Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016
Overdose task force to start meeting
By Jared Mauch
CELINA - The Mercer County Sheriff's Office, Foundations Behavioral Health Services and the Mercer County Emergency Medical Services are teaming up to better treat those who have overdosed in the county.
Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey made the announcement in a Tuesday news release explaining the three entities will begin weekly meetings to review overdose cases and offer the appropriate resources for treatment and recovery.
The goals are to provide services to those in need of recovery and not to arrest them and to reduce the number of overdoses, he said.
Chief Deputy Gery Thobe told the newspaper this morning officials will review all overdose cases, most of which are heroin overdoses, that involve the administration of Narcan. The cases will be gathered by Mercer County Emergency Medical Services.
After reviewing the overdose cases, a response team, made up of one representative from each group, will conduct home visits for people who have overdosed to assist in signing up for available treatment services, Grey said.
The team will outline which treatment is available, such as home visits from Foundations staff. If a person does not wish to cooperate, the team will leave information in case the person changes his or her mind, Thobe said.
Individuals who have overdosed in the last week are more likely to consider a treatment program and gain the necessary assistance, Grey said.
Sign-up for visits from the response team is not required, but those interested in receiving treatment prior to a visit can call the sheriff's office at 419-586-7724 or Foundations at 419-586-1000, Thobe said.
Meetings should begin next week, Thobe said. This year's overdose figures were not available this morning. Officials will compile and track them once the meetings begin.
