27 Mar 2023 UCA receives grant from Arkansas Opiod Recovery Partnership

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas has been awarded nearly $24,000 in opioid settlement dollars to provide naloxone doses and training on its administration to students, faculty and staff. 

Through the Naloxone Hero Project, the funding comes from the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership and will allow campus employees to distribute naloxone doses during an emergency. Naloxone is a medication designed to reverse an opioid overdose. 

“The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership is happy to partner with the University of Central Arkansas with the deployment of life-saving naloxone,” said Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership Director Kirk Lane. “We would encourage everyone to download the free Narcansas app for more information and resources.”

UCA was awarded the grant at a check presentation hosted during a training session on Feb. 17. UCA hosted its first training on Feb. 9, and other trainings are scheduled throughout the spring. 

“Empowering students, faculty and staff with individual training and naloxone doses provides increased response time should a person overdose on opioids. Every second counts during an overdose,” said Stephanie Rose, assistant professor in the UCA Department of Health Sciences and program director of the addiction studies program. “The enthusiasm and dedication of the university and community have been wonderful. It is obvious that a lot of people want to help. We could not be more excited to be able to offer this opportunity and help to save lives.”

In August, UCA became the first college in Arkansas to participate in the Arkansas Collegiate Network’s Collegiate Naloxbox Bystander Rescue Program. This program strategically places cabinets called Naloxboxes in settings most in need of quickly accessible, public-use naloxone, which allows bystander rescuers on college campuses to save the lives of victims of opioid overdose.