- Mahjida Stef ! n, Lucas County Health Department “They need to know where they can get help and easily be able to ! nd the resources that are available to them.”
OVERLAPPING ISSUES
While her work deals mostly with opioid use prevention, Stef ! n recognizes other factors have direct ties to the crisis. “If I had to give a look at the high-risk areas in our community, I bet we would see issues overlapping with districts that have been red- lined and areas that have high rates of crime and gun violence. People in these areas are often stuck in cycles of prison, police, and repeating it all over again, so they’re not actually getting the help they need.” With these factors in mind, Stef ! n says the health department is constantly working to increase its response to the people most in need of its services. The department’s harm reduction program partners with the Lucas County UMADAOP and practices tailoring its services to the needs of those struggling with substance abuse. Staff and volunteers with the program distribute Narcan in some of the highest risk areas in the county. They’ve also been working with the ! re department to ensure ! rst responders have Narcan kits to assist people who refuse hospital care. “This way we can make sure people are getting the help they need, even if they’re wary about going in for professional care.” Stef ! n says one of the department’s next goals is to resume Narcan distribution throughout local jails and continue their education programs that were halted at the start of the pandemic. “We see so many people getting in trouble when they get out of prison. They need to know where they can get help and easily be able to ! nd the resources that are available to them.” She is also hoping to increase the program’s mobility through virtual conversations that encourage input from marginalized communities and by acquiring the resources for mobile fentanyl testing and care for injection sites.
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