Program endeavors to reduce opioid deaths in Northwest Corner

By Brigitte Ruthman

Addiction can be found in every nook and cranny and just about every small town in America, including Norfolk. However, there are remedies in the hands of first responder Emergency Medical Technicias (EMTs) and firefighters who are on the front lines of emergency response. A relatively new “leave behind” program now discreetly links a vulnerable population with resources to save and  change lives.

As of Jan. 1,  by legislative mandate, emergency medical services are required to provide Naloxone “leave behind” kits free of charge to patients, relatives and bystanders when an at-risk person or situation has been identified,. The kits are heavily subsidized by opioid settlement funds distributed by the state to all municipalities, a funding mechanism with an uncertain future. 

The commitment,  even if funding dries up, is to continue an alliance with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and private organizations to assure a future for the program.

Here is how it works: Any person can request a Naloxone kit from ambulance personnel at the scene of a suspected overdose, under the pretext that it could happen again, and it can be offered by those who can best identify risk factors..

Also known as Narcan, Nalazone it is an opioid antagonist,  meaning it binds to opioid receptors to block the effects of other opioids including heroin, morphine and oxycodone.

Administered when a user shows signs of an overdose, typically when breathing slows and responsiveness diminishes, naloxone can, as a temporary treatment, restore consciousness and a more normal range of vital signs with almost no risk from the medication. In short, it prevents death on the front lines of an epidemic of overdoses that last year claimed about 70 lives in Litchfield County, giving life and the possibility of longer-term, life-saving changes.

The leave behind kit includes a nasal Nalaxone spray, along with written instructions and a five minute tutorial in person by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel who also offer a list of local resources and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)  shield.

The Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance and other services in the northwest corner are also partnering with harm-reduction providers. including Greenwoods Counseling and Referrals of Litchfied to help better train potential patients and relatives as well as anyone else who could theoretically end up as a bystander.

Towns participating in the Rural Opioid Response Fund include Barkhamsted, Canaan, Colebrook, Hartland, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, Norfolk, North Canaan Warren and Washington.

“The idea is that when there is someone at risk, Narcan and resources are available, ” said Julia Jagger of Greenwoods Counseling and Referrals of Litchfield.  “Ideally EMS is providing the training.”

What this means is that EMS personnel are poised to discreetly identify at-risk people who might otherwise be invisible in the community,  she said.

The message from providers can be simple- listen to dispatchers directions who are there on the other end of a 911 call before first responders arrive, then know that first responders are able to provide help that potentially goes beyond their time with a patient.

The philosophy behind opioid reversals is a first responder mantra- to give nonjudgemental care.

It means that the focus is on keeping an overdose patient alive with respect and dignity until they are ready and able to care for themselves.

“In most cases, they can see that someone cares,”  Jagger said. “EMS are the most trusted people in the community and it matters that they say it’s okay to get help and to identify high risk situations. It lessens the fear of judgmental behavior and it’s where you build relationships.”