LACKAWANNA RECOVERY COALITION
The Lackawanna Recovery Coalition, established in February 2017, is working to reduce overdose deaths in Lackawanna County by helping people with substance use disorder find treatment and recovery, reducing harm, and educating the public about the disease of addiction. By working together with all the stakeholder groups in our community, we are working to help more people overcome the disease of addiction and build a healthier community.
Between 2014 and the most recent complete reporting cycles, Lackawanna County has averaged approximately 75 to 80 fatal overdoses per year, with a cumulative total of over 850 confirmed deaths during that period. While we have made much progress in lowering the death toll in our community, the increasing widespread presence of fentanyl in many street drugs, the introduction of xylazine, and other developments have made the solution to this crisis a moving target.
BY THE NUMBERS
The LRC is composed of community leaders, including law enforcement, health-care providers, treatment providers, emergency responders, social service agencies, the recovery community, faith leaders, and family activists, among others – all working together to address the many facets of the substance use epidemic in Lackawanna County.
The Coalition is focused on educating the community about substance use disorder through events like its annual Recovery Walk & Celebration, providing pathways to treatment and recovery for people with substance use disorder, making resources available to families, preventing fatal opioid overdoses by distributing Narcan and educating people on how to use it, teaching health-care providers about best prescribing practices, and preventing substance use disorder by promoting the proper disposal of unused addictive medications.
To accomplish our goals, the Coalition has been organized into three main areas
Community Outreach & Awareness
Through educational outreach, awareness campaigns and online resources, the Coalition seeks to educate the community about addiction and recovery.
Harm Reduction
Through its FREE Narcan distribution program,
the Coalition has saved countless lives.
Pathways to Treatment
The Coalition educates individuals, family members and the public about treatment and recovery resources in our community.