
together to partner with this are the individuals that have
been partnering all along even without this particular grant funding,
and so that I think that we will find a
way to continue to push forward at least some degree
(27:15):
of health promotion and disease prevention. Like I said, at
Waynes State University has been here for many, many many
decades doing this work. Like I said, having the grant
funding really allows us to do more, and that's what
we're trying to do is just do more. So hopefully
it'll speak for itself the outcomes.
Speaker 6 (27:32):
That we have.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Again, our guests today are doctor Cynthia McNeil, Mohammad al Hasham,
and Boushrah Hassan from the Wayne State University College of Nursing.
Can you guys just return again to the May third event.
Let's circle back to that. Make sure everybody knows what's
going on where it's being held, so that if they
missed it the first time around, because that's just such
(27:54):
be going to be such a great event with so
many services to help the community.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Yeah, so we love to see everyone. Please come out
on May third, that is a Saturday, from eleven am
to three pm. We're going to be addressing health promotion
with a specific focus on substance use. We're going to
have over forty vendors there, free food, music, photo booth.
It's going to be a very lighthearted conversation about how
(28:19):
we can address disparities in our community with a lot
of resources.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
I would just say this is going to be at
Dirty Innovation Society Rain or Shine eleven am to three pm.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
I mean I'll also add that, you know, this is
like a touchy subject for a lot of people. So
the environment that we're trying to cultivate with this event
is one that's like not intimidating, inviting, family friendly. So like, yeah,
while this stuff may not be something you may want
to talk about on an everyday basis, we're kind of
providing you with the opportunity to learn about it kind
(28:52):
of in the background, you know, kind of get to
be around people that also have these similar experiences, so
you know, you can kind of be better equipped in
the future for you know, stuff like this, So again,
don't be intimidated. Definitely, you know, show up. It's going
to be a good time. You know, from what I understand,
you know, these events tend to do very very well,
(29:14):
and yeah, just show up, show out and support the community.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Well, there are resources for people of many many different
backgrounds and maybe people even employed in fields who are
looking for resources to help people family members. Sounds like
it's going to be a great opportunity for for lots
of different kinds of people to come and feel very
comfortable and get the help that they might need or
the resources they might need. Where can they go online
(29:40):
to find more information.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
So specifically about the May third event, you can go
to save Them Detroit. That's s A V E T
H E M Detroit dot org and we will have
the flyer. You will also have other resources. If you're
interested in being a vendor, the vendor form is there
as well, so all the information that you would need
will be there with the flyer, with the ad and everything.
So again, save them all one word Detroit dot org
(30:05):
is where you will find some more information.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
All right, check it out. My friends. May third from
Wayne State University College of Nursing, Thank you again for
joining us. Mohammad al Hasham, Bouchra Hassan and doctor Cynthia McNeil.
Sure appreciate you and all the service that you're providing
the community, specifically related to opioid use. Thank you so much,
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
For having me.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
This has been light up the d A community, a
fairs program from iHeartMedia Detroit. If your organization would like
to get on the program, email Colleen Grant at iHeartMedia
dot com. Here are all episodes on this station's podcast page.
Welcome to Light Up the D, a focus on what's
happening in our community from the people who make it happen.
Here's your host, iHeartMedia Detroit Market President Colleen Grant.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning and welcome to Light Up the D. I'm
your host, Colleen Grant. Thanks for joining us today. Doctor
Cynthia McNeil, along with project assistants Mohammad al Hasham and
Boushrah Hassan, represent two multimillion dollar federally funded grants led
by Wayne State University College of Nursing with a shared
focus on addressing opioid related desks. These initiatives are dedicated
(00:35):
to reducing health disparities and improving community health outcomes in
partnership with local organizations. They're hosting a free, family friendly
event on May third, focused on addressing substance use featuring
health greetings, youth performances, over forty vendors, free food, and
comprehensive mental health and substance use resources.
Speaker 6 (00:57):
Welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Mohammad al Hasham, Bushrah Hassan and doctor Cynthia McNeil. Why
don't we just start by an overall description of the
grants and who you're helping in their goals?
