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Your source for the latest tips, information, and current campus safety resources from the NCCPS.
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Download the report. |
National Higher Education Emergency Management Needs Assessment
Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. When an emergency does occur, it can threaten public safety, the environment, property, the economy, critical infrastructure, and the health of individuals. In 2015, the
National Center for Campus Public Safety, in partnership with the
Disaster Resilient Universities® Network and the
International Association of Emergency Managers-Universities and Colleges Caucus, sponsored a nationwide study to identify emergency management program (EMP) needs at institutions of higher education (IHEs). A research team from the
University of Oregon Community Service Center (CSC) conducted the research, an
alyzed the results, and provided key findings as part of the study
The goal of the assessment was to inform the following questions:
- What is needed to improve emergency management at IHEs?
- Where are resources currently being deployed on campuses?
- Where are the gaps in resources and information?
- What is the best way to fill these gaps and improve campus public safety?
The key findings are based on information collected from a national survey of emergency management practitioners at IHEs, targeted interviews, case studies, discussions at a summit of representatives from Oregon IHEs, and input from a project advisory committee. The CSC research team identified five key themes related to EMP needs: institutional engagement; training and exercises; plans and operational continuity; staffing and resources; and partnerships and assistance.
The CSC research team also developed a set of draft recommendations, which were vetted and refined by an advisory committee. The final five recommendations are:
- Re-fund the U.S. Department of Education's Emergency Management for Higher Education (EMHE) grant program.
- Establish an emergency management curriculum and training program targeting executive leadership.
- Establish an ad-hoc working group focused on communication and resource coordination between campus emergency management officials and federal agency representatives.
- Encourage designation of IHE emergency management coordinators at the state or regional level.
- Establish an ad hoc working group to develop a program maturity model for institutions' EMPs.
Download the
National Higher Education Emergency Management Program Needs Assessment
(PDF) report for an overview of emergency management at IHEs; results of the higher education emergency management needs assessment survey as well as a copy of the survey instrument; findings, conclusions, and recommendations; recommended best practices for EMPs at IHEs; and an appendix of selected resources for IHEs.
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Download the Surgeon General's Report.
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U.S. Surgeon General Releases Report on Addiction in America
This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General released the first report on the prevention, treatment, and recovery of substance abuse. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health (PDF) is a comprehensive literature review of articles, studies, and prevention and treatment programs that currently exist. This effort was undertaken given the major public health challenges that U.S. families, individuals, and society currently face from substance misuse and related disorders. The Office of the Surgeon General created a website for the report that includes an executive summary, a vision for the future, key findings, and supplementary materials.
Based on 2015 data, more than 27 million people in the U.S. reported current use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs, and over 66 million people (nearly one quarter of the adult and adolescent population) reported binge drinking in the past month. The report's
Executive Summary (PDF)
notes that the estimated "yearly economic impact of substance misuse is $249 billion for alcohol misuse and $193 billion for illicit drug use."
The Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, addressed a key issue that many practitioners in the mental health field have raised in recent years as the opioid epidemic has grown. He discussed the shame and stigma around substance abuse disorders, how society has historically treated addiction as a moral illness, and how society has primarily addressed these problems through the criminal justice system. Murthy identified the "treatment gap" that exists for those suffering from substance abuse disorders. This gap exists due to the segregation of substance abuse treatment services from mainstream healthcare services as well as the inability to access or afford care, fear of shame and discrimination, and lack of screening for substance misuse and substance use disorders.
A summary of key findings is found at the beginning of each of the five chapters, but it is not intended to be a comprehensive summary. For a thorough understanding, readers are encouraged to read each chapter in its entirety.
- The Neurobiology of Substance Use, Misuse, and Addiction
- Prevention Programs and Policies
- Early Intervention, Treatment, and Management of Substance Use Disorders
- Recovery: The Many Paths to Wellness
- Health Care Systems and Substance Use Disorder
Educators and academic institutions are just one group of key stakeholders that play a key role in how we prevent and respond to substance abuse. The Surgeon General's report cited four areas that educators are uniquely equipped to address: implementing evidence-based prevention interventions; providing treatment and recovery supports; teaching accurate, up-to-date scientific information about alcohol and drugs and about substance use disorders as medical conditions; and enhancing training of health care professionals. More information about each of these areas can be found under Specific Suggestions for Key Stakeholders.
For additional information about the U.S. Surgeon General and public health and well-being, please visit
the official website
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Access our online calendar of events. |
Professional Development Opportunities
Title: Social Media for Natural Disaster Response and Recovery (PER-304)
Organization: National Disaster Preparedness Training Center
Date: December 20, 2016
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Fee: Free
Title: Jeanne Clery Act Training Seminar
Organization: Clery Center for Security On Campus
Dates: January 10-11, 2017
Location: Fullerton , CA
Fee: Registration Fee
Title:
SAMHSA's 13
th
Annual Prevention Day
Organizations:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
Location:
National Harbor, MD
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Need Information?
Send us your requests for campus safety information and resources. We offer FREE assistance!
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Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigation and Adjudication Institute
Join us for one of our scheduled Institutes!
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NCCPS Publications
Access free publications that identify challenges in the field and provide case studies, lessons learned, and promising practices.
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This project was supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K011 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.
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