A Full Year of the New OPEN; Overdose Prevention Engagement Network Celebrates 1 Year Supporting Michigan Communities
January 1st, 2025 marked the official 1-year anniversary of the new OPEN: the Overdose Prevention Engagement Network. Throughout 2024, OPEN focused on supporting community and healthcare organizations across Michigan through the key pillars of prevention, treatment, and recovery.
During 2024, OPEN was busy creating new resources and services catered towards our community of healthcare professionals, patients, and community leaders. OPEN created 14 resources including the Fentanyl Test Strip Pocket Guide, Kratom Educational Guide, and Alcohol Use Disorder Educational Guide. OPEN also created 6 programs, including four brand new programs in December 2024. We also hosted 18 virtual webinars with topics varying from breaking stigma to rural surgery strategies.
“This past year has been transformational as we united the strengths of the Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network and the Michigan Opioid Collaborative,” said Beth Seese, OPEN’s program director. “Our multidisciplinary team has already achieved meaningful results—developing new initiatives, launching innovative community programs, and providing free, reliable education and resources to make a positive impact statewide.”
OPEN also introduced a new initiative structure with 5 new umbrella initiatives: Pain Management, Harm Reduction, Prevention, Substance Use Disorder, and Youth Engagement. This updated structure showcases the different multidisciplinary projects we work on and allows for a better user experience on our website.
Within the Pain Management initiative, the Opioid Prescribing Recommendations page received over 18,000 web page visits and over 1,400 resource downloads. Our Prescribing Recommendations campaign garnered over 350,000 impressions on LinkedIn during the spring. OPEN also introduced a brand-new sub-initiative, Obstetrics Pain Management, that highlights resources for both patients giving birth and their healthcare providers to encourage safe pain management after childbirth.
The Prevention initiative garnered over 20,000 web page visits to our Safe Storage and Disposal materials. In 2024, almost 13,000 safe storage and disposal products were distributed within Michigan communities, including 5,600 Safe Rx locking pill vials and 6,100 Deterra Medication Deactivation pouches. OPEN’s Stigma reduction campaign has been seen and heard over 200,000 times from LinkedIn and Spotify users.
In the new Harm Reduction umbrella initiative, OPEN welcomed the Safe Use Supplies sub-initiative. We introduced 4 Harm Reduction resources to our community, as well as distributed over 2,000 fentanyl test strips. Our Naloxone media campaign brought in over 20,000 web page visits. We distributed over 5,000 naloxone kits through naloxone vending machines, distribution boxes, Take A.C.T.I.O.N. trainings, and MEDIC partnership.
In the Substance Use Disorder initiative, we added the brand new Medications for Opioid Use Disorder sub-initiative. We hosted 4 buprenorphine trainings aimed at primary care providers and helped them prepare to prescribe buprenorphine to their patients. OPEN’s new Expert Consultation Services program helped over 100 providers answer questions on MOUD and complex pain management.
Within the Youth Engagement initiative, Painless: The Opioid Musical toured in both the spring and fall with 10 performances seen by over 400 students. Painless materials were seen over 48,200 times through all social channels. Between Spotify and YouTube, Painless has been listened to over 95,000 times. Working with our Youth Board, OPEN Teen was created to house information catered for teens, crafted by teens. The OPEN Teen page has been seen over 11,500 times, and our Snapchat and Tik Tok campaign has been seen by over 685,000 people.
“As we look ahead to 2025, I’m energized by the opportunities before us to further our mission and broaden our impact. Deepening our community partnerships, expanding the reach of our evidence-based resources, and enhancing our collaboration with healthcare providers and organizations remain our top priority. Together, we will continue to bridge gaps in care, reduce stigma, and create better outcomes for individuals and families affected by substance use,” added Seese.
As we move into 2025, the OPEN team is excited to continue to grow and expand our efforts to help more people across Michigan. We reached over 13 million impressions in 2024 and cannot wait to share more amazing resources and support opportunities this year. Want to get involved with us this year? Join us through participating in one of our various programs or registering for one of our upcoming events.