Preparing for Opioid-Related Emergencies for K-12 Schools and Institutions of Higher Education. Opioids Fact Sheet
Author: Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Emergency Programs,Narcotics,Drug Abuse,Elementary Secondary Education,Higher Education,Planning,Readiness

In October 2017, the President and acting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary determined that a public health emergency exists nationwide. Opioids can help in the management of certain types of pain, but they pose serious health, financial, and social consequences when misused. Schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHE) may find the threat of opioid misuse and abuse affects their population in several possible ways: (1) Students may use or abuse opioids themselves, leading to issues with drug dependence, addiction, and even the potential for overdose; (2) Parents, guardians, family members, or roommates of students may be dealing with addiction issues at home, with members of their household using or abusing opioids themselves (and parents and guardians may be unaware that opioids they have in the home are being taken by their children); (3) Teachers, faculty, and staff may have opioid use or abuse issues; (4) Use by any member of the educational community might bring drugs physically to the campus grounds (and in some cases, lead to drug dealing on or around the property); and (5) Corollary issues that result from drug use and abuse might affect school/IHE members or the community as a whole, such as increased property crimes, fighting, vandalism, and the presence of weapons, other drugs or alcohol, or discarded drug paraphernalia that affects the overall safety of the environment and students' sense of safety. These and other potential issues that might arise from opioid misuse and abuse, with the status of the opioid crisis as a public health emergency, make it a threat that schools, school districts, and IHEs may want to consider addressing in their preparedness efforts. Due to the potential for loss of life, these entities may decide to focus on protocols to address an opioid overdose in their comprehensive high-quality emergency operations plan (EOP). The Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide) and Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Institutions of Higher Education (IHE Guide) were developed in partnership with six federal agencies with roles and responsibilities in emergency preparedness, including the U.S. Departments of Education (ED); Justice (DOJ), led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Homeland Security, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and HHS. The Guides provide a recommended six-step planning process that is cyclical and ongoing to help schools and IHEs create, review, or revise a high-quality EOP or component(s) of one. When developing activities, programs, and services to address an opioid overdose, a school, school district, or IHE planning team can progress through the six steps as follows: (1) Form a collaborative planning team; (2) Understand the situation; (3) Determine goals and objectives; (4) Plan development; (5) Plan preparation, review, and approval; and (6) Plan implementation and maintenance. [For two related guides, see &quot;Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans&quot; (ED571878) and &quot;Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Institutions of Higher Education&quot; (ED571877).]