LEONARDTOWN, MD (April 30, 2024)—The St. Mary’s County Strategic Plan for Overdose Response is now updated and available online. The 2023 update describes progress and new goals since the prior versions of the plan in 2019 and 2017. Many local partners – including the St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD), law enforcement, health care providers, schools, EMS, and Fire Rescue – have been working together to prevent overdose fatalities and mitigate the harms of substance use.
The Strategic Plan for Overdose Response proposes new strategies to address overdoses and substance use and highlights the work already established in the county. The plan describes four major categories of effort related to substance use, including:
- Preventing new cases of misuse
- Improving early identification and intervention
- Expanding access to services
- Enhancing data collection, sharing, and analysis
The St. Mary’s County Strategic Plan for Overdose Response will continue to be updated as additional response strategies and resources are identified to help curb substance use behaviors at every stage of prevention and recovery.
SMCHD thanks the many partner organizations and community members who have been involved in developing and implementing the county’s Overdose Response Plan. The plan is posted on the SMCHD website at smchd.org/opioid.
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