LAPS Joins Forces To Face Fentanyl Crisis Head On

LAPS Superintendent Jennifer Guy, left, and Prevention Support Specialist Kristine Coblentz at the Post recently to discuss the Fentanyl crisis impacting the schools, community, state and nation. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) Superintendent Jennifer Guy and Prevention Support Specialist Kristine Coblentz attended a meeting at the Los Alamos Daily Post recently to discuss the Fentanyl crisis impacting the schools, community, state and nation. They described the partnerships they have formed and steps taken to educate students, teachers, staff and the community about the dangers of Fentanyl and the support and resources available.

“We’ve been hearing about Fentanyl as an issue in other states for several years but this is the first year we have seen it as a problem in our schools,” Superintendent Guy said. “Over the last five years we’ve known a staff member, community member, former student being impacted by Fentanyl … of being exposed or potentially using and also being impacted by their family members.”
Coblentz explained that she has seen a difference as well this year, “­Those little blue pills introduced into the state have changed the landscape … it has impacted educators, students, family members … our entire school community.”

Superintendent Guy said that she does not believe this issue is one LAPS can address alone.

“Because it’s so dangerous and complex … and it’s also across demographics,” she said.

Partnerships

“Los Alamos JJAB is an incredible partner as is the County Social Services Department, and the Police Department has had outstanding communication with us and that has allowed us to react quickly to help,” Coblentz said.

Police Chief Dino Sgambellone reiterated the importance of partnerships in the efforts to combat this crisis.

“The ill effects of substance abuse continue to plague communities across the nation and unfortunately even Los Alamos has not been immune,” Chief Sgambellone said. “Our role continues to be one of enforcement combined with education, treatment, and prevention efforts. To be successful, we need to partner with a number of agencies to share resources and rely on their expertise. This collaboration, along with families and other members of the community represents a unified commitment and one that is helping to save lives.”

Supintendent Guy confirmed, “I am grateful for the support and quick communication that we always get from the Police Department. Our school resource officers are an important part of our team. They are dedicated to supporting our students and families.”

Coblentz returned to work at LAPS last October after a short break. She said the schools partnered with other entities on March 29 to host the first community forum focused on Fentanyl and held another on July 3.

“This has been the most coordinated effort by Los Alamos JJAB, the Courts, County Social Services Department and Police Department to organize these public events,” she said. “It has been a very comprehensive and quick response.”

Education and training

Education is key, Coblentz said, “I think it is important that every single parent understand that Fentanyl is here in our community and to know the dangers and risks and where to seek and obtain help.”

Coblentz explained that the approach Superintendent Guy takes, “normalizes and destigmatizes this issue … and I think it’s important that we be more kind and compassionate as a community.”

LAPS has worked with the New Mexico Department of Health to make sure the district has plenty of Narcan, she said, adding that they worked in April and May to ensure every staff member across the district was properly trained to administer Narcan – “which can be the difference between life and death.”

LAPS has also reached out to students they have identified as at risk and also to their parents, in a kind manner, Coblentz said.

LAPS also has held training for every staff member and opened the training up to parents and community members this past year, Superintendent Guy said.

“Our School Resource Officer Amos Smith went into every classroom at the high school and our Prevention Specialist Christine assisted him with a PowerPoint presentation bracketed by some short video responses, because research shows students relate to actual stories and they presented this in 54 classes,” she said. “Amos did such a good job of establishing rapport with the students and creating a safe environment where they felt confident to ask questions and discuss fears and concerns.”

Between the SRO, prevention specialist, nurses and counselors — every single student in the district was talked to on this issue before summer, she said.

“It was a big effort that they were able to accomplish,” Superintendent Guy said. “We’ve provided education and information, how to ask for help and have helped students take a safety approach … so the students understand the harm reduction approach … to let students and parents know where and how to get help.”

Police Ofc. James Keane also spoke on the subject in every homeroom this year, and LAPD held a Hawk Hangout in April at SALA addressing this issue, Coblentz said.

“We’ve spent a lot of time speaking with staff and principals at all our schools to be sure we are sharing an age appropriate and consistent message,” Superintendent Guy said, adding that the schools experience with COVID 19 has helped mobilize a coordinated response.

