Anthem Foundation Funds $600M School-Based Opioid Prevention Expansion

Event summary

  • $600,000 grant over three years (June 2024–May 2027) from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to NYU Langone for school-based opioid prevention.
  • 500 school staff trained, with one school fully implementing PEP’s overdose prevention model.
  • Anthem supporting development of SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) protocols for NYU’s School-Based Health Centers.
  • PEP Talks curriculum educates teens and staff on fentanyl risks and naloxone use.

The big picture

Anthem’s investment underscores the growing emphasis on proactive, school-based healthcare interventions, particularly in urban environments with high opioid crisis impacts. The collaboration with NYU Langone highlights a strategic shift toward integrating preventive care directly into educational settings, addressing gaps in early intervention for adolescent substance use. With $600,000 in funding, the initiative aims to create a scalable model for overdose prevention that could influence similar programs nationwide.

What we're watching

Program Scalability
Whether Anthem’s funding model can sustain expansion across NYU’s extensive School-Based Health Centers network.
Outcome Metrics
The pace at which overdose prevention training and naloxone distribution translate into reduced incidents.
Regulatory Alignment
How SBIRT protocol adoption aligns with broader state and national healthcare guidelines.