MSU Extension launches new work to prevent opioid misuse in rural Michigan
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EmailThe USDA NIFA Rural Health and Safety Education grant — around $350,000 — will support a three-year project addressing one of today’s most complex, pressing health challenges.
People from all walks of life can find themselves struggling with opioids. For adults in rural Michigan, however, the risk is magnified by things like social isolation and limited healthcare access.
These barriers can make it particularly difficult to address risk factors of opioid misuse, such as chronic pain and poor sleep.
“We know that when people are struggling to manage pain conditions or get a good night’s sleep, they are likelier to overuse or depend on opioids,” said Maggie Magoon, Michigan State University Extension health specialist.
“The silver lining is that we also know we can make a difference by tackling those core issues.”
This fall, MSU Extension received a grant to support innovative efforts to do just that — help adults in rural Michigan avoid misusing opioids by teaching them how to better manage their pain and improve sleep.
Planning for success
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the grant, totaling $349,201, to MSU Extension to fund a three-year project that kicked off in September 2024 and will run through August 2027.
The project will focus on four key objectives:
- Sharing educational information about the opioid crisis in rural Michigan through public awareness campaigns that show the connections between sleep, pain and opioid use.
- Increasing access to health classes that help people manage pain, learn mindfulness, and improve sleep. Two new program series will be available from MSU Extension — Tai Chi for Better Sleep and Mindfulness for Better Sleep — combining impactful, popular programs into bundled series for adults.
- Working with healthcare providers to refer and connect people with MSU Extension’s chronic pain and sleep management programs, such as SLeep Education for Everyone (SLEEP) and Tai Chi.
- Training local volunteers and MSU Extension staff to lead educational health sessions.
Educational health programs are available both online and in person across Michigan. Over the course of the three-year project, MSU Extension plans to reach at least 900 participants and partner with the MSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the MSU College of Human Medicine.
The team will track participants’ progress through surveys monitoring improvements in sleep quality, pain reduction, and decreased reliance on medications.
“Not only will this project make a real difference in the lives of people now, but the data we get from this project will be invaluable in helping guide and inform future health initiatives as well,” said Magoon.
A legacy of impact
This work builds on MSU Extension’s long history as a leader in innovative community health interventions.
Through the initial three years of its cutting-edge MiSUPER program, MSU Extension provided opioid misuse education to 1,000 rural community members through 25 training events and 150 health professionals through a separate provider training.
MSU Extension also worked alongside sleep researchers, a certified sleep medicine specialist, and older adults to develop the SLeep Education for Everyone Program. SLEEP is an inventive program that explores topics such as Stimulus Control Therapy, mindfulness, and common myths to help people set goals and improve their sleep hygiene.
This new initiative is yet another example of MSU Extension’s commitment not just to addressing the opioid crisis in Michigan, but also helping people build their confidence and develop healthy coping skills.
“Of course, our work is about preventing opioid misuse, but it’s also about empowering Michiganders to take control of their health,” said Cheryl Eschbach, director of MSU Extension’s health and nutrition programming. “And when we equip people with the tools they need to improve their lives, we can strengthen communities for years to come.”
For more information on MSU Extension’s work improving health in communities across Michigan, visit our Food & Health website.