Speaker 3 (01:10):
So we actually here are here representing two federally funded grants,
one of which is called the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program,
where we're looking at improving the care of geriatrics in
the state of Michigan. And the other grant is called
the Bridge Grant coming from the Healthy and Human Services Department,
and it's covering opio eight deaths and colorectal cancer screening
(01:31):
is what we're defining to address. But specifically we're here
to talk about how opioids touch both of these grants
and how we're using that platform on May third to
address that disparity.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Okay, great, and how severe are the problems that make
this grant so critical to the community.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Well, opioids impact everyone, right, we have We've seen a
growth in the opioid depths and in the youth. We
know that the adults have also an issue with opioid
depths and overdoses. And I can lean to Boush and
Mohammed to kind of give us some statistics about that data.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Absolutely, as doctor McNeil was saying, opioids do touch every
part of life within Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Most importantly,
Detroit residents are disproportionally affected by not just health outcomes
in general, but by opioid death's misuse in overdose. In
twenty twenty one, Detroit was disproportionately affected by COVID and
(02:24):
its long lasting effects. So Detroit residents have a lower
life expectancy than Wayne County, Michigan and the state of
Michigan as a whole.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
Something else that affects this problem is like how opioids
are actually prescribed. So there's actually like a data tool
called the Detroit Surveillance. Basically, they collect a bunch of
data when it comes to like opioids and things like that.
One of the things that they found is that when
you look at the prescription rate in Detroit, it's actually
about ninety five prescriptions per one hundred residents versus eighty
(03:00):
prescriptions per one hundred residents just an overall Michigan. So
there's like an obvious disparity there. And then when you
kind of hone in on it a little bit more,
you look at high dose prescription rates. So Detroit's rate
when it comes to this particular metric is actually double
that of the state average. So in Detroit you'll find
that thirteen per one hundred residents on average are prescribed
(03:21):
higher dose opioids versus seven per one hundred and just
Michigan overall. So obviously this is contributing to the problem
a very very big way.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Why the more prescriptions, why the higher dose is specifically
in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
So when you look at that, you know, some of
that just comes from the addictive nature of these particular medications.
And when though, you know, as you get tolerance for
these medications, again, your need for higher doses go up
and up and up. And unfortunately, people have the responsibility
to understand how addictive these medications are, both the patients
(03:55):
and the providers. And so what happens is that when
these prescriptions are valuable and prescribe, then they become accessible
to everyone in the family and the medicine cabinets. But
I think that one of the most pressing issues is
when you hear about the fitinel overdoses. So again we're
talking specifically about the prescribers and the prescriptions, but we
(04:15):
have not even touched on the amount of fitinel overdoses
and depths that we're seeing. The things that are our
laced with fitanyl now that are kind of street ready
that you can kind of buy off of the street,
whether that's buying somebody else's prescribe medication or whether there's
people who are formulating different things under the opioid category.
You know, people don't even know what's really in these
pills or in these tabs, and so they're taking them
(04:39):
and they have high levels of fitting all in them
as well, and.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
That is contributing to the need for higher doses and
the additions.
Speaker 6 (04:46):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
So again, if you're if somebody cuts you off as
a provider and says we don't want to prescribe for
you anymore because we're concerned about addiction, they're going to
go to the street and they can get access to
these medications even on the streets as well.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Which populations are you targeting with your effort to help.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
I would say, we're to the whole family, and we
looked at the data, and the data is showing that
these opioid overdoses and depths are impacting people from middle
school all the way through our aging population. So we're
definitely holding this event on May third to kind of
capture the whole family, get the whole family in one
space to kind of talk about even if you are
(05:24):
prescribed these medications, how to keep them safe? So the
grandchildren are not accessing these medications, are taking them to school?
Speaker 6 (05:30):
Are those kind of things?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Wow? Why Wayne State University College of Nursing, Why were
you appointed as the hub for this kind of work?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, I would say that nursing is in a great
position for health promotion and disease prevention. Even my colleagues
here with their masters in public health, I think nursing
really does a great job in bringing people together to
really address health disparities. And so that is one of
the reasons why we are leading these MUNTI million dollar
grants because we have the ability to kind of bring
everybody to the table, leverage them expertise on problem solving
(06:02):
and how can we find solutions related to addressing this
specific issue, but other health disparities as well. So with
both of these grants, we have a multi disciplinary approach
looking at pulling everybody together to make sure that we
are protecting our communities.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
And talk to me a little bit about you know,
the president of Wayne State's feelings on empowering health and
Detroit as a part of the university's prosperity of Chanda.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah, So at the president of Wayne State University has
made it very clear that health and prosperity is something
that we should be committed to as Wayne State University,
especially with us being located in Detroit, Michigan and seen
as a resource. So we feel responsible for making sure
that we're doing programming and doing initiatives that are definitely
impacting the lived experience of the people that are in
(06:51):
our area. Like I said, Waynes Stay University has been
here for decades.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
We didn't just come here.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
So we have been through many decades of being able
to leverage our resources and help the community, and we're
going to continue to do that even in this current climate.
So Wayne Say University is here and that's our responsibility.
These are our people, and so we want to make
sure that they know that we are here and make
sure that we're doing programming that's definitely going to touch
their lives.
Speaker 6 (07:16):
And this is not research. This is actual.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Things, skills and experiences that they can actually take with
them to improve their own families and communities as well.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Well. That kind of programming must be a huge undertaking.
Are there other organizations, local groups, or institutions that you
partner with to fulfill the.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Scram Yes, and that's really going to be seen on
May third. We have partnered with mental health institutions, We've
partnered with other health providers. We partner with other clinics
in the hospital systems. We partner with other community based
organizations using all of their expertise to kind of help
us address this issue. We've partnered with community centers anywhere
(07:54):
where we can touch the people that really need this
information and these skills. We have them as part and
everybody has agreed that we need to be doing this
and we need to be working together to leverage our resources.
So both grants have a lot of partners. For African
American community, for the MINA community, we've all came together
to address this specific issue.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
And what kind of you were talking about, like the
different skills and can you give us some examples of those.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
So yes, we actually trained one hundred people in NARCAN
training in the beginning of January. One of the grants
really focuses on empowering the community and community based organizations
to kind of help address these initiatives or these issues
on their own. So we trained one hundred people and
then they are representative of religious entities, community based organizations.
And so what happens is that now that they're trained,
(08:44):
we can partner with them to go to their communities,
let them take the lead, and then we provide them
with the support, the narcan, the education, anything that they
need to kind of disseminate this information. So it's not
the situation where we're coming into their community and doing
something for them and then leaving. We are coming into
their community equipping them with skills and tools that will
(09:05):
last way beyond the grant. And so this particular healthfare
on May third is another example of we'll be doing
NARCAN training. You will give NARCAN kits, We will be
able to kind of show you how you can go
out and then again spread the education, spread the knowledge
to address this disparity.
Speaker 6 (09:21):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
So if somebody's not familiar with NARCAN, give them, you know,
give us an idea of what that provides.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
Right, So when we look at opio eight deaths as
a huge disparity, people can use the NARCAN as a
medication that helps the individual survive and overdose. Now this
is only narcan only works when it's opioids related. So,
for example, if somebody was having an opioid overdose. The
administration of this NARCAN medication will take that those receptors
(09:50):
that's holding the opioid, that's causing the breathing to be decreased,
that's causing them to lead into this overdose presentation. That
nar can will pop off those opioids from those receptors
and allow that person to again to breathe easier while
we call nine one one to kind of get some help.
It buys us some time to prevent that person from
(10:14):
dying from this opioid overdose. And so right at this
particular moment, that's one of our most valuable tools is
to be able to have something that we can administer
in a crisis situation that can buy time for that
patient until the nine to one one or our rescuers
can get there to get them to a higher level
of care.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
And that's what we have right now.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, thank goodness.