The LAPS Prevention Program partnered with SALA to show two important films to students in 6th grade and up, in May, which was Mental Health Awareness Month. On May 11 they showed Screenagers Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience in which filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston used a personal lens and professional eye to help viewers flip the script on stress, anxiety, and depression. On May 18 they showed Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age, which delved into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and its effects on substance use. The film debunked myths and depicted strategies parents and schools can use to encourage healthy decision-making, support teen mental health, set limits, and create healthy home environments. The film also included many ways young people are using their wisdom and strength to help each other and themselves through the complicated terrain around substance use. View the trailer here.

The reality is that the risk won’t go away, Coblentz said.

Increasing the protective factor

Two years ago the district increased social behavioral resources, she said. Every school now has a support specialist on staff, a clinical counselor, nurse, social worker, “just to shore up” that social and emotional support for students, families and staff. LAPS also has a “Care Team” at each school, a group with the school principal, counselor, clinical counselor, nurse and teacher that come together to talk about food insecurity and social and emotional behavioral issues.

“It’s a comprehensive thought process. These care teams are one important part of prevention and student safety,” Superintendent Guy said. “It insures that at every school across the district staff are coming together to talk about students and are identifying potential needs.”

LAPS is increasing the protective factor by:

  • Building stronger relationships;
  • Learning better skills;
  • Creating exit strategies for students – how they can get themselves out of addiction; and
  • Identifying a trusted adult each student can turn to or share worries with about friends.

“That concept of each student having one trusted adult in their life is so important,” Superintendent Guy said. “Spending time to find out who is connected to that student … who they can turn to … sometimes it’s a family member, teacher, community member, coach, SRO.”

Coblentz said the process is called relationship mapping, “To make sure every student is connected, to make sure every child has someone … this is critical in creating overall student wellbeing.”

“We’ve done this in kindergarten through 12th grade,” Superintendent Guy said. “Those are the students at highest risk if they aren’t engaged and we want to make sure every student has someone.”

System Gaps

“We have such a lack of treatment here and when students return from being treated elsewhere they have a hard time fitting in,” she said. “The Virtual Academy is a wonderful landing spot and then students switch to hybrid and then eventually to full school.”

Coblentz said another growth area for this community is a robust recovery community for adults as well as youth.

“We’ve asked the Health Department to help because we’ve had to rely on our neighboring communities,” she said. “We need also need more addiction treatment options here.”

Rep. Christine Chandler addressed the need for education and expanded behavioral and in-state drug treatment resources.

“This deadly crisis has had devastating impacts on families across our nation and throughout our state, including right here in Los Alamos. We have to prioritize saving lives through education, harm reduction, and treatment,” Rep. Chandler said. “Last year, I co-sponsored legislation that successfully legalized the use of test strips to help prevent overdoses and ultimately, make it easier for people struggling with addiction to seek treatment. And this year, our budget contains the largest investment in New Mexico’s behavioral health services in recent history and directs $21 million in opioid settlement revenue to expanding tele-health, housing and substance use research and treatment. We are going to have to keep making these kinds of significant investments so that New Mexicans can get help and treatment when they need it and so we can educate the next generation about the dangers of Fentanyl and other opioids before it’s too late.”

Find information and resources on the County Social Services Department page at:

Superintendent Guy discussed one of the goals LAPS has, because these types of services are often  difficult to find and navigate saying, “we want parents to know to reach out to the schools because we have resources and we can help … we want them to reach out sooner when it’s a worry and not a problem … they can reach out to their school principal, teacher, school counselor.”

Going forward

“We have plans to provide additional training in the fall and annually and we are going to keep talking about it,” Superintendent Guy said. “It’s going to take all of us working together,” Superintendent Guy said. “The Fentanyl crises is truly a crises and it’s going to take every single person in the community to help address it … taking time to become informed and educated about the risks … and talking about it is critical, talking about it to each other, parents talking about it to their children, parents and their children speaking up and saying something when they see something.”

Find the See Something Say Something link here: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/say-something-tips/.

“It’s a nice safety net that is monitored 24 hours a day by a counselor — by reporting an issue they could make a real difference to somebody,” Superintendent Guy said.

Coblentz explained that LAPS coordinates a spectrum of prevention activities provided by school staff and community partners with funding support from Los Alamos County. The aim of the program is to build protective factors, life skills, and resilience and reduce risk behaviors and harm to children and youth.

