MORGANTOWN — An effort to connect overdose victims with recovery and social services is approaching the one-year milestone and looking to pay it forward.
The Monongalia County Quick Response Team played host to representatives from the Madison County, Ky. Health Department this week as that agency looks to get its own QRT off the ground.
The QRT is comprised of MCHD employees, fire personnel, EMS, law enforcement and peer recovery coaches. Contributions have also been made by infectious disease physicians, faith leaders, a local pharmacist and other community members.
A major goal of the QRT is to connect people who have overdosed with services they need. This process begins when overdose reports are sent by MECCA 911, first responders and law enforcement to a HIPAA-compliant Dropbox. Peer recovery coaches follow up with those individuals to discuss treatment options as well as other types of help, such as naloxone and social services.
According to information put out by the MCHD, of the 139 clients who have been contacted since the QRT started last spring, 51 have been referred to or connected with treatment or harm reduction services.
Marty Hensley, information manager with the Madison County, Ky. Health Department, said there are a lot of similarities between Monongalia County and his community.
“You all have West Virginia University. We have [Eastern Kentucky] which has about 27,000 students, so there are some similarities,” he said. “Both areas also have about the same levels of addiction.”
Hensley went on to say that the push for a QRT started three years ago with the creation of a clean needle program.
“It’s just sort of snowballed from there. We started adding more and more to it and this is just sort of the next step,” he said.
While in town, the contingent from Kentucky met with the various agencies involved and spent time with first responders and peer recovery coaches.
Madison County HD Project Coordinator David Eastham said the department recently received grant funds to facilitate the process, which will begin with getting community partners on board.
Locally, MCHD QRT Coordinator Brittany Irick said the $230,000 grant from the West Virginia DHHR that helped get the program off the ground ends March 30. The department is in the process of applying for new grant funding.
“We will continue the QRT no matter what,” MCHD Spokesperson MaryWade Triplett said.
