Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey
Passive Consent Parent Letter
Monday, February 12, 2024
Dear Parent or Guardian:
The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is conducting an important survey on student behaviors and beliefs. The survey is called the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment (OPNA) Survey. Your child’s grade (6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th) is set to take this survey on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.
The purpose of the survey is to gather information needed to plan prevention and intervention programs in our community and schools. These programs will address problems of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, school dropout, delinquency, violence, mental health, and other issues in our schools and communities. Information will also help judge the effectiveness of current prevention and intervention efforts.
The survey instrument is available at https://oklahoma.gov/odmhsas/prevention/schools/opna.html. I also have a copy
of the survey instrument at the Mid-Del Administration Building if you wish to stop by and review it.
The survey is entirely anonymous and confidential. Students will not include their names or any other identifying information. All results from the survey will be presented only in group summary form. The survey asks questions about behaviors students or students’ friends may or may not have done. It is important to remember the survey is anonymous, so no student’s response will ever be able to be connected with that student. For the survey, students will be asked to respond to questions such as “How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to pick a fight with someone at school?” “Which of the following activities for people your age are available in your community?” “On how many occasions (if any) have you used marijuana in the past 30 days?” “Do you share your thoughts and feelings with at least one of your parents/guardians?”
Your child’s participation in the survey is completely voluntary. Each child will be given the option of skipping any question that he or she prefers not to answer. You may decline to have your child participate if you wish. Please remember this survey offers your child the opportunity to share his or her confidential opinions on very important issues being faced by our youth today. If you do decline, your son or daughter will be allowed to read or participate in some other alternative activity while his or her classmates are taking the survey.
If you have any questions regarding the OPNA or your child’s participation, please contact the OPNA team at OPNA@odmhsas.org. Please let me know only if you do not wish your son or daughter to participate in the study. You may do so by submitting the following google form: https://forms.gle/BH4wbVg4TM3ahsqUA. We will ensure your child’s building Principal is made aware of this decision.
Please submit the Opt-Out by Friday, February 23, 2024 to ensure we have time to make each site aware of our students who are opting out. Feel
free to email me with your questions and I will get back with you if you have any other questions about this important study.
Sincerely,
Meagan Bryant
Director of Counseling and Mental Health
Mid-Del Public Schools
mbryant@mid-del.net
Download letter HERE
