Tuesday, September 8, 2020 12:52 pm

Photo by Jackie Smith - Willapa Behavioral Health Peer Support Specialist Natalie Hultman and MAT-PDOA Project Director Bethany Barnard held two events for International Overdose Awareness Day in South Bend and Long Beach.

Working together, the Pacific County Health & Human Services Department and Willapa Behavioral Health honored International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31. A group of workers help to spread awareness of all overdoses and prevention efforts by providing Naloxone training and kits. They distributed 20 kits between north and south Pacific County events. Naloxone is a life saving medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.

This effort was led by the Opioid Response Team, which is a group of Pacific County organizations operating under the shared goal of addressing the opioid epidemic in the county. This goal has resulted in the establishing of a Continuum of Care that expands access to treatment, reduces harm, and streamlines services for those suffering from symptoms of Opioid Use Disorder.

The Continuum of Care consists of Prevention, Intervention, Treatment, and Aftercare programs with an understanding of how crisis situations contribute to these programs. The International Overdose Awareness Day utilized overdose prevention and intervention evidence-based programs while sharing treatment, aftercare, and crisis opportunities.