New opiate response team set to hit the streets

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Health officials across the country are searching for ways to battle the growing opioid epidemic.

Steve Carrel, CEO of Muskingum Behavioral Health, said there have been 13 overdose deaths since 2018 began with seven overdose runs in the city last Friday alone. He said there were 20 deaths total last year and we’re on track to exceed that number this year. Now health officials, along with law enforcement, across the county are working together to offer resources to addicts. Muskingum Opiate Response Teams, or MORT, will be hitting the streets next week to help those suffering.

“The end game of this whole thing is obviously…we want people to get in treatment. We want people to get well. Addiction is a treatable disease,” said Carrel. “Mansfield that we’re modeling our project off of 60% – that’s 6-0 – 60% of the people who were contacted by the response team went into treatment.”

Carrel said Muskingum Behavioral Health is working alongside Allwell, the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Department, the Zanesville Police Department, and the Public Health Department to run this program. The program will target anyone who is on the dispatch call list as an overdose — but there’s no reason for those people to be alarmed.

“The knock on the door isn’t to bust anybody. You know, it’s not to get anybody in trouble,” said Carrel. “It’s not to lecture anybody. It’s simply your community cares about you and we want to see you get well.”

Carrel said surrounding counties also have MORT teams to tackle the issues in their areas. He said they hope to expand the program to include those who attempted suicide as well.