Speaker 6 (10:34):
Did you have something to say, bosh.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Oh, I was just going to go along and just
with doctor McNeil what she was saying and really empower
individuals to use the narcan as well and think that
it applies to everybody of all ages. So whether you're
a twelve year old in the house who may have
to administer it to an older brother or to your grandma,
or if you're twenty six twenty seven going out partying
(10:58):
and just keeping that in your purse, are in your pocket,
or even just the geriatric individual. I'm just keeping that
on hand and really just empowering individuals to use it
when needed, and really emphasizing the power that it does
not hurt an individual, it can only help them. So
if an individual is not overdosing, when you administer the narcan,
it will not hurt them. So in the event that
(11:19):
they are overdosing, you can only help them by administering our.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, it can be a real life saver. Yeah, so
there's no risk. You want to give something a try,
you're going to need to pull that out and help
that person out and hopefully that's the solution for them. So, hey,
I understand high school students play a role in your effort.
We were talking about how the community is involved and
different partners are involved. But high school students, why is
(11:45):
it good for them to be involved? How are they
involved in us?
Speaker 6 (11:48):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
So, the May third event, and we called this stumping out.
It has been an existing since twenty and twelve and
it came from an understanding that most of the time,
youth are being total information and they will be receptive
if they were involved in the whole health promotion piece,
because adolescent is a great time. It's the best time
to really get those strong characteristics and those strong health
(12:10):
behaviors to lead to healthier outcomes over lifespan. So the
stumping out initiative came out of save them with the
stomping away various epidemics by teaching health education and mentoring.
We do an annual health fare where the youth teach us.
So now we've turned the tables where the youth have
taken time to learn about the disparity, learn about the epidemic,
(12:33):
and they're going to be teaching us on this day
their perspectives related to this year it's opioid. Every year
we change the theme, and over the past twelve years,
you'd be amazed at how wise youth are and how
their perspective about certain diseases and disparities really bring education
for all of the other peers and adults in the room.
(12:56):
And so on May third, they're going to be performing
it's called a step show, but they're going to be
performing using this theme and telling a story to the
audience about why it is important to address this disparity.
And like I said, the youth bring everybody in the
whole family, their parents, their grandparents, their siblings, So they're
the greatest catalysts to be leaders in this area and
(13:16):
be able to share with us their perspective and let
us have a conversation about how we can better improve
the disparity.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
O world well, and for them to be involved in
that way. You know, in what ways are other community
voices or other lived experiences shaping the design and delivery
of your programs.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Right, So, like I said, we've been doing this for
twelve years and just the feedback alone. In twenty sixteen,
we published an article which showed that just as many
youth as adults learned from this particular activity. And so
we take those feedback and we improve the event year
after year. So like now we're talking about substance use,
a majority of our vendors on May third will be
(13:57):
related to mental health and substance use. We will all
have physical health screening by like Wayne Health Mobile, so
if you need a physical health screening. But again taking
in the comments that we want a holistic approach to health.
We want it to be a non threatening way for
individuals to access information and we will have fun. We
have a music we have DJ we have a photo booth.
(14:18):
So again, this is a way to learn information, to
lean on the expertise of our health care entities, our
mental health providers in the community to allow to have
this readily available support, and like I said, in a
non threatening way so that people can ask questions, to
have conversations without feeling targeted or without feeling ashamed.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Well, let's get into the nuts and bolts of the
May third event. Tell us about the time, where it's located.
All you mentioned vendors that you have involved in activities
that are going to be fun. Let's delve more into that.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
So this event will be Saturday, May third, from eleven
am to three pm at Dirphy Innovation Society. We have
the direct address, but if you just pull it in
into Google, that'll come up. So this event is for
all ages. We want to make sure everybody brings their family,
even if you're alone, come out and join us at
(15:11):
any point, whether you want to join for the step show,
to learn from our youth on opioids or if you
want to just simply get a health screening from Wayne's
mobile health unit. We are excited to see you all.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
And it's called Stomping Out Substance Abuse.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
This year's theme is Stumping out Substance Abuse, And the
previous years we've had different themes, like the last two
years have been just mental health. So again, changing the
theme every year allows us to use this platform to
address multiple disparities. And like I said, May third, we're
really focusing on substance use with a strong emphasis on opioids.
We will have vendors there that are specific to training
(15:48):
for opioid and narcan administration. We will have like I said,
mental health providers because we're not just addressing the opioid use,
we're also addressing the underlying reasons why individual go to
substances right looking at mental health conditions such as depression
and those things. So now we're gonna really talk about
really the core of why individuals may even turn to
(16:10):
substances to begin with, and let them know that resources
are there to kind of help them navigate mental health resources,
a counselor those individuals are going to be there to
kind of help kind of navigate that space. But then again,
mental health is just as important as physical health, and
that's another thing that we try to emphasize with this
may third event. We're gonna have the blood pressure, We're
gonna do cholesterol testing, we're gonna check a kidney function. Again,
(16:33):
these things work together to give people the best quality
of life and the best health outcomes that they can
have there. And like I said, we have incentives. We'll
do raffles, we'll do gift cards. We'll also have free
food and music and different things like that. But a
lot of our vendors are going to be individuals in
the community that are providing a service. And so though
we have a focus on opioids, the vendors there are
(16:55):
vast We have universities for individuals that are looking to
go to college soon. We have resources in the community
for utility assistance or like I said, counseling services or
clinics that are in an area that can provide other resources
and services. So though we focus on a health topic,
we have the forty vendors that cover a wide range
(17:16):
of needs in the community.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
That's great. We're just joining us today. We're joined by
Wade State University College of nursings representatives doctor Cynthira McNeil,
Mohammad al Hasham, and Boushah Hassan speaking today about stomping
out substance abuse in the event happening May third, let's
take a little stop down where would people find more
information on the event if they wanted to see everything
(17:42):
that you've just described.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Sure, so, our community partner again is Save Them stomach
away various epidemics by teaching, health education and mentoring. So
if you go to Save Them Detroit all one word
dot org, you will be able to find more information
the flyer, more information about our previous events, and hopefully
will entice you to come out and join us.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
So you said you've been doing the working under the
SCRANT program for twelve years.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Else, well, to Save Them initiative has been going on
for twelve years. The grants that we referred to, the
one that's dealing with addressing opio eight deaths and collorectal
cancer screening, and the one dealing with improving geriatric care
we just received last year.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Okay, all right, well that's great, congratulations on that's such
a big deal. And then you've been working with Save
Them for the twelve years. Have you had any noticeable
outcomes thus far? What have you seen happen over the
course of the time period.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Yeah, so, like I said, in twenty sixty, we actually
published a peer review article that really gave some data
and demographics about how many people were actually coming. That's
when we learned that just as many adults come as youth.
So initially it was about attracting the youth and giving
the youth a platform, but we found that through that
article and looking at the data that just as many
adults come out and they learn, and so when we
(18:59):
look at at how effective this particular event is about
touching everybody in the family. That was validated in twenty sixteen.
We've also got some anecdotal responses about just even the
step teams as they're working on their performances, they're learning, right,
they have to learn factual information in order to incorporate
it into their performance. And it is a thousand dollars
(19:19):
grand prize, so they are very motivated to really do
a great juice. Yes, but there's one thousand dollars grand prize,
So the youth are very motivated to make sure they
are given a great performance. But they actually learn as
they're creating their performances about the facts related to this.
So that's another way to impact the youth about these
particular disparities.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
What additional initiatives is the grant supporting specifically to address
opioid related tasks.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
So we, like I said, we just trained one hundred
individuals in January with the NARKAM training, and we continuing
to do the NARKM training throughout the community. We were
at middle schools, we're at high school we're doing youth
and posiums. Mohammed can tell us a little bit more
about some of the initiatives that we're even doing in
the Mina community.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
Yeah, so we're actually reaching out to a few different
community partners in the Mina community to actually address some
of this stuff. And you know, some of the things
that you'll learn when you're actually working with these community
partners is, particularly with minority groups, there's a lot of
stigma that kind of you know, surrounds this type of issue.
