Overdose Lifeline sees improvement in school overdose preparedness one year after program implementation

Overdose Lifeline, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities affected by substance use disorder, is releasing first-year results from its School Naloxone and Emergency Preparedness Project, in partnership with CareSource. The goal for the program is to reduce stigma around substance use disorder (SUD) and improve preparedness of Indiana schools to respond to an opioid overdose situation.

A year after the implementation of the program, 88 school districts across the state of Indiana now have at least one person trained to respond to an overdose, with 505 total participants now trained to recognize symptoms and administer Naloxone safely to anyone experiencing an overdose.

“Around 90 percent of addictions in the US originate during the teenage years. With this reality, it’s essential that Indiana schools are prepared to know the signs of an overdose and respond accordingly,” said Justin Phillips, Executive Director at Overdose Lifeline. “With our training programs, we’ve already seen progress in reducing stigma and educating school staff on appropriate responses to an overdose.”

In a survey given to participants before and after completing training, they are asked questions about their education and skill perception regarding opioid overdose and Naloxone distribution. After taking the training, 99 percent of participants were correctly able to describe how Naloxone stops an overdose. The survey also shows improved responses around the misconception that the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone encourages an individual to continue using opioids.

“Education is the best thing we can do to remove the stigma around substance use disorder (SUD),” said Steve Smitherman, president of CareSource Indiana. “Seeing schools across the state embrace training for their staff and continue to support children affected by SUD after this first year is a rewarding part of our partnership. We're looking forward to seeing the impact to come over the next two years.”

The mission of Overdose Lifeline (ODL) is to carry the message of HOPE to individuals, families, and communities affected by the disease of addiction and to work toward our vision that there will be a time when the chronic disease of addiction receives the same care and attention as any other chronic disease. We address the challenge of preventable deaths associated with substance misuse/addiction through advocacy, education, harm reduction, prevention, and support in the hope that families will not endure devastating loss associated with misuse and addiction.

For more, visit www.overdoselifeline.org/.