Health Education and Outreach

Stand Together

The Stand Together initiative began with a conversation between an AmeriCorps member from the local health department and a VISTA member from Garrett County Community Action Committee, Inc. The AmeriCorps and VISTA members shared their vision with their agencies – a vision to provide more comprehensive services for individuals addicted to opioids and other substances. Within a few months of that first conversation, a meeting was held where representatives from multiple agencies began to collaborate as an ad-hoc committee to draw the community into a local response to the opioid crisis. Representatives include treatment professionals, mayors, law enforcement, the faith-based community, social services, public health, health care, State’s Attorney, education, and many concerned citizens.

The Stand Together Garrett County Against Drug Use is focusing on better addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services; strengthening data reporting and collection; enabling access to high-quality, evidence-based pain care; targeting high risk-populations with overdose reversing drugs; and supporting cutting-edge research for acquiring a better understanding of pain, overdose and addiction.