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Trinity Behavior Care pitches opioid-prevention curriculum to Marboro schools; county fund will cover costs
Summary
Trinity Behavior Care presented a 10‑lesson, K–12 "Too Good For Drugs" curriculum to the board and said the county opioid response fund is covering program costs; presenters reported 32 suspected overdoses in Marboro County so far this year and emphasized parental consent and naloxone takeback events.
At the April 7 meeting, Elizabeth Clark of Trinity Behavior Care outlined an opioid‑prevention effort for Marboro County students that the organization says can be implemented at no cost to the district using county opioid‑response funding.
Clark described the evidence‑based "Too Good For Drugs" curriculum, which the presenters said includes 10 lessons of about 45 minutes each and is available in elementary, middle and high‑school versions. Clark said the program teaches skills such as setting goals, making responsible decisions, resisting peer pressure and communicating effectively. She told the board the county has recorded 32 suspected overdoses so far this year and that prevention activities in schools, naloxone distribution and prescribed‑drug takeback events are part of the local strategy.
Clark and colleagues said the program materials for identified grade bands have already been purchased and that parental consent would be required for student participation. Ebony Manning, a prevention specialist with Trinity, and Deputy Young (identified as a prevention specialist with the Marboro County Sheriff’s Office) joined Clark in describing community outreach and in‑school programming options.
Board members asked about instructor training, lesson frequency, age groups affected and whether the program required district approval. Presenters said Trinity can train teachers or supply trained instructors, that lessons may be delivered once or multiple times per week with days between sessions, and that district staff will review materials for grade‑appropriateness. Clark said the opioid response fund — money derived from state distributions of national opioid litigation settlements — covered program costs and that the county administrator authorized participation in Marboro County.
The board did not take a formal vote on implementation at the meeting; the presentation concluded with board questions and assurances that parental consent would be required if the program is adopted.
