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Nexus Coalition reports outreach and naloxone education in Navajo County schools and communities
Summary
Nexus Coalition executive director Vicky Solomon briefed the council on education, naloxone distribution with training, school programs and community partnerships across Navajo County and requested help connecting with schools and city programs.
Vicky Solomon, executive director of Nexus Coalition, updated the Show Low City Council on March 18 about the nonprofit's substance-use-prevention work across Navajo County, including school-based curricula, naloxone distribution with linked training, and partnerships with local law enforcement and community organizations.
Nut graf: Solomon said Nexus's two core goals are reducing substance use among youth and increasing community resiliency and connection. She reported program participation numbers for the organization’s most recent grant year and described ongoing work in Show Low-area schools and special programs for students with additional needs.
Solomon told the council that in the coalition’s last grant year, about 16,000 youth and 5,700 adults participated in Nexus activities, that the organization delivered 962 naloxone kits with education attached, and distributed about 53,000 educational materials. She said Nexus emphasizes evidence-based curricula in schools and also uses best-practice interventions where curricula are not available.
Programs listed for the Show Low area included Teen Court, a freshman academy partnership with the high school, and the "Show Low Rise" program for participants with special needs. Solomon said Nexus regularly provides vaping prevention education and participates in events such as the Safety Village; she said the coalition works across 12 community sectors and partners with the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments.
On naloxone, Solomon said the coalition provides fentanyl awareness and naloxone training targeted to adults and that each naloxone distribution is accompanied by education. She described an instance where a foster-care partner praised Nexus’s naloxone education as superior because it ties training to fentanyl awareness. She encouraged the city and school staff to continue facilitating Nexus access to schools and said the group will provide materials and business cards for council staff to share.
Council members thanked Solomon and asked how the city could help. Solomon asked for assistance with school access and said Nexus is planning to expand staff if funding allows.
Ending: Councilmembers praised Nexus's work and agreed to share information about Nexus programs with school contacts; Solomon said she would leave brochures and business cards with city staff.
