Best Practice Briefs

Everyone knows bad habits are hard to break. Addiction is even more difficult. New vaping products have caused a major setback in the fight against tobacco and nicotine, especially among South Dakota’s youth. This Best Practice Brief series will provide information on programs and innovative solutions for reducing the use of tobacco and vaping products and improving the quality of life for South Dakotans.

Objectives:

1. Highlight growing trends in use of tobacco and vaping products
2. Describe programs to support cessation in high-need populations
3. Encourage integration of cessation support in health care and community settings

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All sessions will be held at 12:00 PM Central, unless otherwise noted.

Taking Control of Tobacco in South Dakota

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Tobacco Control Program focuses on prevention, cessation, and education to reduce the impact of tobacco use. Specialized programs are used to reach South Dakota populations facing a higher proportion of tobacco-related challenges. With Be Free SD as a foundation, community and health care facilities have access to data, resources, and a collection of brands to reduce tobacco/nicotine use and tobacco-related disease.

1. Highlight populations facing tobacco-related challenges
2. Describe the resources and brands available through the Tobacco Control Program
3. Encourage participation Tobacco State Plan strategies to support prevention, cessation, and education

Call it Quits: SD Quitline Overview

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Quitting cold turkey doesn’t work for everyone. The SD Quitline provides support and resources to guide individuals on the journey to freedom from tobacco and vaping products: no matter how many times they walk the road.

Objectives:

1. Highlight data trends related to SD Quitline participation 
2. Describe the resources and support provided by the SD Quitline
3. Encourage referrals by highlighting SD Quitline success

Kick Start the Quit at Avera Addiction Care Center

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Admitting the need for help is the first step toward recovery. Avera Addiction Care Center in Aberdeen focuses on treatment for the whole person to encourage and promote healing and recovery. Use of tobacco and vaping products often go hand-in-hand with alcohol, drugs, and gambling.  Coordinating the delivery of a Kick Start Kit at the time of admission eases the transition to a tobacco free environment and extends the health care team for addiction support.

Objectives:

1. Highlight the focus on addiction in the Aberdeen community
2. Describe the process for integrating the Kick Start Toolkit
3. Encourage collaboration and community engagement to reduce the impact of addiction

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Vape Video Challenge Promotes Peer Messaging

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Teenagers experience peer pressure, and it can have significant consequences…some good and some bad.  Engaging high school students in developing messages about the dangers of vaping using a video challenge has created a positive buzz through the hallways and in the community. The South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care is expanding to include the creative talents of students participating in one-act plays to grow the collection of peer-based messages aimed at prevention, cessation, and education around tobacco use.

Objectives:

1. Highlight the growing numbers of adolescents who use tobacco or vape products
2. Describe the criteria of the Vaping Video Challenge
3. Encourage the use of peer-based tobacco/vaping prevention messages

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Imagine bare cupboards, an empty gas tank, and a pile of past due bills. Pile on a chronic physical or mental health condition that requires time off work or expensive medication. Then add a language or cultural barrier. This is a daily reality for some individuals living in rural communities across the Dakotas.  Connecting individuals with community resources can literally be a life saver.  Healthcare and community organizations will share how they are working together to improve quality of life by providing valuable resources and support.

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Valuing Diversity at Monument Health – May 24, 2022

Trust is the foundation for every strong personal and professional relationship.  Earning trust begins by seeking to understand. Monument Health offers cultural awareness education programs to provide perspective and promote relationship building among those providing and receiving health care. 

Addressing Health Disparity in the Dakotas – April 26, 2022

Life is complicated and every person faces different challenges. Social, economic, and environmental factors where people live, work, learn, and play have a profound impact on overall health. It is important to acknowledge health disparities because they provide a metric to measure progress toward advancing health equity. Addressing health disparities leads to improved quality of life. Policies, cultural norms and values, and access to resources play a role in shaping health inequities.

Working to Unite Huron – May 3, 2022

Multiple rural communities have become home to refugees with different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, and languages. These complex barriers add to the existing challenges in an already struggling working population. Leaders in Huron, SD, manage the growth and change by coming together. Learn more about the solutions and impact resulting from effective community engagement and collaboration.

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Building Opportunities to Provide Health Food Options – May 10, 2022

When money is tight, the trip to the grocery store becomes a scavenger hunt for the cheapest options. Eating well can be a key element for combating chronic disease. Community Health Center of the Black Hills and Feeding South Dakota will explain their efforts toward providing healthy food options for patients in need.

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Connecting Community to Health Care – May 17, 2022

Trying to understand an acute or chronic health concern can be confusing. Lacking transportation or money for prescription medication adds to the frustration.  Community health workers serve as guides for connecting individuals with the right resources and support to achieve a positive health outcome.  Focused on patient-centered care, the Community Health Worker Collaborative of South Dakota is working to expand this health professional network to reduce health disparities and improve quality of life.

Creating connections among community resources and healthcare facilities provides a pathway for individuals to come full circle from a personal crisis to a personal transformation.  Recognizing an individual in need and guiding them to the support services necessary to lift themselves from a desperate situation is a skill every South Dakotan should possess.

This Crisis Prevention and Management Best Practice Briefs series will highlight basic tools for recognizing and assisting an individual in crisis, resources available to reduce the risk of a crisis, and programs and services to reinforce change after a major intervention or treatment program.

Addiction Harm Reduction through Peer Coaching – January 4, 2022

Reentry Services to Break the Cycle – January 13, 2022

The Body Keeps the Score – January 25, 2022

Creating connections among community resources and healthcare facilities provides a pathway for individuals to come full circle from a personal crisis to a personal transformation.  Recognizing an individual in need and guiding them to the support services necessary to lift themselves from a desperate situation is a skill every South Dakotan should possess.

This Crisis Prevention and Management Best Practice Briefs series will highlight basic tools for recognizing and assisting an individual in crisis, resources available to reduce the risk of a crisis, and programs and services to reinforce change after a major intervention or treatment program.

Extending Independent Living through Social Interaction – December 1, 2021

Providing Hope for Individuals Experiencing Suicidal Desperation – December 8, 2021

Navigating a Healthy Path Beyond Human Trafficking – December 15, 2021

Integrating Behavioral Health in Primary Care Practice – August 2, 2021

Considering Tribal Culture in the Care Plan – August 26, 2021

Spectra Support on a Case-by-Case Basis – September 2, 2021

Monument’s Epic Chronic Disease Referrals – March 25, 2021

Connecting Life Events to Lifestyle Change – April 1, 2021