Garrett County Hosts Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller

By GCHD Communications Team

In early September, Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller visited Garrett County to complete site visits in honor of Recovery Month. Secretary Keller and her team conducted visits throughout Maryland in September, starting with Garrett County. 

The five key policy pillars guiding the Moore-Miller Administration’s approach to reducing overdoses are prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, and public safety. Secretary Keller’s Team worked with the Garrett County Health Department’s Health Education and Outreach Director, Chelsie Dever, to coordinate visits to a few organizations providing services and addressing needs associated with the five key pillars outside of the services the Health Department currently provides. 

Dever escorted Secretary Keller, her Executive Associate Cassandra Hershberg, and Garrett County Interim Health Officer Jennifer Hare to three locations in Garrett County to hear about the work those groups are doing for the citizens of Garrett County. 

First, they met with members of the Emergency Medical Services Community Resource Team (CRT). Team members reviewed services they offer, including  a 24-hour hotline to people who need to access information about treatment and recovery resources, as well as for assistance to enter treatment. The team also provides help to the families of loved ones struggling with opioid addiction. The CRT program is a partnership with the Health Department. To contact the Community Resource Team Hotline, call 301-334-7249. 

Next, the group visited Mountain Laurel Medical Center and met with CEO Brian Bailey, CFO James Mou, and Manager of Business & Community Development Corey Edmonds to hear about the behavioral health counseling services and the Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program they offer to their patients. Mountain Laurel also shared that as a newly certified Overdose Response Program for the state, they are able to now provide Naloxone. 

The last stop was at Reflection House, a Level 2 residential recovery program, and the first ever women’s recovery residence in Garrett County. Program Coordinator and President of the Board Jamie Bell, and House Manager Angelia Thomas gave a tour of the home. Reflection House also provides addiction counseling services, and linkages to health and behavioral health services to women with substance use disorder in Western Maryland. Using a social enterprise model, residents of the home will receive training in life and relationship skills, job skills, and real-world coping skills to support their sustained recovery. Reflection House officially opened its doors on September 25th. To contact Reflection House call 240-321-6723, or to join the waitlist visit https://reflectionhousegc.org/

“It was an honor to show Secretary Keller the valuable programs being implemented by our partners in the community, connecting people to care and making a difference in people’s lives,” said Hare.

To learn more about the services the Garrett County Health Department provides for harm reduction, prevention, treatment, and recovery, call 301-334-7730.

Cutline: Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller visited Garrett County to complete local site visits as a kickoff for her state-wide tour in honor of Recovery Month. Pictured left to right at the Garrett County Emergency Operation Center, the first stop on the tour,  are Justin Orendorf, Communications Chief; Vicki Whitacre, Emergency Services Lieutenant; Secretary Keller; Jennifer Hare, Garrett County Interim Health Officer; and Chelsie Dever, Health Education and Outreach Director.