The Quick Response Team (QRT) of Coastal Horizons has been fighting the overdose epidemic since 2018. In that time, they have encountered 749 overdose survivors, their families and loved ones and connected 649 overdose survivors to treatment.
This QRT, operated by Coastal Horizons and in partnership with the City of Wilmington, began in July 2018 to reduce repeat overdoses and to engage survivors into treatment. The purpose of the Quick Response Team (QRT) is to remove any barriers that would prevent an overdose survivor from obtaining the treatment they so desperately need. QRT was created in New Hanover County as a response to our community’s Opioid Epidemic, which QRT now refers to as the “Overdose Epidemic” since many other street-sold substances are laced with the deadly and lethal opioid drug Fentanyl. The increase in Fentanyl use has been one of the leading causes as to why this epidemic still plagues New Hanover County as well as the state of North Carolina and across the country.
QRT wants our community to know that with the complications, frustrations, and setbacks of the past two years, COVID-19 has also brought an increase of overdoses here in New Hanover County. QRT is still fighting the fight and working with overdose survivors when they are ready to engage in treatment. The Quick Response Team is comprised of Clinicians and Peer Support staff who have lived experience with their own recovery with substance use and are able to walk alongside of an overdose survivor until they are ready for treatment. Since 2018, QRT has engaged 84% of the overdose survivors, their family and loved ones to treatment.
QRT is holding a free event for International Overdose Day on Wednesday, August 31st from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the Martin Luther King Center in downtown Wilmington, NC. International Overdose Awareness Day is a day where we remember those we have lost to overdose, as well as those who are continuing to fight their battles against addiction.
QRT invites the community to come together and lift each other up as we all continue to work toward building a stronger community and lend each other hope for a brighter future.
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