The opioid epidemic and rate of drug overdose deaths has increased 31% in recent years and young people aged 15-24 across the nation experienced the greatest percentage increase in deaths.
To be proactive, district staff presented a plan at the October 18th Board of Education Meeting to submit an application to participate in the Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP). On November 19th, we were notified by the California Department of Health Services that our application was approved. Bringing Naloxone to our campuses will ensure we are equipped to the best of our ability to respond quickly to suspected overdoses and try to reverse them, and save students' lives. Through the NDP program, each school site will receive two - four doses of the opioid overdose rescue medication, Naloxone (Narcan®).
Kathy Rooney, District Nurse Coordinator, has been the lead on all components of the application and program implementation process. Kathy shared with us that she is “so excited that the application was approved quickly”, and that she is in the process of finding staff interested in volunteering to be trained to administer Naloxone to a person if the person is suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an opioid overdose. The goal is for each site in the district to have a minimum of two staff who receive initial and annual refresher training.
SRVUSD is fortunate to have a partnership with April Rovero, Executive Director for the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse (NCAPDA). April has volunteered to train all of the district’s staff volunteers. The district’s school nurse team will then follow-up with in-person practice with the Narcan trainers, school specific storage and usage, and CPR training. April recently told us that as our partner, she will always be our “local resource for ensuring youth and parents receive critical prescription drug and fentanyl related education to help keep our kids safe from the impacts of substance use/abuse.”
SRVUSD will also be working with other key partners, such as the SRV Council of PTA’s, to look into additional opportunities to educate and provide resources to our students, staff and community. In March 2022, they hosted a presentation titled “Fentanyl is in our Community: Learn What to Look for and How to Save a Life”. We encourage everyone to watch the recording of this important presentation, which included panelists April Rovero, Chief of the Danville Police Department Allan Shields, and SRVUSD’s Executive Director of Secondary Instruction, Jon Campopiano.
When Jon found out the NDP application was accepted, he expressed how important this would be for the health and safety of our students. ”Our youth today are facing an epidemic, and we must be a part of the solution,” said Jon, as the Student Services team sat down to review the staff training plan. “We all must come together to combat the fentanyl/opioid crisis, and bringing Naloxone to our schools is only the first step. With partnerships such as the one we have with April Rovero, we will be providing important educational resources for our students, staff and parents/caregivers as well.
