Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SE) is committed to fostering a supportive environment for students, faculty, and staff, and has taken a proactive approach to addressing substance use and mental health concerns within its community. In 2022, SE was awarded the Higher Education Prevention Services grant through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
This grant is designed to provide prevention education regarding opioids, stimulants and other substances to the campus community, and addresses suicide awareness and education. Through this grant, coined as the “SOS Grant”, SE works with campus partners and other higher education institutions in Oklahoma to address these public health concerns through the implementation of informational programming, educational media campaigns, policy improvement, and harm reduction measures.
The SOS Grant has already implemented several ongoing key initiatives such as building a coalition made up of members from the university and local community, providing medication lockboxes and disposal pouches to promote safe practices surrounding opioid and stimulant access, and spreading information about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to ensure that those in need have access to immediate support. Additionally, the SOS Grant has created a dedicated resources website to provide information and guidance regarding substance use and mental health to the campus community. This website can be found at www.se.edu/student- wellness/sos-grant/.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University will be hosting monthly Veterans Coffee Socials. These events are held at Hot Shots Coffee, located at 2832 University Boulevard, every third Wednesday from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. The next event will be July 17th, 2024. All veterans in our community are invited to attend to make connections, discover resources, and enjoy time together. Veterans will also receive a 20% discount on purchases made at Hot Shots during the event. The SOS grant will be one of many resources on hand to support our veterans, providing free medication lockboxes and disposal pouches, along with other informational materials.
There is still so much to accomplish through the SOS Grant. To learn more about the SOS Grant or get involved, you can visit the SOS Grant website or contact Hannah Hudson at hhudson@se.edu.