Smaller Agency

Overdose Outreach and Prevention: Police Officers’ Roles in Rural Communities

Location: D222/223/224, KBHCC

Robert Devries

Program Manager
Mohave Substance Treatment Education Prevention Partnership, United States
Debra McLaughlin

Coordinator
Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, United States
Brandon Bogert
Paige Presler-Jur

While no corner of the United States has gone untouched by the opioid epidemic, rural America has been hit particularly hard. Law enforcement officers in these communities are often the first responders to the scene of an overdose or the quickest method of connecting an individual in need to treatment. This session will highlight how police in three rural communities have successfully engaged in overdose outreach and prevention strategies— from sharing data to carrying naloxone on calls to participating in overdose outreach efforts— to help protect public safety and ensure residents are as safe and healthy as possible.