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Interfaith Effort Seeks to Reduce Overdoses and Aid Recovery

On June 8, 2016, 100 ministers and congregational leaders met at the Washington Elks Club to start Project Refuge in Washington County. Project Refuge is an inter-denominational effort to identify individuals in active addiction and link them through religious leaders, with drug treatment services.

“Religious leaders may often be approached by addicts or families of an addict who are looking for help,” Cheryl Andrews, Executive Director of Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission, explained. “They are a natural and necessary partner with our efforts to stop the ever increasing number of deaths and overdoses caused by this epidemic.”

Project Refuge is being led by the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission in cooperation with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Washington County Adult Probation Office, in partnership with all interested churches, faith-based organizations, and groups like Resurrection Power. The goal of Project Refuge is to provide people in active addiction with a connection to treatment and recovery services as well as help them navigate the legal and criminal barriers which can prevent addicts from seeking help.

Ministers were trained in the use of Narcan© (naloxone) by Ms. Andrews and kits were distributed to the ministers. Naloxone is a life-saving drug which reverses the deadly effects of opioid drugs and heroin. 63 people have been saved by first responders using naloxone in Washington County since July of 2015.

This was the initial meeting of Project Refuge. Planning is underway for additional meetings for the Mon Valley and Northern Washington County area. For more information on Project Refuge, contact the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission at 724-223-1181.

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