Overview

This site is designed to promote data-driven decision making for behavioral health (substance use and mental health) services planning and implementation. The site aims to provide useful data related to substance use, consequences of use, and the risk and protective factors that are associated with the behavioral health conditions.

Substance Use, Gambling and Epidemiology (SUGE) was established within the Bureau of Community Based Services at the Michigan Department of Community Health. SUGE addresses the many issues raised by various forms of addictive behavior that are found within our society and the consequences of those behaviors. SUGE works with other areas in the Bureau of Community Based Services on the issues of Integrating Mental Health, Substance Use and Physical Health Care and Integrated Treatment for Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.

The Michigan Substance Use Data Repository was created through a federal grant to the State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW) of Substance Use, Gambling and Epidemiology within the Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Administration to provide data for local prevention agencies and coalitions to assist in their programming decisions.

About SUGE, and the Prevention and Treatment Section

Substance Use, Gambling and Epidemiology was established within the Bureau of Community Based Services at the Michigan Department of Community Health. SUGE addresses the many issues raised by various forms of addictive behavior that are found within our society and the consequences of those behaviors. SUGE works with other areas in the Bureau of Community Based Services on the issues of Integrating Mental Health, Substance Use and Physical Health Care and Integrated Treatment for Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.

The Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Section of SUGE is responsible for clinical services within the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment System. Staff provide technical assistance regarding substance use prevention, treatment and recovery to coordinating agencies, providers of services, and the public.

About the State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW)

The SEOW provides baseline data for mental and behavioral health linked to substance use disorders, recommends evidence-based approaches, and improves service delivery by expanding partnerships and better informing government agencies and community stakeholders.

SEOW Goals

  1. Expand and enhance the current substance abuse needs assessment collection and tracking processes, by incorporating mental health data that will allow us to create state and community profiles that share common indicators, intervening variables and consequences related to Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Health (MEB) disorders
  2. Develop capacity to address MEB disorders by creating useful products and disseminating information that facilitates state, local and joint decisions among mental health, substance abuse, education and other stakeholder agencies
  3. Evaluate SEOW process and outcomes

Data Selection Process

  1. SEOW members began with an inventory of available data sources to identify indicators in the area of Alcohol and Other Drugs and Behavioral Health.
  2. SEOW members were asked to rate each indicator as 5 (=High), 3 (=Medium) or 1(=Low) based on their perspectives on Severity, Magnitude, Preventability, Readiness/Political Will, and Capacity/Resources to address these indicators.
  3. Epidemiologists were asked to rate for Timeliness, Ease of Access, and Local Level Data Availability in addition to above mentioned rating criteria.
  4. Through summary of rate scores and discussions at the monthly meetings, the SEOW made a recommendation to SUGE (formerly OROSC) on items to include in the initial clinical data repository.
  5. Subsequent round of data collection will continue to utilize group participation to prioritize and select indicators.