ASHLAND — Multiple Ashland County agencies are sponsoring a community conversation April 21 to follow up February’s public forum on the issue of “What Can We Do about the Opiate Epidemic.”
The Center for Civic Life at Ashland University, the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County and the Ashland County Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse are sponsoring the event.
The community conversation follows a Feb. 24 forum during which about three dozen participants discovered a disconnect between the people who respond to the opioid epidemic and those whose lives are affected by addiction. Participants said the forum was a good first step, but asked for further discussion to help the community develop a common language around issues of drug addiction.
The next event, which is free and open to the public, will be held 9 a.m. to noon April 21 in the Ridenour Room of Dauch College of Business and Economics at Ashland University. Participants will circulate through break-out sessions for short summary of how professionals help people, a conversation about what else people want them to do and a dialogue about how citizens can help professionals.
At the end, groups will come together to determine next steps in the ongoing community conversation.
“We are all citizens of Ashland County. The drug epidemic affects us all. We need you,” said Louise Fleming-Dufala, director of Center for Civic Life. “Using the World Café model, we will rotate through stations each half hour. You will meet face-to-face with law enforcers, first-responders and treatment/prevention professionals.”
Fleming-Dufala said each station will have a note-taker, and notes will be summarized and emailed to participants as well as public officials.
