CALL TO ACTION
Make a Pledge to Do Something Today
The Solution is in Collaboration
It takes the right policies, funding, and open hearts to form a collaborative to sustain people when they cannot help themselves.
Medication-assisted therapies, harm reduction, mental health, peer support services, and state and governmental support offer communities some hope for addressing the opioid crisis.
Make a commitment to following and linking patients to much-needed services after inpatient/detox to outpatient treatment and into their communities.
Work with your local school district to mentor and supervise students so they can overcome adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Often people with opioid addiction have lost a lot. They experience…
- A compromised ability to make life-sustaining decisions.
- Burned bridges with their families, friends, and community.
- Unemployment and/or homelessness.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Here are some strategies you can use with families and neighbors.
- Inform yourself about opioids. The more you know, the more you can help save lives.
- Handle prescription pain medication with care. Safely remove excess medication from your home and encourage others to do the same.
- Lend a listening ear to an at-risk teen. Help them channel their time and effort into a community-building cause or object.
- Learn the signs of opioid misuse, withdrawal, and overdose.
- Carry Narcan; learn how and when to use it.
- Learn ways to motivate people to join in this effort.
- Help with treatment referral when needed.
- Share our resources.
