Maryland Expert Taking Part in National Webinar on Opioid Crisis and K-12 Education

US Department of Education Event Set for April 26

BALTIMORE – The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students and its National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, plans a national webinar tomorrow on the opioid crisis and its impact on elementary and secondary schools.

Reginald Burke, Director of the Youth Development Branch at the Maryland State Department of Education, will discuss Maryland’s Statewide effort to combat opioids—both in the schools and in the communities. He will detail the State’s multi-tiered and multi-agency response to the opioid crisis at the practice and policy levels.

Maryland has been a national leader in opioid awareness and prevention. Governor Larry Hogan declared a State of Emergency in response to the heroin and opioid crisis, and established the Opioid Operational Command Center to lead the state’s response and coordinate directly with all 24 local jurisdictions. The Start Talking Maryland Act became law on July 1, 2017, requiring public schools to strengthen drug education and requiring each school to stock the overdose-reversal drug Naloxone.

Also taking part in the webinar will be Dr. Wilson Compton, Deputy Director at the National Institute on Drug Abuse and McKenzie Harrington-Bacote, project director for Laconia, New Hampshire’s School Climate Transformation and Safe Schools/Healthy Students grants. Jason Botel, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education, will provide opening remarks.

WHAT:

“The Opioid Crisis and K-12 Schools: Impact and Response,” a National Webinar

WHEN: 3-4:15 p.m. (Eastern)
Thursday, April 26

HOW TO
ACCESS:

Register at: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/impact-opioid-crisis-k-12-schools