The data is clear: 18-25 is a critical time for substance use and mental health interventions. This is why programs implemented on college campuses have significant impacts.

But that isn’t to say these interventions are easy to launch.

My guests this month are Dr. Jessi Gold, Chief Wellness Officer for UT System and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UT Health Science Center, and Megan McKnight, Director of the Center for Wellbeing at UT Chattanooga. In this conversation, we talk about some of the successes they have had in launching harm reduction education and prevention programs on college campuses, overcoming concerns over legal liability, debunking myths, addressing stigma, and solving the most important problem of all: logistics, such as who pays for what. Finally, we discuss what next steps look like. After all, getting naloxone on college campuses and saving lives is only step one.

Hosted and produced by Jeremy Kourvelas. Original music by Blind House.

Learn more:
Article on Dr. Jessi Gold plans to “Change the Culture” around mental health: https://news.uthsc.edu/inaugural-chief-wellness-officer-aims-to-change-the-culture-around-mental-health/ 
Megan McKnight honored by the White House for her overdose prevention efforts: https://blog.utc.edu/news/2024/10/utcs-megan-mcknight-honored-by-white-house-for-leadership-in-opioid-overdose-prevention/ 
The ONEbox emergency opioid overdose reversal kit: https://www.wvdii.org/onebox 
SMART: smart.tennessee.edu 

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qbzONIr0hlWxiQsPwkXHM

Getting Naloxone on College Campuses and Other Interventions

SMART Initiative