ELIZABETHTOWN, KY — Hardin County, the Hardin County Coroner’s Office, Lincoln Trail Public Health, CommuniCare and other area community partners now have essential deflection skills following a training program led by Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL) & Quick Response Time (QRT) National and Cordata.
The Deflection Academy took place from Sept. 17-18 and trained 22 professionals representing Hardin, Breckenridge, Meade and Marion county organizations. The training was funded and supported by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Commission.
Deflection is an upstream preventative approach to substance use and mental health that offers pathways for a community based response to occur before an event such as an overdose, arrest or mental health crisis. Primary instructors included Kendall Jordan, Scott Allen and Mike Botieri of O2SL and QRT National and Cordata.
“We were excited to partner with O2SL & QRT National to bring law enforcement, EMS, the Coroner’s Office, clinicians, recovery coaches and an area jail reentry staff the additional training on deflection and pre-arrest diversion pathways,” said Thad Storms, of CommuniCare, who was instrumental in coordinating the training for Hardin County and its neighboring counties.
O2SL& QRT National and Cordata’s Deflection Academy stands out for its comprehensive overview of nationally recognized deflection pathways. Designed for public safety personnel, certified recovery coaches, clinicians, social workers and community based organization specialists, it uniquely focuses on engaging public safety in collaboration with public health and community team members, making it a valuable resource for professionals in the field.
Once implemented, the pathways help community and public safety partners respond to, engage with and assist persons who have experienced an overdose. The local collaborative can also assist and connect at-risk or vulnerable persons with substance use disorders.
“The training helped everyone understand how we can work together, build on the skills each partner can provide and develop a ‘best-practice’ approach for our communities when engaging with vulnerable populations,” said Hardin County Coroner Shana Norton.
The training also addressed other community needs, such as mental health disorders, drug-endangered children, the impact of trauma and trauma-informed responses, family support initiatives and more.
“We had a wonderful experience in Hardin County, and we appreciated their participation and engagement in the training,” said O2SL & QRT National and Cordata Senior Community Engagement Specialist Scott Allen. “We strive to provide the necessary education and resources for all community partners to be prepared when addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.”
The O2SL & QRT National and Cordata’s Deflection Academy course is also co-certified for Continuous Education Units (CEUs) for police officers and licensed behavioral health professionals.
“This course is extremely beneficial in equipping community partners with skills they need to safely and effectively approach difficult situations,” O2SL & QRT National and Cordata Senior Community Engagement Specialist Mike Botieri said. “The preventative approach is instrumental for ensuring community safety, but also teaching trauma-informed procedures is essential and allows community partners to address situations with compassion and tact.”
Deflection models operate within communities across the United States. Over the past four years, O2SL and QRT National and Cordata have delivered customized deflection training to partners in Connecticut, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Kentucky and Texas, along with other specialized training and mentoring in numerous additional states.
