Offering Counseling After Narcan Saves Effective, Prosecutor Says

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Eight months after introducing a new program to offer counseling services to anyone revived with Narcan, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp says the majority of people accept services that help save lives.

Starting in May, anyone revived by Narcan from an opioid overdose within the county has met with a peer recovery specialist from Morris CARES to discuss counseling and rehabilitation options, in a program called "Narcan 2.0." Of the 83 Narcan saves since May 18, 59 people have accepted services, Knapp said. That's a 71 percent acceptance rate.

Of those that accepted services, 59 percent of them utilized the peer support program, 17 percent were sent to a detox program, 15 percent were sent to an inpatient program, and 9 percent utilized an outpatient program.

“Narcan 2.0 is proving to be an overwhelmingly successful response to the opiate epidemic. The project allows for individuals who have been reversed from an opiate overdose to receive recovery support from a trained Peer Recovery Specialist. The Peer Recovery Specialist is a person in recovery who uses his or her lived experience with addiction to help an overdose survivor find and maintain a path of recovery,” said Melody Runyan, Associate Director of Morris CARES.

“We are very encouraged by the positive impact 'Narcan 2.0' has had so far. Law enforcement partnership with the treatment community is enabling the 'Narcan 2.0' program to save lives. Being a 'Stigma Free' County helps those suffering from substance abuse disorder to break away from this horrific disease,” Knapp said.

Like many counties nationwide, Morris County has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic; 79 people died .

The program was funded using $10,000 in civil forfeiture proceedings from drug dealers.

Image via Franklin PD