P RESCRIPTION FOR E DUCATION

Teacher lead curriculum development through community collaboration

Brockton Mayor’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Coalition Partnership For Success II Grant

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ARTNERSHIP

F

OR

S

UCCESS

II G

RANT  The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS), was awarded funding under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s Strategic Prevention Framework–Partnerships for Success II (PFS II) to address prescription drug misuse and abuse among persons ages 12 to 25 in eight high-need communities.

 MassTAPP website

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NOW THE

C

OMMUNITY

: B

ROCKTON

, MA

 Urban gateway city of approximately 100,000  Largest single public high school in MA with approximately 4,500 students

According to the 2010 census:

White African American Native American , Asian Pacific Islander other races Ethnicity Hispanic or Latino 46.7% (42.9% non-Hispanic white), 31.2%, 0.36% 2.3% 0.04% 10.32% from, and 7.78% from two or more races. of any race were 10.0% of the population.

C

OALITION

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ORK RELATIONSHIPS

& BPS: I

T

’

S ALL ABOUT  MassCALL2 funding received in 2008 allowed the formation of the BMOOPC  Teachers took notice of Coalition efforts and some with a personal connection to the issue reached out for information & presentations on OD prevention and opioids  Wasted Youth Series from Brockton Enterprise made the issue impossible to miss

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ASTED

Y

OUTH

PFS II F

UNDING

& O

PPORTUNITY  MassCALL2 funding was not specific to student aged population, but schools are cornerstones of communities  PFS II specifically addressed youth and allowed for BMOOPC to identify target age group  Experience with schools allowed this identification to happen easily

F

ROM THE

PFS II B

ROCKTON

S

TRATEGIC

P

LAN  For the question, “ Within a semester how many of your students do you have concerns about abusing prescription drugs?”, this respondent gave potentially the most eye opening answer. This teacher reported,

“I don't usually see any signs of drug use, however, I really don't know what to look for either.”

Her response speaks volumes of the fact that despite the fact that teachers are on the front lines to potentially do prevention work, if they are not adequately trained in how to recognize signs of abuse, they will always miss opportunities to help their students.

W

HO WAS SELECTED

?

 High school Juniors/Seniors in BHS in the health and wellness classes.

 Last stop before college  Had better comprehension of issue  BUT   Health & Wellness is in BPS K-12 Able to weave Rx drug information from elementary through high school

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OW DO YOU BUILD CURRICULUM

?

 Find people who do it everyday  Find motivated champions who see the value in the information for their students  Don’t recreate the wheel: SAMSHA, Mass Clearing House, NIDA, Generation Rx  Know how to speak to your audience  Get buy in and it will be sustainable

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ORKING

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OGETHER  BPS provided:  Identified teachers   Job descriptions & HR piece Professional development stipends • BMOOPC provided: -Knowledge base -Evidence based information -Physical resources: books, DVD’s, brochures -Technical assistance -Will pay for YRBS for 2014-2015

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IMELINE  11/6/13 first meeting with Health & Wellness Directors  2/26/14 H&W directors meeting and release of job posting  3/1/14 release survey to teachers, guidance counselors & nurses on their base of knowledge  3/18/14, 4/8/14, & 5/6/14 work group met and developed curriculum  September 2014 curriculum rolled out

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ESOURCE

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UIDE TO

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UILD

C

URRICULUM • • • • • • • • Science of Addiction Risk Factors of Addiction • • Statistics (National, State, & Local) Perception of Harm • • Types of Rx Drugs Rx Drugs to Heroin Difference Between Misuse & Abuse Identifiers & Signs of Abuse Rx Drug Curriculums Most Common Myths Youth Believe Pop Culture & Media Video List

C

URRICULUM  Four classes throughout 21 class semester  Deeply layered information utilizing videos and multimedia resources  Pre/post test yield data  Engages students and allows them to make informed decisions outside of the classroom

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UCCESSES  Curriculum that was developed was more in depth than anticipated  Entire health and wellness curriculum for BPS was revised and elementary, middle school and high school teachers had a stake in development  Increased buy in: deep investment  The people who worked in the school were consulted and given opportunity for professional development

C

HALLENGES  Turnover: High School Principal, Superintendent, Head of health & wellness 9-12, & Mayor all replaced within a year  Budget cuts lead to another potential staffing loss  Getting teachers together to be able to see what’s working and what’s not  Fear of sharing data