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Prevent, acknowledge, and overcome: a systemic approach to defeating the opioid epidemic

Federal Resources develops a progressive and comprehensive training program for first responders, schools, families, and communities to reduce opioid use, overdoses, deaths, and the stigma surrounding seeking help to save lives

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The Federal Resource’s Opioid Action Plan for First Responders builds upon the success of Federal Resources DrugIQ Training and encourages a co-response approach to overdoses and addiction within the first responder community.

Content provided by Federal Resources

“She’s in here Stephen! She has your rifle!

Our 20-year-old daughter was hunting for us in the middle of the night in our own home. It was pitch black and I could see her coming. I swear a demon had her under its control and she was hunting us down with my own AR-15.

I had no choice. I beat the living sh*t out of my own daughter. Just to keep her from killing my wife and 9-year-old little girl who were hiding in the closet in the next room. It was the worst decision I’ve ever had to make. She was out of her mind.”

Amanda recounts the scene, “That was the worst sound I have ever heard come out of someone. It wasn’t human. I have cried every single day for 7 years. All of this started when she went on one date in the 9th grade, with a boy who gave her one pill.”

  • Stephen and Amanda, parents of 20-year-old daughter who overdosed twice during the COVID lockdowns.

That demon has a name: Heroin laced with fentanyl

“I knew she was dead as soon as she hit the floor. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she turned the strangest shade of gray. I had no idea how to do CPR, but I tried it anyway, and kept on for 12 minutes until deputies arrived. They recognized it immediately as an overdose and ran back to the car to grab Narcan. No luck man, she didn’t come back this time. Her eyes were wide open.”

  • Aaron and Shelley, parents of a 17-year-old daughter who died of an accidental overdose during COVID lockdown.

This demon shares a similar name: Counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl

I never thought I would put my best friend in jail for crimes associated with addiction. He was one of my best officers,” the Chief told me.

“SWAT team, key member of our department Training Division, FTO, great officer. One of the good guys in every sense. He got injured on duty, had back surgery, and ended up addicted to the prescribed pain pills. After 3 years of hiding the addiction from everyone, we end up arresting him for stealing pills from the evidence room.”

  • Recently retired Police Chief in Texas

This demon’s name: Legally prescribed opioids

I panicked every time my phone rings during the night. My son is living on the street, occasionally staying at friends’ homes when it’s cold out. He is not allowed in our house as he has stolen and pawned all my jewelry, maxed out my credit cards putting us in large debt. I have not slept through the night since I learned he was using heroin. Heroin has killed thousands of people and I panic every time my phone rings during the night that this call is the call that he has overdosed again and did not survive.”

This demon’s name: Addiction

Between 2013 and 2019 overdose deaths from synthetic opioids increased by over 1000%. Hidden in the shadows of COVID-19 were record-breaking numbers of opioid overdoses. In 2020, drug overdose deaths hit the highest number ever recorded, and do not seem to be slowing down. The CDC cites the “worsening and expanding overdose epidemic involves potent synthetic drugs, often in combination with other substances, and requires urgent action.”

Schools, city leaders, and even private businesses are all now realizing that time is up. We all must join the fight to rid our community of this hidden epidemic. No longer do you identify a drug user simply by the street corner he hangs around panhandling. These are our children, neighbors, business owners, returning soldiers, family, and coworkers. Many were simply over prescribed a pill that they never really needed. The stigma must end to help people admit the problem and seek help.

Federal Resources has developed a progressive and comprehensive take on traditional harm reduction training, with the mission to “Prevent, Acknowledge, and Overcome.” This eyes-wide-open approach offers new response plans for law enforcement agencies, other first responders, families, schools, and community leaders.

Opioid action plan for first responders and opioid community response

The Opioid Action Plan for First Responders and The Opioid Community Response Plan are the cornerstones of Federal Resources’ Prevent. Acknowledge. Overcome (P.A.O) Program. These two courses set the foundation for a systemic response to opioid addition within a city, county, or region.

The Opioid Action Plan for First Responders builds upon the success of Federal Resources DrugIQ Training and encourages a co-response approach to overdoses and addiction within the first responder community. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS providers will be trained on proven harm reduction strategies and various technologies to utilize when arriving on-scene of a suspected drug-related incident. This program will outline the steps to follow when responding to an overdose or suspected overdose, effective communication tactics and treatment of overdose patients, and post-overdose response options to reduce reoccurring overdoses.

Opioid Community Response is an eyes wide open approach for families of adolescents, business owners, faith-based programs, homeless shelters, government agencies, and other members the community. This customized seminar engages community members by exploring today’s drug trends, the warning signs of drug use and addiction, and options available to those close to someone struggling with substance abuse and addiction. This program will cover testing methods for identifying unknown pills and substances found in the home, the basics of CPR, receiving and administering Narcan, and removing the stigma surrounding drug use and addiction.

Each course includes custom resource guides, specific to the host location, providing information on pre-testing kits, mental health support, existing recovery and treatment options, drug abuse hotline and other valuable resources available in that region to reduce overdoses and death.

The P.A.O. program will be in partnership with our National Jail Diversion Program, as well as Mental Wellness for First Responders

The goal of Federal Resources is to provide these valuable services at no cost to cities, schools, responders and parents by partnering with a non-profit organization seeking grant funding. However, there are alternative sources of funding currently available, for implementing programs into your department today. For more information on the Opioid Response Training Program, visit FederalResources.com/lexipol.contact.

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