To: Superintendents, Principals, School Nurses, Charter School Leaders, School Counselors, K-12 Public Information Officers
From: Ely Sanders, Education Specialist, Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities
Date: November 29, 2023
Re: Free Opioid Overdose Response Kits for Middle and High Schools
Hello Oregon Educators,
The Oregon Department of Education would like to share a critical resource to help school districts respond to an opioid overdose emergency on or near a school campus. The Oregon Health Authority’s Save Lives Oregon initiative is offering school districts free opioid overdose reversal kits through its Harm Reduction Clearinghouse. Each middle and high school is eligible to receive up to three opioid reversal kits. Each kit includes instructions, emergency medical supplies, and the opioid antagonist Naloxone. Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose giving time for emergency medical services to arrive. This is a crucial step in providing school staff with the resources necessary to respond to an opioid overdose on or near a school campus. To be eligible to receive up to three no-cost overdose reversal kits per school through the Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse, schools must meet the following criteria: - Be a public, private, or charter school, college or university, or Tribal Community located in Oregon.
- Serve students grade 7 or higher.
Apply for your School’s Opioid Reversal Kits Additional information and resources related to how your school district can prepare to respond to an opioid overdose can be found in the Fentanyl & Opioid Response Toolkit for Schools. The toolkit is a resource for educators, administrators, school nurses, and students and families in response to a public health crisis related to rising youth and adult opioid overdoses and deaths in Oregon. This toolkit provides information about how schools can create an emergency protocol to administer naloxone. The toolkit also includes information on how to access, administer, and store this life-saving opioid overdose prevention medication. In addition, the toolkit has resources to support staff training, prevention education, and other resources essential to developing and implementing school emergency response procedures. Thank you for your work in creating safe and healthy schools. Ely Sanders
Education Specialist | School Health Services
Oregon Department of Education
Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities
ode.healthyschools@ode.oregon.gov |
