Mobilize Recovery is Training Faith Communities on Narcan
Group sessions in Kennebec County focus on reducing preventable overdose deaths & how the public can save lives.
Mobilize Recovery held training sessions at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church (UUCC) of Augusta and the Friends Quaker Meeting House in Vassalboro, Maine, in December. Both of these meetings came from contacts we met this summer during canvassing.
Frequently, we heard suggestions from people we trained that we should host group training sessions at area organizations and workplaces. That's exactly how we are continuing our vital work in the winter months to educate Kennebec County, Maine, about Narcan's role in reducing the incidence of preventable overdose deaths and how the public can save lives.
Jon Reynolds, Mobilize Recovery Organizer, trained attendees of the Vassalboro Friends Meeting. Paul Forman remarked, "Hearing about Jon's own life experience made the presentation so much more meaningful. He helped dispel myths about substance use disorder and overdoses."
Courtney Gary-Allen, Mobilizing Recovery Organizing Director, spoke to the UUCC congregation as part of the training session. She spoke about her early life and how the compassion of harm reduction was the connection that kept her safe as started her journey into recovery. Gary-Allen called on people to practice "radical love," a practice that honors the worth and dignity of each person without judgement.
Watch a video of her complete message:
Debbie Mattson from UUCC, "We felt that the Narcan presentation was very important, many people want to be part of the solution but don't know how. Learning to use Narcan and having a personal supply of Narcan gave people both the skills and tools to save a life. The faith community of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church is guided by 8 principles. Jon and Courtney's message spoke clearly and emphatically to four of these principles: honoring the worth and dignity of each person; justice, equity and compassion in human relationships; creation of a world community with liberty, justice, and peace for all; and deliberate work to developing inclusive and diverse communities that dismantle racism and other oppressions."
At both meetings, Jon Reynolds provided a comprehensive and short explanation of how to identify an overdose and how to administer Narcan to save the person's life. He also explained protections provided by Maine's Good Samaritan Law and emphasized the importance of calling 9-1-1.
We are in the process of contacting organizations and businesses in the area to train their staff on Naloxone usage and provide them with Naloxone to keep on hand. If your organization or business is interested in scheduling a training, please contact Jon Reynolds at [email protected].
