Drug addiction is a major issue in today’s society and over the past several years has become an epidemic all over the nation. Ohio ranked twelfth in the nation in 2013 for drug related fatalities (Trust for America’s Health, 2015). There were 2,110 fatalities due to unpremeditated overdoses in Ohio in 2013. Cuyahoga County accounts for 255 of those fatalities (Ohio Department of Health, 2015). This epidemic is so significant that there is a Healthy People 2020 objective to reduce drug-induced deaths. There are several agencies and organizations that provide services to help with drug addiction and prevent overdoses. This paper will give an overview of the Cuyahoga County Opiate Task Force describing the agency, the services it offers and its relation to the Healthy People 2020 object to reduce drug-induced deaths (Ohio Department of Health and Human Services, 2014).
Agency Information
The Cuyahoga County Opiate Task Force is a government funded agency that focuses on drug addiction and prevention. The agency is an extension of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health solely generated to help decrease the drug addiction and …show more content…
The public health nurse is involved in all steps of the agency, from initial assessments to education to treatment. The nurse assesses the community and develops a needs assessment, looking at the population and risk factors of the community. Basis of prevention comes from education, the nurse does not only educate the drug abusers and/or family members, but also the at risk population. In Project D.A.W.N. the nurse have many roles. At the naloxone kit locations the nurses are helping pass out kits and provide the information needed to use the kits. Nurses are also on the frontline in the war on drugs, providing direct care to users and those who have
Agency Information
The Cuyahoga County Opiate Task Force is a government funded agency that focuses on drug addiction and prevention. The agency is an extension of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health solely generated to help decrease the drug addiction and …show more content…
The public health nurse is involved in all steps of the agency, from initial assessments to education to treatment. The nurse assesses the community and develops a needs assessment, looking at the population and risk factors of the community. Basis of prevention comes from education, the nurse does not only educate the drug abusers and/or family members, but also the at risk population. In Project D.A.W.N. the nurse have many roles. At the naloxone kit locations the nurses are helping pass out kits and provide the information needed to use the kits. Nurses are also on the frontline in the war on drugs, providing direct care to users and those who have