SGA Partners with Dean of Students Office to Offer Opioid Prevention Training

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid. Opioids are "substances that work in the nervous system of the body or in specific receptors in the brain to reduce the intensity of pain." Although opioid addiction and overdoses are rarer on college campuses than among young adults in the general population, proactive prevention education to recognize possible symptoms of opioid overdose is a crucial way to continue to keep the Seton Hall community healthy and safe.

Last spring, SGA President Kai Hansen posed a question to Karen Van Norman, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students, about the on-campus availability of Narcan (Naloxone), a lifesaving intervention for opioid overdose. Public Safety officers are trained in the administration of Narcan, which is accessible through Public Safety and Security and in the residence halls. Through ongoing research on best practices and discussion, SGA and the Dean of Students Office formed a working committee with other students and representatives from Public Safety, Health Services, and the College of Nursing. Over the spring and summer, the working committee endorsed the Opioid Prevention Training (OPT) Program, which is open to all members of the Seton Hall community.

On September 27, fifty-three community members participated in the Opioid Prevention Training (OPT) Program in partnership with Prevention is Key and The Center for Addiction Recovery Education & Success (CARES). Prevention is Key is dedicated to promoting health and well-being and preventing substance abuse and addiction through awareness, advocacy, education, programs, services, information, and referrals. CARES engages and organizes the recovery community through peer support and educational and volunteer opportunities. The two-hour hands-on workshop covered three components of OPT– Bystander Intervention Training, Rescue Breathing training, and Narcan administration training. Community members who attended were provided a kit that included Narcan. 

According to Dean Van Norman, workshop feedback was overwhelmingly positive, sharing that "students were very engaged throughout the workshop; [they] stayed after to speak with the presenter and had high praise for the program."

The workshop taught students that "Narcan is easy to use, it's now free at your local N.J. pharmacy, and having Narcan could save someone's life."

The Dean of Students Office and SGA partnership was a collaborative success.

Dean Van Norman shared, "Kai Hansen's vision and leadership were instrumental in this program from the beginning. The students on the planning committee were creative and enthusiastic. We were proud to partner with SGA on this important initiative."

Similarly, SGA President Hansen stated, "The Dean of Students Office was awesome. Dean Van Norman spearheaded this whole thing ideologically and logistically, and she did a great job."

Another Opioid Prevention Training (OPT) Program will be offered in the Spring 2024 semester. More details will be provided to the campus community soon.

Future initiatives from the Dean of Students Office include Dare to Care, KNOW MORE, Pirates Course, and the upcoming NJ Higher Education Mental Health Summit on January 10. To learn more about the Dean of Students Office, email [email protected], follow @hallstudents, and visit the office anytime on the second floor of the University Center.

Categories: Campus Life