Overdose Fatality Review: A Rural Community Approach
A suicide/overdose fatality review (S/OFR) can impact community change and policies. Having the right participants at the S/OFR is critical to positive community engagement. Bringing together cross-sectors of a rural community to create change can bring remarkable success and significant challenges! Protecting our children and future community leaders is a great reason to work toward a solution and put bias aside. In 2019, the Jay County, Indiana, community developed an S/OFR. In 2020, it reviewed its first decedent. Since that time, the county has been able to make strides toward the following:
Adjustments to programs, processes, policies, and practices to meet changing priorities in the community’s needs
Developing relationships with different sectors to implement substance use prevention strategies
Engaging decision makers and community leaders to support substance use prevention policies, programs, and infrastructure