Maryland Schools Respond to Opioid Epidemic with Programs that Connect Teens to Screening and Treatment
Karen Siska-Creel, Anne Arundel County’s school health and support director, knows from experience that if a problem pops up in the community, it won’t take long for it to appear in schools. When the opioid epidemic began to spread in Anne Arundel County around 2016, Siska-Creel saw local fire departments establish pop-up stations to help people suffering from addiction. But it wasn’t until a high schooler pleaded with school nurses and the health department for help with their addiction that she realized the depth of need in the public school system.