Every semester, the LION UP Recovery program hosts at least one Naloxone training for the Hammond community and students on campus.

The University Counseling Center’s LION UP Recovery program is partnering up with the Opioid Mobile Response Team to host a free Naloxone training via Zoom on Oct. 21 at 4 p.m.

The LION UP Recovery program and the Opioid Mobile Response Team based in Louisiana are hosting and organizing the training for any students, faculty or staff interested in training on how to use Narcan and what it does. The OMRT will lead the training.

Naloxone, commonly referred to as Narcan, is a nasal spray drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and that works on the opioid receptors to stop the chemical reaction from the drug, but only for a very short period of time.

The training will include guest speaker Chris Knoblauch, a coroner investigator with the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office, who will give his input and provide, from his perspective, the effects and what they see in substance abuse cases.

Madison Evans, coordinator for Collegiate Recovery at the UCC, believes that it is crucial for people to be knowledgeable about Narcan.

“Narcan is critically important for people to be knowledgeable of and make sure they have access to it,” commented Evans.

Evans shared why she thinks that events like the Narcan training are important.

“These events serve as a resource and spread awareness on campus, and we want students to know that there is a Collegiate Recovery program on campus,” shared Evans.

The OMRT, who are partnering with the LION UP Recovery program for this training, is a program under the Volunteers of America SELA, an organization who helps those in need. The OMRT program receives funding through the state of Louisiana for opioid use disorders.

Laurie Anderson, a member of the OMRT, explained her role as a counselor on the team.

“What I do as a counselor is help people within the community overcome the barriers and obstacles of getting treatment,” said Anderson.

When it comes to the university, the OMRT participates in quarterly Narcan education training. Education training is their only involvement with the university.

Anderson explained how many young adults get into opioid addiction and abuse.

“It is not uncommon for older adolescents and young adults to experiment, usually with alcohol, and it’s also common for someone to become injured and be provided pain pills, and it is very easy to be addicted and become dependent upon those pills,” explained Anderson.

“COVID-19 has had a tremendous effect on opioid addiction because of the overall mental health of individuals and increases in overdoses from social isolation due to self-quarantining,” stated Anderson.

For more information about the Narcan training organized by the LION UP Recovery program and the Opioid Mobile Response Team, email Madison Evans at [email protected].