Cook County First Responder & Community Overdose Prevention Initiative - Project Title: Cook County First Responder & Community Overdose Prevention Initiative The Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) proposes the Cook County First Responder & Community Overdose Prevention Initiative, a comprehensive countywide effort to reduce opioid overdose deaths by strengthening overdose prevention, reducing stigma associated with substance use disorders, and improving connections to treatment, recovery, and community support services. Through funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) First Responders Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA) program, Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health will convene a network of traditional first responders, nontraditional first responders, healthcare providers, behavioral health and substance use treatment organizations, community-based organizations, peer support specialists, and individuals with lived expertise to build a more coordinated and effective overdose response system. Cook County continues to experience signifcant differences in rates of opioid overdose morbidity and mortality, particularly in communities impacted by limited access to care and behavioral health workforce shortages. While many organizations are working to address the opioid crisis, opportunities remain to strengthen coordination, expand education, reduce stigma, and improve referral pathways that connect individuals to timely treatment and recovery services. The proposed initiative will focus on three primary objectives: 1. Increase overdose prevention capacity by expanding education and training on overdose recognition, opioid overdose reversal medications, emerging drug threats including fentanyl, xylazine, stimulants, and polysubstance use, and evidence-informed approaches to engaging individuals with substance use disorders. 2. Reduce stigma associated with substance use disorders through education on the science of addiction, trauma-informed engagement, recovery-oriented practices, and the value of lived expertise in supporting individuals and families. 3. Strengthen connections to treatment, recovery, crisis, and community support services by improving awareness of available resources, enhancing cross-sector collaboration, and developing stronger referral pathways among first responders, healthcare providers, travel, behavioral health organizations, recovery support providers, and other community partners. The initiative will leverage Cook County Health Office of Behavioral Health's established Regional Behavioral Health Collaboratives, which span all eleven regions of Cook County, to engage local stakeholders, identify community priorities, facilitate training opportunities, and strengthen regional coordination. Project activities will include stakeholder engagement, evidence-informed education and training, resource development, collaborative planning, and implementation of sustainable strategies that improve coordination across systems. By bringing together public safety, healthcare, travel organizations, and community partners, the Cook County First Responder & Community Overdose Prevention Initiative will establish a coordinated, community-centered framework that expands access to lifesaving resources, strengthens partnerships across sectors, and creates sustainable infrastructure to reduce overdose deaths and improve behavioral health outcomes for residents throughout Cook County.
