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Once a month at Edison High School, dozens of students attend a meeting for the Fairfax County, Virginia, school鈥檚 “Our Minds Matter Club.”

The group strives to create a space in which students can speak about whatever鈥檚 on their minds, whether it be their mental health or a challenge they鈥檙e experiencing. In some cases, students just listen and appreciate the opportunity to be included.

Part of that approach aims to reduce the stigma attached to talking about mental health problems or struggles with addiction.

As deadly overdoses decline across the D.C. region, especially among young people, schools and community groups are working to keep the data trending in the right direction.

鈥淎 lot of people in groups around me were vaping, doing different drugs,鈥� Abigail Hulunem, a senior at Edison, said. 鈥淚’ve heard so much less about that, especially now that there are so many sports and clubs for people to join.鈥�

Meanwhile, the club鈥檚 vice president, Nalani Keopaseut, said many students 鈥渄o suffer and are dealing with substance abuse, and it’s something you can’t deny,鈥� but they鈥檙e becoming more educated about the dangers. She said the stigma surrounding the topic is changing.

While groups such as OMM offer students a safe space to chat with their peers, school districts also have a role in educating students about the dangers of certain substances. As early as kindergarten, Fairfax County students learn about using medicine safely and recognizing warning labels, according to Mike Axler, the district鈥檚 director of intervention and prevention services.

They learn about alcohol and other drugs in second grade, and opioids are discussed in sixth grade. At every grade level, kids learn about conflict resolution and substance refusal, Axler said.

鈥淭he most powerful protective factor for any youth of any age is a strong relationship with a caring adult, whether it’s an adult in the home, in the school, in the community 鈥� ideally all three,鈥� Axler said.

Meanwhile, Alexandria schools reached 3,600 elementary and middle school students last academic year, teaching them about vaping and fentanyl, according to Fredy Martinez, the division鈥檚 substance use prevention and intervention services coordinator.

They issued a pre- and post tests to ensure students retained the information, and they鈥檙e expanding the presentations to ninth and 10th graders this year.

In Arlington, students hear about peer pressure and prescription medications as early as third grade. In fourth grade, they discuss counterfeit pills, and then go on to learn about medication safety in fifth grade, substance abuse counselor Jenny Sexton said.

鈥淥ur goal is to be able to provide a significant amount of education to our students, beginning in third grade all the way through their senior year of high school, to ensure that they are not only educated, but that they also understand what Narcan is and how to administer it,鈥� Sexton said.

In addition to providing information, Jennifer Evans, director of student mental health services for Loudoun County Public Schools, said part of the division鈥檚 work is making sure students are surrounded by someone they trust.

鈥淭hat includes coaches, that includes teachers, that includes our mental health team, that includes people at church or out in the community that kids can talk to, because most of the time they’re not going to talk to their parents,鈥� Evans said.

Amanda Burke, Edison High鈥檚 principal, said the school has seen a drop in substance use, and 鈥減roviding that space for students to make those connections, to find those trusted adults and to find the student groups that they connect with, all play a piece of it.”

“I do think, you know, working on not providing as much access to meeting up, which is what the cellphones allowed them to do 鈥� I also think helps decrease the availability during the school day to do things that they’re not supposed to be doing,” she said.

Community groups take proactive approach

While deadly overdoses in Virginia are declining, Ginny Atwood, co-founder of The Chris Atwood Foundation, said overdoses remain a challenge.

The group, which aims to help people transition from active addiction to long-term recovery, is staffed by people who have experienced or had a family member experience substance use disorder or mental health issues.

The organization offers Narcan, fentanyl testing strips and hygiene supplies, 鈥渨ith the idea that we鈥檝e got to keep people alive, because dead people don鈥檛 recover. And then once people are interested in quitting, then our peer support specialists already have a trusting relationship with them.鈥�

The mobile unit travels around Fairfax and Prince William counties three times a week, offering similar services, Atwood said. The group also works on housing grants, because 鈥渋t’s really hard for people to stay sober when they don’t have a safe place, a substance-free place to live.鈥�

鈥淲e had such a crazy spike in overdoses during COVID that we’re really kind of just getting back to pre-COVID levels now,鈥� Atwood said. 鈥淪o we still have a lot of work to do. And also, although we’re seeing really dramatic decreases in the Caucasian community, we’re not seeing the same level of decrease in the Black and brown community.鈥�

Meanwhile, the George Mason University’s Mason and Partners Clinic takes a similar approach. The program hosts free clinics across Northern Virginia, offering same-day access to opioid use disorder medication. It aims to reduce barriers by accepting referrals from nonprofits, schools and emergency departments.

Rebecca Sutter, a nursing professor and executive director of Mason and Partners Empowered Communities, said it鈥檚 essential to connect people to services in an active way.

鈥淵ou don’t want to get a handout and say, 鈥楬ere’s a list of numbers that you can call, and best of luck.’ Right? ‘We hope you’ll be able to connect with them,鈥欌�� Sutter said. 鈥淏ut it’s actively being able to say, 鈥極K, I know somebody that I can actually make a phone call to.鈥欌��

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