CROOKSTON, Minn. — Polk County Public Health Director Sarah Reese said this time of year is always busy, but also fun. There are many projects the department is focused on, and one that has recently been gaining attention is helping people struggling with opioid addiction.
Recipients were selected by the Polk County Commission to receive opioid settlement funds to address prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery support. Recipients were recommended by the Polk County Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee.
“We are pleased that our partners have invested in the Opioid Settlement Fund to help address the needs of their communities,” Reese said.
Six applicants received funding and two others were recommended for follow-up consultations: New Americans Integration Center in East Grand Forks and Care and Share in Crookston, which each received $50,000. The other six recipients of funding were Alluma ($82,350), Crookston Youth Foundation/The Cove ($38,620), New Heights Elementary School in East Grand Forks ($5,000), Tri-County Community Corrections ($99,972), Tri-Valley Opportunity Council ($41,520) and University of Minnesota Crookston ($59,664).
The advisory committee was formed in 2022 following recommendations from the state Attorney General’s Office on how to handle funding awarded to counties. The committee looked at what resources were and weren’t available at the time, conducted community surveys, invited local speakers to talk about strategies such as prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction, and identified priorities to focus on. Reese said the amount of funding next year will not be enough for long-term projects, so the committee is discussing strategies for how to respond going forward.
“There’s only so much money that can go into eliminating the impacts that opioid use has had on our community,” she said.
Another project coming soon is “Canvas of Hope,” a community art project focused on adult mental health. Reese said the project is led by Eliza Meyer, an AmeriCorps member and Polk County Public Health Project Coordinator. Meyer visited with a variety of people, including those in the criminal justice system, homeless people, people living in long-term care facilities, and Polk County health care workers. Meyer asked them what support, mental health, and connection mean to them, and asked them to express their answers using different art mediums.
The goal, Reese said, is to destigmatize the language around mental health and to reflect on the importance of mental health. Artwork created by the people Meyer met will be on display at the Public Health booth at the Polk County Fair, which runs July 10-14.
Other projects undertaken by Polk County Public Health Reese focused on breastfeeding, nurse-family partnerships, suicide prevention and sexual and reproductive health services.
The Polk County Breastfeeding Coalition is working on the “Anytime, Anywhere” initiative to increase awareness and acceptance of breastfeeding anytime, anywhere and to improve employee rights regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding in the workplace. The initiative educates businesses about Minnesota’s laws and statutes regarding breastfeeding and asks them to pledge to support breastfeeding families who choose to breastfeed on their premises. The Coalition provides businesses with signs featuring the international breastfeeding symbol to place in their buildings.
Polk County Public Health and Norman Manomen Public Health also offer a program called Nurse Family Partnership, a national program in which public health nurses are paired with new mothers who are 28 weeks pregnant or earlier. The nurses support the mothers and their families until the child is 2 years old. Reese said the program is currently enrolling new mothers and is based on evidence that shows significant improvements in both the health and lives of mothers and children.
Reese said suicide prevention efforts in Polk County and seven other counties in northwest Minnesota are supported by Brenna Olson and Tim Denny, who serve as suicide prevention coordinators as part of the effort with the Minnesota Department of Health. The two provide training, community outreach, crisis services and technical assistance to businesses and other organizations that want to work on policies that support mental health.
Polk, Norman and Manomen also offer a program called Sexual and Reproductive Health Services. The services offered are confidential and free or low-cost to clients. Reese said one of these services is “Get Yourself Tested kits (GYT),” which are contactless chlamydia and gonorrhea testing kits. Once you receive the kit, you provide a sample and return it to Public Health, who will contact you with the results and treatment recommendations.
Other services include same-day services such as emergency contraception and pregnancy testing, walk-in clinic services regarding contraception options, sexual health education, regular breast and gynecological exams, cervical cancer screening, STD testing and treatment, and HIV, Hepatitis C and syphilis testing.
Reese said Polk County Public Health is fortunate to have expertise across many areas of public health focus. The world of public health is constantly changing, she said, and she is pleased to see staff succeeding and working on multiple initiatives.
“No effort is accomplished alone,” she said.