PERRY COUNTY, KY – Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL) & QRT National recently delivered training to Perry County communities on the Situation Table, a strategy that facilitates multi-agency interventions for those at risk of experiencing a crisis. The training was sponsored by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation (HBFF). The two-day training took place from June 28-29 at the Primary Care Centers of Eastern Kentucky and was delivered by instructors from O2SL & QRT National and HBFF. The training focused on preparing the attending agencies to form a Situation Table. A Situation Table is a unique, risk-based rapid triage model that brings together multiple human service providers to address situations where individuals and/or families are facing a specific threshold of Acutely Elevated Risk. Following the training, the Situation Table launched and held its first meeting on Wednesday, July 13. The Perry County Situation Table’s implementation and plans were highlighted by local news station
Author: Kristen Potter
Perry County, KY Situation Table Featured in Local News
From WYMT New, Kentucky……. HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) – Agencies across the Appalachian community all have expertise in different fields. “There’s so many agencies doing so many different things and we’re not in one location…ever,” Quick Response Team (QRT) Director Sandra Boucher said. Now, the Perry County QRT has implemented the “Situation Table” with the goal of bringing agencies together to solve local issues. “Whenever a situation arises…we can pretty much have everyone there,” John Napier, a member of QRT law enforcement, said. Click video link below to watch news video feed. WYMT news video link to Perry County Situation Table news features
Forbes features O2SL & QRT National Family support expert partner, Maureen Cavanagh
Click on the link below to read the Forbes article, written by their innovation contributor, “Reinventing How We View Substance Abuse”, which was written about our partner, Maureen Cavanagh. Maureen is the author of “If You Love Me: A Mother’s Journey Through Her Daughter’s Opioid Addiction”, the founder of Magnolia New Beginnings, which provides education and peer support to those affected by substance use disorder and their families, and is a nationally recognized subject matter expert who provides training and education in collaboration with O2SL & QRT National. Click to read the article Reinventing How We View Substance Abuse, Forbes, by Heather Wishart-Smith
O2SL & QRT National Delivers Training on Situation Table Model for Implementation in Seven South Shore Communities
BRAINTREE – Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL) & QRT National recently delivered training to several South Shore communities on the Situation Table model, a strategy that facilitates multi-agency interventions for those at risk of experiencing a crisis. The training was provided by the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI), funded as one of the many Pre-Arrest Diversion and Deflection strategies the organization supports. The two-day training took place from June 13-14 at the Braintree Police Department and was delivered by instructors from O2SL & QRT National. The training focused on preparing the attending agencies to form a Situation Table. A Situation Table is a unique, risk-based rapid triage model that brings together multiple human service providers to address situations where individuals and/or families are facing a specific threshold of Acutely Elevated Risk. Through the model, an individual or family at Acutely Elevated Risk would be referred to the Situation Table for
Gloucester Health Department Provides Training for Gloucester Schools and Police on Recognizing and Responding to Trauma
GLOUCESTER – The City of Gloucester and Health Director Max Schenk are pleased to share that staff from Gloucester Public Schools and the Gloucester Police Department participated in training to help them recognize and respond to trauma in ways consistent with the city’s efforts to support the mental health of all. On Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 29, training was provided to 53 officers of the Gloucester Police Department, and on Tuesday, March 29 training was provided to over 100 Gloucester Public Schools staff members, including the faculty of Gloucester High School and district-wide clinical staff members. The training is part of an ongoing effort to support mental health in a trauma-sensitive way for members of the community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, for those facing economic and social hardships, and for those with a history of personal trauma. Funding for the training was provided by the Substance Abuse
O2SL & QRT National’s first Intern Featured in Curry College Newsletter
LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERNSHIP EXPOSES KRYSTAL KIZITO ’22 TO INNOVATIVE AND GROWING FIELD Curry College Newsletter Article Link April 07, 2022-Article Courtesy of Curry College Newsletter TOPICS: Academics | Student Success Criminal Justice major Krystal Kizito ‘22 is getting real-world experience in an emerging field of law enforcement focused on collaborative community-based solutions. She is the first intern for the organization Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL) & QRT National, which was co-founded by Scott Allen, an Associate Lecturer at Curry and former Chief of Police for the town of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. O2SL & QRT National works with municipalities, counties, and states nationwide to address substance use and behavioral health issues through shared, community responses. This innovative work, known as “pre-arrest diversion and deflection” focuses on intervening and helping connect people to care and recovery instead of traditional law enforcement responses, arresting and prosecuting them. Allen was the co-creator of the
O2SL & QRT National Leaders Featured in NIDA JCOIN Deflection eCourse
PTACC is excited to share JCOIN’s latest eCourse: First Responder Deflection: A Warm Handoff to Services in the Community, which is now available! JCOIN has launched a first-of-its-kind eCourse on deflection, giving police/first responders an alternative to arresting people with substance use disorders. O2SL and QRT National’s COO, Scott Allen, and Director of Operations, Daniel Meloy are featured in individual eCourse training modules. “First Responder Deflection: A Warm Handoff to Services in the Community” is a free, 90-minute online course created under the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN), led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). TASC’s Center for Health and Justice and GMU’s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!) co-developed the course for JCOIN, with key practitioner contributions from the Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (PTACC). The course features examples of deflection programs across the US, expert researchers and practitioners, five deflection pathways, tools for evaluating program impact, and much
Family Support Training Offerings
O2SL and QRT National has collaborated with Maureen Cavanaugh of Magnolia Recovery and Consulting to support families affected by substance use. Maureen Cavanagh, MPA M.Ed, speaks from both lived experience and education to families, the community, educators, and professionals who support those with a substance use disorder. Ms. Cavanagh has delivered keynote speeches, workshops, and multi-day trainings around the topics of substance use disorder and the impact on the support system, community, and education system. To date, there are over 50 NAADAC Approved Continuing Education Units (CEUs) accepted by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and most state licensing boards. To find CEUs by state, visit: NAADAC Maureen Cavanagh, MPA M.Ed, speaks from both lived experience and education to families, the community, educators, and professionals who support those with a substance use disorder. Ms. Cavanagh has delivered keynote speeches, workshops, and multi-day trainings around the topics of substance use
Pittsfield Launches “Hub”, Situation Tables Supporting Community Safety
At the end of last year, in early December, lead experts, Dan Cortez and David Batchelor from our O2SL & QRT National team provided Situation Table (also known as “Hub”) training and assistance to two community groups in Pittsfield and the Northern Berkshires. Those groups have since successfully launched their community Situation Tables. O2SL & QRT National and The Global Network for Community Safety (Global Network), a Canadian-based firm, came together last year to collaborate in advancing community safety and well-being initiatives through a partnership to support community’s implementing Situation Tables. Below, click on links to articles and releases highlighting the great work that the Pittsfield Hub has already done to improve their community’s safety and well-being. Pittsfield PD launches new ‘Pittsfield HUB’ initiative to help at-risk residents Pittsfield Establishes ‘HUB’ to Better Assist People in Crisis Pittsfield’s new Hub to help at-risk residents Pittsfield HUB created to help those
O2SL & QRT National Recognizing International Women’s Day
O2SL & QRT National would like to thank and celebrate all women, for leading the the way to success, and for all of your amazing work and advocacy. Celebrating today our O2SL & QRT National women, Dr. Carol Gregory, Joy Schuring, Channing Palumbo, Krystal Kizito, Rene LaMark Muir, Dr, Kelly Firesheets, Maureen Cavanaugh, Nan Franks, Shana Merrick!