So when it comes to like data collection, for example,
(20:28):
you can't really fully capture what's actually happening. And if
the you know, interventions you're doing are actually you know,
doing what they're saying they're doing. So, you know, some
of the stuff that we're doing is trying to figure
out ways to navigate that problem, to better capture the data,
to better reflect you know, what the community actually wants
from the types of interventions that we're doing. So for example,
(20:51):
like one of the things that you'll notice is people
are very like picky when it comes to like their
name being collected or their rayfnic see all these things, right, Like,
they especially with a lot of things that are going
on now, like they just want to be very discreet
as possible. So kind of tailoring those like data collection
methods to basically make it to where they're comfortable sharing
(21:16):
their experiences and not feeling intimidated. And it's kind of
a you know, give and take type of situation where
like we as the academics could actually learn from these
type of things so that we can make tailored approaches
to you know, the interventions that we're trying to implement
in these communities and.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Working with different cultures, you will realize that people don't
talk about certain things, you know, because of maybe embarrassment.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
That's a great point, and so again we're.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Really trying to be culturally appropriate when we're trying to
work with these different communities because we want you to
be safe and feel safe. If you have an addiction
that is not something that talks badly about you as
a person.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
That's a health issue.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
We can help with that, we can talk about what
we need to do to kind of get you to
a better space. But when people feel like they're going
to be stigmatized, when they feel like people are going
to judge them and talk about them, they are less
likely to seek help. And right now we're just trying
to change that.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
I hear that so often in so many different organizations,
just the reduction of stigmatism and really making you know,
education available is that it's a health situation that they're
working through and that you're trying to help them with.
Are there any anecdotes that illustrate the importance or the
impact of the work that you're doing that you can share.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
So I think that one of the biggest anecdotes have
just been those individuals that have made it through maybe
addiction and talking about how it's been so valuable when
they heard that somebody was not judging them and that
they actually had an opportunity to get.
Speaker 6 (22:48):
Resources in a non threatening way.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
And so, as I said at this particular event that
we're having on May third, the mental health providers are there.
They will provide culturally appropriate resources for you, sometimes even
providers that look like you. And I think that that's
another big piece that individuals sometimes struggle with, is finding
providers that actually look like them and kind of understand
(23:10):
some of their cultural background.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
And so hearing that because.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
We made this available, because we made this platform in
this space available, they felt comfortable actually talking to somebody now,
and that now we made it into a way where
it's not stigmatizing, and now we made it into a
way where they feel comfortable seeking help with it. They've
been told it's okay, it's okay to seek help. I
think that's one thing. And the other thing I think
is very important to me, I think is equipping communities
(23:37):
to address some of these disparities on their own. They
may not know me, but if I couldn't equip the pastor,
or if I couldn't equip somebody from that community that
you do know, and then they can then go in
and do that education piece, show you where the resources are.
You may not get it from me because you don't
know me or you may not feel comfortable, but we
were equipping people that you do feel comfortable with. And
(23:58):
I think that that's going to be one of the
greatest outcomes of this particular initiative is that we are
going to leave something in the community when the grant
funding is over. We're going to leave them with skills
on the disparity of opioid overdoses. We're going to leave
them with skills in terms of being able to use
in our cant, understanding where to go get in our
can if you find yourself in that position. Again, these
(24:21):
skills are what's going to sustain the community after.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Really, how long is the grant period?
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Four So the two grants, one is four years and
one is five years. So the one that's dealing specifically
with opioid overdoses and collarectal cancer is a four year grant,
and the one that's dealing with the improving the care
of geriatrics in general, that's a five year grant.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
And how do you sustain you know, you'd said, obviously
you're teaching people, and they're teaching people and hopefully they're
but how do you sustain all the work that you're
doing all the good you know that you're creating in
the community, how do you sustain that after a grant ends?
Speaker 3 (24:54):
So, you know, I think that that's a very good question,
and one of the things that we were very intentional
about who our partners. So we apply for this grant,
This is a grant as a certain period of time,
but our partners are people in the community that we're
doing this work before us, and that will continue to
do this work after us. One great example is the
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Again, they were
here before we got this grant funding, they will be
(25:17):
here after us. But what happened is that now that
we have this grant, we can then find best practices.
We can then be able to have them involved as
partners in the beginning to help us, help guide us,
and whatever we find that's gonna be something that is
gonna stick or something that's best practices, they're gonna continue
moving forward. So I think the answer to your question
(25:37):
is that we were very intentional with who our partners were,
and we partner with entities that were already in these
spaces so that when this grant is over, they still
will have the skills we're empowering them.
