State Opioid Response – Higher Education Community Outreach Grant

State Opioid Response – Higher Education Community Outreach Grant

Status: Awarded September 2019

Geographic Scope: Oklahoma (statewide); NOC partnership with Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Funder: Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services via State Regents for Higher Education

Total Available Funding: $250,000 across five Oklahoma colleges and universities

Focus Areas:

Prevention of opioid misuse on campuses

Referral services for treatment

Support for students needing addiction recovery services

Program Components:

Outreach, engagement, and evidence-based prevention services

Health education and promotion

Community consultation

Focus on general student population and at-risk students (opioid misuse, opioid disorder, opioid overdose)

Development and maintenance of online resources for opioid abuse prevention and treatment

Training for faculty, staff, and students in:

- Prevention and treatment of opioid misuse and overdose
- Naloxone administration
- Access to treatment services
- Recognition and response to opioid overdose
- Safe storage and disposal of opioids

Peer health educator training and campus-based student training

Tribal connections and community resource partnerships

Context: Oklahoma ranks 6th nationally in opioid prescriptions; more overdose deaths involve prescription opioids than all illicit drugs combined

Partner Institution: Northwestern Oklahoma State University