REVIVE Training
2020 NACo Achievement Award Winner
Henrico County, Va., VA
Best In Category
About the Program
Category: Human Services (Best in Category)
Year: 2020
The opiate epidemic in America continues, and Henrico County is not immune to its effects. Last year, 45 people died of an opiate overdose in our county and hundreds more experienced a non-fatal overdose. NARCAN (Naloxone) administration can decrease the number of fatal overdoses as it temporarily reverses the deadly effects of opiates. Henrico Fire and Henrico Police have the medication available but the quicker someone can receive the life-saving medication the better. Henrico Area Mental Health and Developmental Services (HAMHDS) has partnered with the Henrico Health Department to get Naloxone into the hands of our citizens. In 2019, HAMHDS and the Health Department committed to providing a minimum of one training a month and providing all of those trained with a free dose of Naloxone. However, the demand was incredible, and the staff provided an average of two trainings per month. HAMHDS has trained and the Health Department has provided medication to close to 600 citizens through this partnership. We continue to strive to increase this number as we have seen firsthand that it can and does save lives.