State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW)
In March 2006 the Division was awarded a grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) to develop a State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW). The SEOW was created and began meeting in 2007.
Role of the New Jersey State Epidemiological Outcome Workgroup
The SEOW regularly reviews, compiles, analyzes and organizes multiple sources of data to guide relevant and effective substance abuse prevention strategies. By understanding the prevalence and patterns of substance abuse related problems and risk and protective factors that contribute to them, the SEOW informs policy decision making through recommendations to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The SEOW is comprised a variety of government and community agency based experts in the field of substance abuse. The members come from universities, research institutions, government agencies, and private organizations. All have extensive experience working with substance use-related data. Organizations/institutions that are currently represented on the SEOW include:
• NJ Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
• NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Department of
Human Services
• NJ Department of Education
• NJ Department of Children and Families
• Intoxicated Driving Program
• NJ Department of Health
• Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
• Juvenile Justice Commission
• NJ State Police
• NJ Prevention Network
• Princeton House Behavioral Health
• Rutgers University
• St. Barnabas Behavioral Health Institute
• NJ Association of County Alliance Coordinators
• NY/NJ High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (NY/NJ HIDTA)
• NJ Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP)
• NJ Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES)
• NJ Assistant Medical Examiner, NJ Division of Criminal Justice
For 2014, the SEOW will continue to address its Charter and the tasks above and also guide and support local data utilization and analysis efforts, including providing data analysis and interpretation service to communities as needed. During the next five years, as part of the recently awarded $11 million, five year Partnership for Success/SAMHSA grant, the SEOW will be at the center of a number of projects focused on developing and enhancing the prevention data infrastructure and information systems. They include further enhancements of the Prevention Outcomes Monitoring System (POMS) and the NJ Substance Abuse Monitoring System (NJSAMS); a survey of substance use behavior of Returning Veterans and an enhancement and expansion of the NJ Older Adult Survey (NJOAS) to collect county level data; and updates of the recently developed Social Indicator Database, Social Indicators Chartbooks, and Statewide Prevention Inventory.
Meetings and Contact Information
The SEOW meets on the third Wednesday of each month,except December. For more information about the SEOW, please contact Raoul Bhatta at raoul.bhatta@dhs.nj.gov or at 609-438-4225.