DURANT – The Southeastern Oklahoma State University Wellness Center has been given the opportunity to participate in substance abuse prevention and improvement efforts within the Southeastern community alongside the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS).

ODMHSAS has received a federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration working with higher institutions, jumpstarting the Higher Education Prevention Services outreach program at SE that will provide services for opioids as well as stimulant misuse, along with suicide prevention education. Tiffany Tate, the new prevention specialist assigned to this program, expressed her excitement for this new opportunity for Southeastern’s students, faculty, and staff.

“This program will provide some much-needed guidance and education on the misuse of opioid and stimulant medications. I look forward to working with the campus community and beyond to spread the word of this wonderful opportunity presented by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services,” Tate said.

Student Wellness Services will start the process of integrating the Substance Abuse Prevention Program into the SE community in July 2023 by reviewing assessment materials to identify the most current needs for our university community. The community will also receive educational and outreach services tailored to students’ specific needs. The SE Wellness Center’s April Lehrling urges students, faculty, and staff to keep watch on their emails and social media for more updates on the Prevention Program’s progress.

“Watch your email and se_sws social media outreach on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the most currently scheduled events and educational posts to help promote substance abuse and suicide prevention outreach, beginning extensively in January,” Lehrling said.

Lehrling also encourages the SE community to check out the provided resources for more information on opioid and stimulant services available throughout Oklahoma, as well as individuals or groups that are interested in partnering or collaborating on this Substance Abuse Prevention efforts to contact the Student Wellness Services.

For more information about available opioid and stimulant services in Oklahoma, visit https://okimready.org/

For more information about the Higher Education Prevention Services on the SE campus, please contact the Student Wellness Services at 580-745-2988 or email [email protected]