For more information or to offer suggestions to the LAPS Prevention Program, Coblentz said to contact her at k.coblentz@laschools.net or 505.663.2575.

SIDEBAR

LAPS Fentanyl Awareness Talking Points

LAPS shares the following suggestions when speaking to youth about the dangers of Fentanyl.

Approach the topic in a calm manner: Keep the focus on safety and connection. Start with a question: what have you heard about Fentanyl?

Offer facts. Fentanyl is an extremely strong synthetic opioid drug approved for use as a pain reliever and anesthetic. It is highly addictive and can be fatal in extremely small amounts (suppresses the central nervous system – slows all systems including breathing). Fentanyl is made as a legal pharmaceutical and also illegally for the drug trade. People may use it legally to control pain by wearing a patch or taking it in an approved lozenge, tablet or nasal spray. But it can also be found in fake pills, vapes, and other drugs or in liquid or powder form.

Emphasize safety. Drugs may contain deadly levels of Fentanyl and you wouldn’t be able to see it, taste it, or smell it. Do not buy drugs from anyone online or in person. Never ingest or inhale or touch something that was not prescribed to you even if someone tells you that it is real or that it is ok. You cannot know what is in it or what effect it might have on you or how it might interact with other medications.

Encourage connection. As adults, one of our jobs is to keep you safe. Part of your job is to keep each other safe. If you see something that is a danger to another person or to the community, it is important to say something. You will not get in trouble for telling a trusted adult if it is a matter of keeping someone safe.

Resources:

How to Identify an Overdose and Administer Narcan:

SIDEBAR

Fentanyl history

According to the Poison Control National Center, the opioid epidemic has occurred in three waves:

The first wave began in 1991 when deaths involving opioids began to rise following a sharp increase in the prescribing of opioid and opioid-combination medications for the treatment of pain. The increase in opioid prescriptions was influenced by reassurances given to prescribers by pharmaceutical companies and medical societies claiming that the risk of addiction to prescription opioids was very low. During this time, pharmaceutical companies also began to promote the use of opioids in patients with non-cancer related pain even though there was a lack of data regarding the risks and benefits in these patients. By 1999, 86% of patients using opioids were using them for non-cancer pain. Communities where opioids were readily available and prescribed liberally were the first places to experience increased opioid abuse and diversion (the transfer of opioids from the individual for whom they were prescribed, to others, which is illegal).

The second wave of the opioid epidemic started around 2010 with a rapid increase in deaths from heroin abuse. As early efforts to decrease opioid prescribing began to take effect, making prescription opioids harder to obtain, the focus turned to heroin, a cheap, widely available, and potent illegal opioid. The use of heroin increased in both sexes, the majority of age brackets, and all socioeconomic groups. Deaths due to heroin-related overdose increased by 286% from 2002 to 2013, and approximately 80% of heroin users admitted to misusing prescription opioids before turning to heroin. Heroin is commonly injected, which puts users at risk for injection-related diseases like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, skin infections, bloodstream infections, and infections of the heart.

The third wave of the epidemic began in 2013 as an increase in deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The sharpest rise in drug-related deaths occurred in 2016 with more than 20,000 deaths from fentanyl and related drugs. The increase in fentanyl deaths has been linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl (not diverted medical fentanyl) used to replace or adulterate other drugs of abuse.

In an effort to reduce risk and maximize the benefits of available pain treatment options, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued comprehensive guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain outside of cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. These prescribing recommendations say that non-opioid treatments are the preferred first step for treatment of chronic pain. Opioid medications should only be added after careful assessment of pain control and followed by regular evaluations of their continued need.

Attempts to change opioid prescribing patterns have been opposed primarily by indirect intervention by the pharmaceutical industry through lobbying and advocacy groups. These efforts include attempts to halt measures to restrict opioid overprescribing, efforts to undermine the CDC guidelines, and thwarting attempts to hold prescribers and pharmaceutical companies accountable.

Researchers from two universities found that the opposition to the CDC guidelines was significantly more common among organizations that received funding from opioid manufacturers. An investigation by the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs detailed the financial ties that exist between opioid manufacturers, advocacy groups, and medical professional societies. The report exposed patient advocacy groups and professional societies spending millions of dollars to promote messages and policies favoring the interests of the pharmaceutical industry.

Source: Poison Control National Center

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