State Opioid Response (SOR)
A Transforming Approach to Opioid Prevention:
Developing Systemic Change in Schools
The State Education Resource Center (SERC), on behalf of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), is excited to offer school districts the opportunity to participate in a competitive grant application process to support the implementation of embedding substance misuse prevention and interventions in a multi-tiered systems of support framework.
Through the application process, SERC will identify two (2) districts that will receive two (2) years of on-site, job-embedded training and technical assistance in the implementation of MTSS in relation to substance misuse prevention, as well as, a yearly stipend to support the implementation. Additional details appear in the CT State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant- Invitation to Apply (below). Individual schools are asked to complete the 2019 SOR Application (below) and submit to SERC for evaluation. Review of materials will begin Tuesday, February 19, 2019. Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22, 2019. It is anticipated that the districts will be notified no later than March 1, 2019.
Please consider participation in the grant competition. Questions regarding specifics of the grant and the professional learning and expectations should be directed to Amanda Pickett, Consultant, at 860.632.1485 x303 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. SERC is looking forward to working with the selected districts.
Grant Documents
Grant Overview
The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) was awarded the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2018 State Opioid Response (SOR) grant. This grant “aims to address the opioid crisis by increasing access to medication-assisted treatment using the three FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder, reducing unmet treatment need, and reducing opioid overdose related deaths through the provision of prevention, treatment and recovery activities for opioid use disorders (OUD).” The CT SOR initiatives are intended to supplement current activities pertaining to opioid misuse undertaken by DMHAS through its previously awarded SAMHSA State Targeted Response (STR) grant as well as utilize recommendations from the CT Opioid Response (CORE) Plan, the CT Alcohol and Drug Policy (ADPC), and feedback from a number of consumers, providers and other stakeholders. One such recommendation is bringing awareness of the dangers of opioid use directly into the classroom for students in grades K-12.
This grant is a collaborative effort between DMHAS and the State Education Resource Center (SERC) to:
- Provide a comprehensive system of support to two school districts on opioid misuse prevention.
- Facilitate, coach, and provide professional learning and technical assistance on key principles of multi- tiered systems of support in relation to opioid prevention:
- universal substance misuse prevention practices,
- partnering and collaborating with students, families, and communities,
- identifying and referring students/families for intensive support,
- establishing systems of data collection, and
- identifying age-appropriate prevention strategies.
- Develop and/or adapt an age-appropriate, research-based Opioid Misuse Prevention Guiding Curriculum (K-12th grade) that can be used by districts across the state according to their demographical and programmatic needs.
Program Outcomes:
- Encourage networking of all stakeholders involved in opioid misuse prevention efforts
- Develop intentional programmatic professional support systems
- Application of knowledge to critically review current policies, procedures, and practices
- Outline sustainability and capacity building across the school district
- Build capacity of school leaders to monitor, support, and sustain fidelity of implementation of new learning
- Support implementation of a research-based opioid misuse prevention curriculum district-wide
Over the course of the grant, the grant will support two (2) districts in implementing a comprehensive multi-tiered system of support around substance misuse prevention. Through site-based professional learning, technical assistance, and coaching, the participating district will work to improve educational outcomes through a continuum of supports for all students. After participating in the grant, districts will effectively implement and sustain all three tiers of substance misuse prevention under Connecticut’s Scientific Research-Based Interventions (SRBI) framework.
For Application requirements and instructions, Benefits of Participation, and a description of the grant program, read the Invitation to Apply, and Grant Application.
