Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services

Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services

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).  It 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 internal and external 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 professionals working in the field of substance abuse; a monthly meeting (3rd Wednesday, 10am-12pm) draws stakeholders together, to review real-world experiences and discuss their contextualization and interpretation using existing, or anticipated, publicly-available data sets.  Current (as of 11/2022) membership includes:

  • Rutgers University: RU Center for Prevention Science*
  • RU RARC
    • RU Center for Prevention Science
    • Rutgers Addiction Research Center
  • NJ Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
  • NJ Department of Education
  • NJ Department of Children and Families
  • Intoxicated Driving Program (NJ DMHAS – IDD
  • NJ Department of Health
  • Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
  • Juvenile Justice Commission (JJRC)
  • NJ State Police (NJSP – DMI)
  • NJ Prevention Network (NJPN)
  • RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention & Recovery (RWJB IFPR)
  • NJ Association of County Alliance Coordinators
  • NY/NJ High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (NY/NJ HIDTA)
  • NJ National Guard - Civil Ops
  • NJ Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP)
  • NJ Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES)
  • NJ Office of the Medical Examiner (NJ OCME)
  • NJ Office of the Attorney General (NJ OAG, NJ CARES)
  • Cooper Hospital System

Starting in 2021, the SEOW began work on an Update to 2008’s Statewide Epidemiological Profile (published by NJ DMHAS).  This work is being led by subject-matter experts chosen from within the workgroup.

Meetings and Contact Information

The SEOW meets on the third Wednesday of each month, except December.

The SEOW Advisory Board meets bi-monthly on the 1st Wednesday of each month @10am-11:30am.

The SEOW Full Workgroup meets monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of each month @10am-12pm (except December)

For more information, please contact via email: DMHAS@dhs.nj.gov and reference subject Advisory Committee for Programs for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Disabled in the subject area.

More Information