LENOIR, N.C. — Commissioners in Caldwell County have recently approved using a portion of the North Carolina Opioid Settlement for the extension of an opioid relief program known as R.E.S.T.A.R.T.
Caldwell County EMS Chief Jonathan Cook explained the approval will advance the program and hopefully curb the opioid epidemic in our area for years to come.
“R.E.S.T.A.R.T. is an acronym for Recognize, Educate, Stabilize, Transform, Accelerate, Rehabilitate and Trust, and exemplifies the foundations on which the program was established,” said Cook. “The program is currently funded by a two-year grant from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and will now be extended for many years, thanks to the county commissioner’s commitment to ensuring the work continues.”
The expansion will bring a varied approach including personnel and emergency services, public health, education and social services. The goal is to engage members of the community who have experienced an overdose, follow up with patients and their families hours after an overdose, and link patients to the right care.
This expansion was caused by the rise in the number of overdoses in Caldwell County. In 2022, EMS in Caldwell responded to 250 overdoses. To help address the rise in cases, R.E.S.T.A.R.T. has distributed 447 units of Narcan and referred around 40 people to detox/rehabilitation centers.
Emergency Services Director Dino DiBernardi said this expansion will make a large impact and allow more people in the community to break the cycle of addiction.
“The key point often missed by those who have not had the unfortunate experience of dealing with the challenges faced by those suffering from mental, behavioral and substance abuse issues is that it impacts more than just the individual. These cases impact families, children, communities, the health care system, businesses and more,” said DiBernardi.
To learn more about the R.ES.T.A.R.T. program click here.
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