Anonym / Thursday, February 6, 2020 / Categories: News, Press Releases, Home Page, Substance Use, HeroHelps Speaker to discuss state initiatives at 2020 Hero Helps Community Forum Friday, April 24, 2020 A State of Illinois expert on the efforts over the past ten years to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths will be speaking at the 2020 Hero Helps Community Forum, scheduled for Friday, April 24 at the Edward Hospital Athletic and Event Center in Romeoville. “We are fortunate to have Danielle Kirby discuss the programs and initiatives implemented to address this opioid epidemic,” said Paul Lauridsen, co-chair of the event. “The State has been successful in creating programs to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in Illinois and Will County.” The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. with the resource expo which will include organizations working to address the opioid crisis. The speaker presentations will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will culminate with a panel taking questions from the audience regarding access to care and recovery support. Specifically, Kirby will talk about her work with the Illinois Opioid Crisis Response Advisory Council convened by the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR). The goal of the Council is to prevent and reduce opioid misuse and overdoses. Under Kirby’s leadership the Council identifies gaps in service, promotes evidence-based strategies and policies designed to combat this public health and safety crisis. The IDHS/SUPR sponsors the Illinois Helpline, 833-2FINDHELP, HelplineIL.org “This helpline is a much needed resource established to help people connect with treatment and recovery options,” Lauridsen said. “We are excited to hear about additional work by the state on this and other efforts.” Naloxone training will be available from 11:00 a.m. until noon. Pre-registration to attend this training is required. To register for the event and for more information, visit the website: www.herohelpsswc.org. Previous Article Vaping Marijuana Opioids Next Article 2021 Hero Helps Community Summit to feature speakers from National Institute for Health & Illinois Department of Human Services Print 6550 Documents to download 2020 Hero Helps speakers 2-7-20final2(.pdf, 456.96 KB) - 300 download(s)