School nurses gathered at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute listen as state Department of Health Division of School Health Director Beth Anne Bahn reviews policy changes and updates.

SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. | The nation is in the midst of an unprecedented opiod epidemic and, according to the Centers for Disease Control, Pennsylvania is one of 14 states that saw an alarming rise in drug overdose deaths — nearly 13 percent — from 2013 to 2014.

Fortunately, the commonwealth’s school nurses will be prepared to face the problem this fall thanks to a conference organized by the Lehigh County School Nurses Advisory Board and hosted by Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Learn more about applications to the Medical School here.

Voices of School Health VII is scheduled 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16 and Wednesday, Aug. 17. Nearly 200 nurses dedicated to keeping Pennsylvania’s school-age children healthy are expected to gather at LCTI for the event, which will feature training from the experts at Caron Treatment Centers.

“The opioid epidemic continues to impact individuals and families across the country. Addiction knows no bounds and we need to properly educate our communities and healthcare professionals alike about the complexities of this disease,” said Dr. Joseph Garbely, Medical Director at Caron Treatment Centers.

“That’s why it’s important we hold educational events like the Voices of School Health conference. School nurses are on the front lines of the drug abuse epidemic, so it’s critical for them to be equipped with the appropriate tools for prevention. The goal is to empower them to understand the disease of addiction including signs, symptoms, and co-occurring issues among adolescents and teens,” he said.

Caron representatives are scheduled to provide Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (SBIRT) training during workshops scheduled 12:30-2 p.m. and 2:15-3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

In addition to the opioid epidemic, this year’s workshop topics include diabetes and insulin pump therapy, supporting students and families facing pediatric cancer, concussion management and much more. Keynote speakers are slated to address the conference as follows:

8:15-11:30 am., Tuesday

Beth Anne Bahn, Director, Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of School Health

DOH Update, Q & A Session

8:15-9:45 a.m. Wednesday

Kristin Jachowicz, Supervisor of Special Education, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute

Accommodations vs. Modifications

2:15-3:30 p.m. Wednesday

Graciela Slesaransky-Poe, Dean and Professor, Arcadia University School of Education

Creating Safe and Gender Inclusive Schools

Read the complete news release.

Media Contact: Precious Petty, Public Relations Coordinator, 610-799-1450, pettyp@lcti.org