The Harm Reduction & Overdose Prevention Education for Students (HOPES) Project: A Community College Endeavor

Background and Purpose: The Harm Reduction & Overdose Prevention Education for Students (HOPES) Project, sponsored by the SAMHSA-funded Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center, addresses the urgent need for enhanced harm reduction and substance use disorder treatment information within public community colleges across the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region IX*. This initiative seeks to increase the accessibility and awareness of harm reduction information and resources, aiming to integrate these principles into college curricula and student health services. The primary objective is to develop technical assistance and workforce development opportunities, enabling college personnel to utilize harm reduction strategies proactively. Research questions focus on assessing the current state of substance use-related resources and identifying gaps in harm reduction content.

Methods: The HOPES Project employed a multi-method approach, beginning with a content analysis of 155 community college websites across HSS Region IX. In this phase, we categorized the availability and portrayal of substance use-related resources, with a focus on harm reduction content and accessibility. Participants for subsequent phases, including key informant interviews, focus groups, and a survey, were selected through purposive sampling to ensure a wide representation of college staff, faculty, and administrators. Data collection for these phases was designed to gather in-depth qualitative insights and quantitative data on perceptions, challenges, and opportunities related to harm reduction, substance use disorder treatment and prevention efforts.

Results: Analyses revealed that 48.8% of the colleges displayed a moderate presence of substance use-related resources, yet 23 schools featured no substance-related content. Over half of the schools (62.8%) lacked harm reduction information, and accessibility to these resources was rated as poor in the majority of cases. Counseling services were the most mentioned resource (74.4%), with general health services (55.1%) and referrals for treatment (43.6%) less common. Furthermore, schools demonstrated a significant inclination towards punitive responses to student substance use (68.6%). Qualitative interview data triangulate the above findings and suggest important implications for curriculum and practice in student health services.

Conclusions and Implications: The HOPES Project's findings highlight a critical gap in harm reduction resources and education in community colleges, compounded by the use of stigmatizing language and punitive policies. These results underscore the necessity for colleges to reevaluate their approach to substance use, emphasizing the importance of integrating harm reduction principles into their curricula and policies. The project advocates for a shift towards more supportive, educational responses to substance use, suggesting that such changes are essential for fostering recovery-readiness in school environments. Further research is recommended to explore the implementation and effectiveness of these proposed interventions, with the ultimate goal of promoting a more inclusive and supportive educational landscape for students navigating substance use challenges.

*HHS Region IX: American Samoa, Arizona, California, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands