Recovery Bartow received a grant from the CDC to fund the establishment of a Post Overdose Response Team (PORT) comprised of certified peer recovery coaches. They will respond as rapidly as practically possible to notifications of spikes in overdoses (utilizing ODMAP), overdose-related deaths, and/or emerging drug threats through partnerships with first responders, hospital ED staff, and law enforcement.

ODMAP data and these community partners will allow the Post Overdose Response Team to:

  • Follow up on suspected overdoses with offers of support and information regarding local and regional recovery resources to the victim and/or their family/friends
  • Provide harm reduction education to individuals, families, and the community at large
  • Provide targeted Narcan training and distribution
  • Provide the public with alerts warning of bad [deadly] batches of illicit street drugs

Post Overdose Response Team:
Carie Shugart, Director of Operations, CARES
Brian Waters, Recovery Coach, CARES

Jennifer Highsmith, Recovery Coach

Recovery Bartow received a grant from the CDC to fund the establishment of a Post Overdose Response Team (PORT) comprised of certified peer recovery coaches. They will respond as rapidly as practically possible to notifications of spikes in overdoses (utilizing ODMAP), overdose-related deaths, and/or emerging drug threats through partnerships with first responders, hospital ED staff, and law enforcement.

ODMAP data and these community partners will allow the Post Overdose Response Team to:

  • Follow up on suspected overdoses with offers of support and information regarding local and regional recovery resources to the victim and/or their family/friends
  • Provide harm reduction education to individuals, families, and the community at large
  • Provide targeted Narcan training and distribution
  • Provide the public with alerts warning of bad [deadly] batches of illicit street drugs

Post Overdose Response Team:
Carie Shugart, Director of Operations, CARES
Brian Waters, Recovery Coach, CARES
Jennifer Highsmith, Recovery Coach