Local Health Services Collaborate on Drug Overdose Prevention, Preparedness
The meeting involved group exercises and discussions between public health officials and local authorities like police officers and emergency medical service providers.
MOORHEAD, MN (KVRR) – Local public health authorities came together to curate a group exercise intended to help authorities with changing trends in drug overdoses.
The event took place at the Family Service Center in Moorhead.
Organizers from both Cass and Clay County Public Health said 26 people attended, representing police and fire departments, social services, behavioral health treatment providers, and more.
The goal was to discuss why it’s necessary to prepare for potential overdose spikes, with specific practice examples – and public health officials say it was a successful collaboration.
“The scenario we worked on today was 8 overdoses within a 48-hour period within the Fargo-Moorhead area. Those are some of the things that would prompt that alert,” said Annabel Dufault, the opioid program manager for Clay County Public Health.
“Wonderful, it’s so wonderful to have a partner and not have to do something completely by ourselves. It just makes the work easier, it makes it more rewarding, it makes it more fun,” added Robyn Litke Sall, prevention coordinator for Fargo Cass Public Health.
“It doubles the impact when you have two people doing that work.”
Both public health departments say long-term objectives include putting together an official community response guide that would go into effect in the event of a significant increase in overdoses.
