Point of Contact: Amanda Hubbard, SOR II Program Manager             
Email: [email protected]

Point of Contact: Virginia Stanick, SOR II Grants Manager                       
Email: [email protected]

SOR II supports the naloxone training/distribution and prescriber education through Criminal Justice Institute and UALR Mid-SOUTH $500,000 supports prevention focused on senior population (age 65+) provided by UAMS Reynolds Institute on Aging, aimed at reducing opioid use and related risks, as well as education on opioids, pain management alternatives, etc.

• Arkansas Improving Multidisciplinary Pain Care Treatment (AR-IMPACT) – is a live streaming online video conferencing service staffed by a multidisciplinary team from UAMS, including a pain physician, addiction psychiatrist, psychologist, two pharmacists and a physical therapist. This is provided weekly and was developed in partnership with UAMS, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, Office of the Drug Director/DAABHS, and AR Department of Health. AR-IMPACT is the latest of UAMS’s efforts to respond to the opioid epidemic which include reducing opioid prescriptions while improving patient outcomes, re-educating staff, treating overdose patients and treating opioid misuse through medication and group therapy. Research to improve understanding of opioid misuse and its treatment is ongoing in departments across campus.
• Opioid Prevention for Aging and Longevity (OPAL) – UAMS Reynolds Institute on Aging, the nine Centers on Aging, and nursing facilities served by UAMS, provides outreach to and education of the Medicare population about the dangers of opioids. The SOR grant identified seniors 65 and older as a priority population because more than 70% of community dwelling seniors have pain-related medications, and approximately a quarter of them have at least one opioid prescription. Similarly, more than 90% of our nursing home residents are on pain medications for chronic pain, with more than one-third prescribed at least one opioid. The Reynolds Institute has developed a robust, innovative program, OPAL with support from opioid-related prevention grants.

Attention: Medical residents, pharmacists, physician assistants, physicians, nurses, and other staff at UAMS Regional Programs, clinics, and hospitals – OPAL is presenting FREE opioid/naloxone trainings worth one (1) hour of continuing education. These trainings on the safe use of prescription opioids and the role of naloxone and patient/caregiver education in preventing opioid overdose in older adults are available on multiple dates by request. Email [email protected] to schedule an in-person or virtual presentation for your location.

• Arkansas Naloxone Project – Criminal Justice Institute provides education and health literacy training to decrease misunderstanding and improve communication between individuals and their doctors, educate first responders on administration of naloxone, and family members on recognition of overdose and administration of naloxone. Media Campaign – Statewide media campaign centered on calling 911 in event of an overdose. The dangers of misuse of opioids, and the importance of speaking up about addiction concerns. Naloxone is purchased to supply a first set of doses for responders and for OUD patients’ families after being trained on administration. This project is funded by DAABHS via a variety of federal funding opportunities and Blue and You Foundation -First Responder training (Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, and School Nurses) has resulted in over 932 saves from naloxone administrations to date (12-2019), over 5000 trained and kits disseminated. On-line training courses were developed.
• Arkansas “Don’t Run, Call 911” media program is designed to educate Arkansas on the Joshua Ashley-Pauley Act.

• Narcansas App – Free app provided to Arkansans on multiple formats, providing access to training and instruction on life saving naloxone and services for prevention, treatment and recovery provided by the state of Arkansas. Click here to visit Narcansas.com.
• Advanced Overdose Investigation – A law enforcement course that educates law enforcement investigators, Prosecuting Attorney’s, and Coroners, on advanced techniques in drug diversion, forensic investigation specific to overdose deaths, advanced criminal overdose investigation, as well as available federal and state resources to pursue past the overdose death holding those that poisoned these victims accountable under our criminal justice system. Funded through the STR grant Office of the Drug Director, DAABHS and in partnerships with the DEA, Arkansas Pharmacy Board. Provided by the Criminal Justice Institute.
• Arkansas Stop Stigma Campaign – Provides education through a variety of formats to provoke community and collaborative conversations to defeat the stigma around substance use disorder and identifying it as a disease. Grant Funded through DAABHS, with several collaborative partners.
• Collegiate NARCAN Campaign (SOR II) – The Collegiate NARCAN Campaign was developed to improve overdose prevention and naloxone availability in Arkansas’s higher education settings. This campaign offers a training that provides opioid overdose education, training on how to properly administer NARCAN, and equips colleges and universities with available and accessible NARCAN Boxes. The campaign is split into 2 phases. Phase 1 will focus solely on promoting the Collegiate NARCAN digital media to raise social awareness to colleges and universities across the state and promoting the free Collegiate NARCAN SCORM Training Module. Phase 2 will focus on procurement and dissemination of NARCAN Boxes (i.e., initially targeting Arkansas Collegiate Network 8 Core Team Institutions, high risk institution as indicated by data, and institutions with collegiate recovery programs). (For more information contact Steven Gray at [email protected])