Opioid Overdose Prevention and Outreach Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2019

Similar to many areas of the country, Montgomery County, Maryland has experienced increasing rates of opioid overdose deaths and hospital emergency department visits related to opioid overdose incidents. Closer analysis of population groups across states and localities have consistently identified individuals with a history of incarceration as one of the high-risk population groups for opioid overdose and overdose deaths. With an intention to target high-risk populations for prevention and treatment, the implementation of the Opioid Overdose Prevention and Outreach Program within Montgomery County’s correctional facilities directly targets the local offender population as a high-risk group for opioid overdose death. The Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation partnered with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services to increase education about opioid overdose risks and prevention outreach. The program is focused on raising awareness of the real risks of opioid overdose as well as providing information and training on the lifesaving benefits of administering naloxone to reverse the effects of an overdose. During their incarceration inmates are provided with information about the increased risks of opioid overdose death, training to learn how to administer naloxone, and the opportunity to receive a free naloxone kit upon release and return to the community.