Morris County Sheriff's Office Hope One Vehicle Shines Light on Opioid Addiction At Community Forum in Mount Olive
Published on May 22, 2019
The Morris County Sheriff's Office Hope One staff educated residents on the signs of an opioid overdose and correct administration of the overdose-reversal antidote Narcan at a forum in Mount Olive organized by the Givaudan Community Advisory Panel.
Morris County Sheriff's Office Corporal Erica Valvano inside the Hope One mobile substance use recovery and resource vehicle at a May 21, 2019 forum in Budd Lake called "Opioid Crisis: A Community Event."
The May 21st forum, dubbed Opioid Crisis: A Community Event and held at the Budd Lake Firehouse, was the latest in a series of presentations hosted by Givaudan Community Advisory Panel that focus on threats to public health and safety.
The outing marked an additional outreach effort by Hope One, a mobile substance use recovery and resource vehicle that has made more than 6,800 contacts with people since it launched on April 3, 2017.
From left, Ramapo College Professor of Social Work Stephanie Sarabia, Mount Olive Police Chief Steve Beecher, and Morris County Sheriff's Office Corporal Erica Valvano in front of the Hope One vehicle at the "Opioid Crisis: A Community Event" forum at Budd Lake on May 21, 2019
Hope One routinely stops twice-weekly in Morris County communities where overdoses and hand-to-hand drug transactions have been documented, and where at-risk populations congregate, but requests for its participation at other events are increasing.
Morris County Sheriff's Office Corporal Erica Valvano, who oversees Hope One, educated the audience on Hope One's purpose while Peer Recovery Specialist Kelly LaBar, who works on Hope One providing training on the use of Narcan, provided insight into her own recovery and walked the group through the signs of an overdose and how to respond.
LaBar also gave an overview of the Overdose Prevention Act, a law passed in 2013 that allows people to report an overdose without having to fear they will be arrested.
The keynote speaker was Morris County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Brad Seabury.
The Community Advisory Panel is overseen by Givaudan, a fragrance and flavor corporation, and includes representatives of businesses, the Mount Olive Police, Fire and Health Departments, the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce, and other stakeholders with a goal of informing people about societal dangers, including cyber-bullying and threats of active shooters.
Our focus has always been on emergency preparedness, said Claudia Louigene, a representative of Givaudan who was assisted at the presentation by Facilitator Kate Stanley.