Community Overdose Action Team

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Montgomery County has the highest unintentional drug overdose death rate in the state of Ohio with 562 deaths in 2017. This is a public health crisis. In September 2016, the Montgomery County Ohio Commissioners convened a community-wide forum to request stakeholders to work together to address the opioid epidemic. Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County and Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services have taken the lead to coordinate these community-wide efforts. Under this leadership, community partners have come together to form the Community Overdose Action Team (COAT). The COAT operates under the National Incident Management System framework. The National Incident Management System framework provides a consistent template for partners to work together to respond to local, state and federal emergencies. The COAT’s primary goal is to reduce the number of fatal overdoses in Montgomery County. COAT members look for existing gaps in services and explore new ways to combat the drug overdose crisis. Over 200 individuals from participating agencies, along with people in recovery and family members, have joined together to participate. This community-wide collaborative approach has made a significant impact in combating the problem of rising deaths from drug overdoses in Montgomery County Ohio.