Скачать или смотреть Blood Tribe Opioid Task Force Coordinator Alayna Many Guns on her new job fighting opioid addictions

Soohka'pinnii'yaakii Alayna Many Guns was recently hired to coordinate the Blood Tribe Opioid Task Force established by Chief and Council. Chief Maakiinima (Roy Fox) and his Mohkotoks Comrades share your deep concern about the losses our community is currently experiencing and knows the urgency to eliminate access to these harmful drugs from our loved ones. The Blood Tribe called a State of Emergency in 2014 and since then, there have been hundreds of overdoses and almost 200 deaths due to fentanyl, carfentanyl and a deadly mixtures of methamphetamines, cocaine and barbiturates. This issue is larger than just one department, one person, or leadership so the Opioid Task Force (OTF) was developed due to a dire need for the commitment of all community members. This is evident in the collaborations that have transpired to stop this deadly epidemic.

Task Force in Action: Chief and Council is supporting the OTF to ramp up efforts to protect our members and ordered Blood Tribe Administration Departments and Entities like the Blood Tribe Department of Health (BTDH) to continue to concentrate efforts like harm reduction, crime prevention, communications and culturally appropriate treatments. 

Between April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 the BTDH Wellness Centre reported 91 deaths linked to drug overdoses of Blood Tribe members. In response to this alarming number, a core group of administrators heightened its actions to step in to identify the necessary efforts to stop this illicit activity and work to save lives. Right now, there are supports for members attempting to recover from their addictions by means of entering detox, drug treatment and transition programs specific to opioid use. In addition to these resources, there are continued efforts in the areas of children services, mental health, law enforcement and housing which have identified key areas that are impacted by drug activity. 

This core group has identified a key Task Force which is mobilizing to concentrate on immediate concerns on addressing drug trafficking, dealing, recovery supports and help for families. 

Involved Task Force Members – but not limited to: Blood Tribe Police Service, Emergency Management Services, BTDH Communications, Kainai Wellness Centre, Harm Reduction, Foot Patrol, Kainaiwa Children Services, Blood Tribe Housing and Dr. Esther Tail Feathers. 

Next Steps - The Task Force will implement immediate actions. Frontline workers, addictions specialists, health professionals identified 27 actions that will start immediately. The Core Group and the Task Force are working together to access resources to meet these goals within these time frames. All coordinated efforts will be monitored and reported to Chief and Council at every regular meeting. As data drives policy and decision making, data management and analysis will be employed to track numbers in order to make informed decisions on the ground.

Along with the coordinated effort we also encourage the involvement and cooperation of our community members to stop this dangerous problem that is stealing childhoods, family members, and threatening our way of life.