Preventing Overdose: Expansion of Quick Response Teams in Clermont County

The Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board (CCMHB) is applying for grant funding to expand its successful Quick Response Teams (QRT) in Clermont County, Ohio.  Clermont County, Ohio has been hard hit by the opioid epidemic and has one of the highest rates in the State of Ohio for both unintentional overdoses and overdose deaths, particularly related to fentanyl, and treatment admissions for an opioid misuse disorder.  The County has seen successful in decreasing the overdoses and deaths through the implementation of three QRTs throughout the County.  QRT is a type of overdose prevention model that relies on a multidisciplinary partnership between behavioral health professionals and first responders to prevent overdose and connect individuals to treatment.  The primary grant activities are: continuation of two of the three QRTs, with focus on improving the outreach and treatment connection rates; increasing the amount of QRT outreach provided by the Clermont County Sheriff's QRT; enhancing the current QRTs to include a mental health professional to address mental health concerns encountered on QRT outreach attempts; hiring a Coordinator to implement a "Handle with Care" program to provide support to children who encounter an overdose of a loved one/family member and/or have had their parents involved in recent drug charges; and increasing the availability of Naloxone throughout Clermont County.  The overall goal of the project is to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths and provide connection to treatment and support services for individuals with an opioid misuse disorder and/or a stimulant misuse disorder and their families/loved ones.  The deliverables of the grant are increasing access to treatment for substance use disorders; improving the rate of treatment completion for individuals connected with treatment through the QRTs; increasing access to treatment for families/youth who have suffered trauma because of a loved one’s opioid and/or stimulant misuse; and increasing access to Naloxone throughout the County.  It is estimated that 300 Clermont County residents will be served through the grant project each year, including youth and adults.