Orange County, Aspire Health Partners Host Additional Emergency Community Outreach Sessions in Response to Local Trend in Opioid-Related Overdoses

Who: Orange County Government, Aspire Health Partners

What: Orange County Government and Aspire Health Partners will offer additional community outreach and education sessions in March that will assist families and individuals battling opioid-related addictions. These follow sessions held previously in February, which came at the direction of Orange County Sheriff Jerry L. Demings and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs.

February’s efforts came in response to reports that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had responded to more than 156 cases of suspected opioid-related overdoses, with a total of nine deaths along Orange Blossom Trail, since Jan 1.

Additional sessions are being offered due to a significant need for continued education related to the opioid epidemic within select communities of Orange County. This includes how to obtain and use the potentially life-saving drug Narcan, and how to access treatment services.

Community sessions offer individuals and families:

• Access to Naloxone (Narcan).
• Information on how to safely administer Naloxone (Narcan) in an overdose emergency.
• Information on local drug treatment providers and services, including inpatient and community-based options.
• Counselors will be on-site to answer questions and provide guidance.

When/Where:

• Thursday, March 8
  8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  Southwood Community Center
  6225 Brookgreen Ave, Orlando, FL 32809
• Tuesday, March 13
  9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  Orlando Assistance Center
  507 East Michigan Street, Orlando, FL 32806

Additional Information: Individuals may also call Aspire Health Partners at 407-254-7848 to make an appointment to join the March community sessions. Orange County and Aspire Health Partners plan to host additional sessions during the month of April.

These sessions will be announced once details are finalized. These efforts compliment outreach that took place in February, which included the deployment of more than 130 Orange County Fire Rescue personnel who went door-to-door with prevention and life-saving information to more than 7000 residences.

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Editor’s Note: Media will not be permitted inside the educational sessions to protect the privacy and comfort of those seeking assistance. There is concern that media staging outside may deter individuals from coming inside and therefore ask for members of the media to call PIO before going out so that organizers can accommodate media needs quickly.

About the Orange County Heroin Task Force:
Orange County’s collaborative, multi-jurisdictional Heroin Task Force was comprised of 22 key community leaders, lending their expertise and staff in the areas of law enforcement, healthcare, treatment, education and prevention as well as public policy. The Task Force adopted 37 recommendations for implementation. In addition to legislative advocacy during the 2017 session, Task Force members were key to getting Naloxone (also known as Narcan) into the hands of more first responders – especially law enforcement – through legislative action in the 2016 session. In partnership with Orange County’s Corrections team, the Task Force was instrumental in the launch of the Vivitrol pilot program, a medication-assisted treatment program administered through the Orange County Jail that helps inmates fight addiction before they are released. In 2017, the Task Force launched the Heroes Against Heroin website which provides critical information on prevention, emergency intervention and local treatment.