Community Opiate Task Forces
The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities has partnered with the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services and Cardinal Health to help ten Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Boards (ADAMH Boards) coordinate the development of local Opiate Task Forces in 23 counties throughout Ohio currently battling the opiate epidemic. With the leadership of the local Boards these task forces have begun to take on the responsibility of coordinating the efforts of the medical, treatment, law enforcement, and community relation efforts to combat the opiate and heroin addiction crisis confronting Ohio.
Local Task Forces:
Local Task Forces led by the ADAMH Board in the region and will be made up of individuals with an interest in addressing the opiate issues in their community. The Task Forces are designed to bring people and resources together from all sectors of the community impacted by the opiate issues, provide a structure for the community response to the opiate epidemic, and engage the communities to develop and pursue a unified goal. The task force will coordinate and facilitate local community prevention/education, including education of medical professionals’ (Doctors, Dentist, Pharmacist, Nurses, and Home Health Practitioner etc.).
Community Opiate Task Forces:
Ten ADAMH Boards are currently funded and in the process of developing community coalitions in Ohio. These Boards were selected because they were identified as having the highest rates of accidental overdose deaths in one or more of their counties. The following Boards will be developing and enhancing community opiate task forces.
- Adams-Lawrence-Scioto
- Allen-Auglaize-Hardin
- Athens-Hocking-Vinton
- Brown
- Gallia-Jackson-Meigs
- Marion-Crawford
- Montgomery
- Paint Valley (Ross, Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, and Pike)
- Stark
- Trumbull
In these Board areas, both single county and multi-county task forces will be piloted. All these Board areas will be participants in the Learning Collaborative. Additional communities who have either previously developed or are considering developing community task forces are invited to participate in the Learning Collaborative to share their successes and learn about additional opportunities.
Medication Take Back Days in Your Community:
Free Medication Collection (3 locations)
April 14, 2012
Allen County Children’s Services (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
123 W. Spring St.
Lima, Ohio
Rays Supermarkets (9:00 am – 10:30 am)
890S. Cable Rd.
Lima, Ohio
2100 Harding Hwy.
Lima, Ohio
News and Updates:
Ohio’s Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Coalitions
States Try More Aggressive Rx Opioid Controls
Study Finds that Misuse of Pain Medications is a Pathway to Other High-Risk Behaviors
Senate Bill Would Require Doctor Training to Fight Prescription Drug Abuse
Governor Kasich signs “Pill Mill” Legislation
Governor Signs Emergency Order For Pain Clinics
Resources:
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Toolkit
State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup
Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services
The Ohio State University- College of Pharmacy, Generation Rx Initiative
Ohio’s Prescription Monitoring Program
Office of Criminal Justice Services
Ohio Ex-Offender Reentry Coalitions
Ohio’s Opiate Epidemic – One-Pager
Ohio’s Opiate Epidemic – Newsletter
The Ohio Department of Health – Violence and Injury Prevention Program
For questions about the Community Opiate Task Forces or the Learning Collaborative, please contact Renuka Punjabi at rpunjabi@oacbha.org or (614)224-1111.
