SEOW Deliverable Priorities (2022-2023)

The SEOW team is hoping to choose 2-3 deliverables to prioritize in the upcoming year and has brainstormed the following seven deliverable ideas below. If you would like to review previous deliverables developed by the SEOW, please go to our website here.

Disparities in Overdose Fatalities
There has been a large shift in demographics among overdose fatalities in 2019 and 2020. For example, according to the CDC, overdose death rates (number of drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people) increased 44% for Black people during this time. This deliverable would illustrate these disparities in Virginia and pull from the literature to show what is happening on a national scale.

Gambling and Gaming Prevention
Virginia’s Office of Behavioral Health Wellness has a newly established initiative for Problem Gambling Prevention. This deliverable would promote awareness and knowledge about this new initiative and explain why this issue can be relevant to Virginians' behavioral health. It would provide a “101” on the history of gambling, how it’s grown in popularity, and how it affects the brain. Additionally, it would present topical research on gambling as it relates to addiction and mental health. OMNI would explore Virginia and national data on gambling prevalence and impacts, including this data to the extent that it is available. This deliverable could also provide information on how gambling particularly impacts marginalized groups or low-income areas. Finally, this deliverable could provide prevention resources for readers.

Harm Reduction Efforts
Harm reduction emphasizes engaging directly with people who use drugs to prevent overdose and infectious disease transmission and offers low-threshold options for accessing Substance Use Disorder treatment and other health care services. One of the more critical supplies offered is substance test kits, including fentanyl test strips. This deliverable would look at the impacts of harm reduction strategies, such as naloxone or fentanyl test strips, in Virginia.

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Virginia
COVID-19 has affected community members' health and wellness beyond the coronavirus virus itself. This deliverable would look at trends in mental health and suicide rates in Virginia over time, potentially broken out by different demographic groups such as LGBTQ+ youth. This report could also highlight how prevention efforts have been modified since the pandemic and different successes and challenges with these adaptations.

Methamphetamine/Stimulants Brief
Use of methamphetamine and other stimulants are on the rise and this is reflected in recent Virginia substance use indicators, including fatal overdoses from stimulants. This deliverable would describe the recent trends in stimulant use and what Virginia is doing to address these increases, such as the strategies covered by the expansion of the SOR grant to prioritize stimulants as a priority substance. Depending on interest and need, this deliverable could explore epidemiological trends related to the COVID-19 pandemic, geographic patterns across Virginia, higher risk subpopulations, and/or serve as an informational resource on methamphetamine and stimulants. This deliverable would serve as an information guide to ensure relevant stakeholders in the behavioral health and substance use fields are aware of the emerging need and strategies to address stimulant use.

Youth Cannabis Use in Virginia
This deliverable will examine youth cannabis use trends across the state. The deliverable will also look at risk and protective factors and national data to paint a comprehensive picture of youth cannabis use and its context. This deliverable could be used to highlight the importance of prevention programs and addressing risk and protective factors among youth.

Youth Tobacco Use in Virginia
Tobacco use has been a longstanding topic in behavioral health. The availability of vape products containing tobacco has been a particular concern in recent years, as vapes have increased in popularity among younger adults and youth. This deliverable would provide information on tobacco use among Virginian youth (with an emphasis on vape products), where youth tobacco use is most prevalent, outline current prevention strategies and successes, and look at youth tobacco use through an equity lens. OMNI would consider examining subpopulations such as low income youth and/or LGBTQ+ youth, and consider highlighting how youth tobacco use relates to Virginia’s environmental health.

Question Title

* Please rate the priority of each deliverable idea using the above descriptions. You can interpret priority in whatever way makes the most sense to you - emerging trends, interest levels, access to data etc.

	High Priority	Medium Priority	Low Priority
Disparities in Overdose Fatalities	Disparities in Overdose Fatalities High Priority	Disparities in Overdose Fatalities Medium Priority	Disparities in Overdose Fatalities Low Priority
Gambling and Gaming Prevention	Gambling and Gaming Prevention High Priority	Gambling and Gaming Prevention Medium Priority	Gambling and Gaming Prevention Low Priority
Harm Reduction Efforts	Harm Reduction Efforts High Priority	Harm Reduction Efforts Medium Priority	Harm Reduction Efforts Low Priority
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Virginia	Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Virginia High Priority	Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Virginia Medium Priority	Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Virginia Low Priority
Methamphetamine/Stimulants Brief	Methamphetamine/Stimulants Brief High Priority	Methamphetamine/Stimulants Brief Medium Priority	Methamphetamine/Stimulants Brief Low Priority
Youth Cannabis Use in Virginia	Youth Cannabis Use in Virginia High Priority	Youth Cannabis Use in Virginia Medium Priority	Youth Cannabis Use in Virginia Low Priority
Youth Tobacco Use in Virginia	Youth Tobacco Use in Virginia High Priority	Youth Tobacco Use in Virginia Medium Priority	Youth Tobacco Use in Virginia Low Priority

Question Title

* Please feel free to provide additional deliverable ideas or data of interest to be included in a deliverable, as well as any other comments or input on any of the deliverable ideas. We appreciate your input!