In March of 2022, a group of community stakeholders came together to tackle the concerning trend of opioid and fentanyl misuse and death in our community. The coalition has grown to include members of diverse sectors including; healthcare providers, school professions, first responders, community advocates, treatment and recovery community, along with many more. The group produced a community assessment report to identify local conditions to guide priorities.
Through the leadership of Johnson County Mental Health Center, the coalition is utilizing the Strategic Prevention Framework, an evidence based process, to plan, implement and evaluate prevention efforts. Within the first year of establishment, the coalition has developed a leadership team, identified the mission and vision, and created workgroups to carry out the priorities.