Speaker 6 (25:49):
We're giving them the skills, We're giving the community the skills.
We could just step.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
Back once we've done our job, and then they will
still be able to have the tools and the skills
necessary to not only make an impact in this but
also be able to capture the impact, to evaluate the
impact we're teaching them. How do you why why is
it important to have attendencies? Why is it important to
capture your impact? Just in case it's another grant opportunity,
(26:14):
you will be able to make a stance on your
own accord that you have been able to make these
impacts based off of your organization mission may based off
of your work in the community.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
There have been a lot of changes in federal funding.
Can you give an idea of like the concerns that
you have about the future of the Grand.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
Okay, I would I would would be lying if I
said I was not concerned. I am hoping that the
work speaks for itself. I'm hoping that the impact that
these particular grants are having are going to speak volumes
to why it's needed and why it's so important. And
I think that you know, with the things that we've
already been doing the partnerships that we've already created, that
(26:54):
we will be able to show that. Whether that's going
to be received or not, I can't say. But the
one great thing is that the people that were brought
together to partner with this are the individuals that have
been partnering all along even without this particular grant funding,
and so that I think that we will find a
way to continue to push forward at least some degree
(27:15):
of health promotion and disease prevention. Like I said, at
Waynes State University has been here for many, many many
decades doing this work. Like I said, having the grant
funding really allows us to do more, and that's what
we're trying to do is just do more. So hopefully
it'll speak for itself the outcomes.
Speaker 6 (27:32):
That we have.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Again, our guests today are doctor Cynthia McNeil, Mohammad al Hasham,
and Boushrah Hassan from the Wayne State University College of Nursing.
Can you guys just return again to the May third event.
Let's circle back to that. Make sure everybody knows what's
going on where it's being held, so that if they
missed it the first time around, because that's just such
(27:54):
be going to be such a great event with so
many services to help the community.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Yeah, so we love to see everyone. Please come out
on May third, that is a Saturday, from eleven am
to three pm. We're going to be addressing health promotion
with a specific focus on substance use. We're going to
have over forty vendors there, free food, music, photo booth.
It's going to be a very lighthearted conversation about how
(28:19):
we can address disparities in our community with a lot
of resources.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
I would just say this is going to be at
Dirty Innovation Society Rain or Shine eleven am to three pm.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
I mean I'll also add that, you know, this is
like a touchy subject for a lot of people. So
the environment that we're trying to cultivate with this event
is one that's like not intimidating, inviting, family friendly. So like, yeah,
while this stuff may not be something you may want
to talk about on an everyday basis, we're kind of
providing you with the opportunity to learn about it kind
(28:52):
of in the background, you know, kind of get to
be around people that also have these similar experiences, so
you know, you can kind of be better equipped in
the future for you know, stuff like this, So again,
don't be intimidated. Definitely, you know, show up. It's going
to be a good time. You know, from what I understand,
you know, these events tend to do very very well,
(29:14):
and yeah, just show up, show out and support the community.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Well, there are resources for people of many many different
backgrounds and maybe people even employed in fields who are
looking for resources to help people family members. Sounds like
it's going to be a great opportunity for for lots
of different kinds of people to come and feel very
comfortable and get the help that they might need or
the resources they might need. Where can they go online
(29:40):
to find more information.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
So specifically about the May third event, you can go
to save Them Detroit. That's s A V E T
H E M Detroit dot org and we will have
the flyer. You will also have other resources. If you're
interested in being a vendor, the vendor form is there
as well, so all the information that you would need
will be there with the flyer, with the ad and everything.
So again, save them all one word Detroit dot org
(30:05):
is where you will find some more information.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
All right, check it out. My friends. May third from
Wayne State University College of Nursing, Thank you again for
joining us. Mohammad al Hasham, Bouchra Hassan and doctor Cynthia McNeil.
Sure appreciate you and all the service that you're providing
the community, specifically related to opioid use. Thank you so much,
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
For having me.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
This has been light up the d A community, a
fairs program from iHeartMedia Detroit. If your organization would like
to get on the program, email Colleen Grant at iHeartMedia
dot com. Here are all episodes on this station's podcast page.
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