Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

State Superintendent to Host Webinar on Guidance for Schools Related to the Opioid Crisis

The California Department of Education (CDE) will host a webinar on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., related to the opioid/fentanyl crisis. This webinar is open to local educational agencies, school administrators, educators, and anyone else engaged in combating this growing threat facing our youth.

Opioids are the fastest-growing cause of death in our state; now we have an opportunity to come together and learn from subject matter experts on how we all can play a role in the fight against the opioid crisis. This event will include experts from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, California Health and Human Services, local educational agencies, the CDE, and more. Panelists will share information on ways we can work together to educate, prevent, and intervene to support and protect students.

Register in advance for this webinar via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MuRr0n4UQmGS8a95TUlAIg [Note: The registration for this webinar is closed]. The event will also be livestreamed on the CDE Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CAEducation.

Below is a list of relevant resources and more about how the CDE is partnering to combat the opioid/fentanyl epidemic:

• Videos of webinars that CDE co-hosted with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on the CDPH YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmb76t6CC3Q
• The CDPH Overdose Prevention Initiative web page at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/Pages/OPI-landing.aspx
• The CDPH Statewide Standing Order for Naloxone at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/Pages/Naloxone-Standing-Order.aspx
• The California Department of Health Care Services Naloxone Distribution Project web page at https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/Naloxone_Distribution_Project.aspx
• The CDPH Fentanyl web page at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/Pages/Fentanyl.aspx
• The CDPH news release on rainbow fentanyl at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/Pages/Rainbow-Fentanyl-Alert.aspx
• The CDPH Naloxone web page at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/Pages/Naloxone.aspx
• Fresno County’s Dangers of Fentanyl and Treatment Resources web page at https://www.co.fresno.ca.us/resources/fentanyl-danger-in-fresno-county

For instructional resources, please see the CDE Health Education Framework web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction