Will County SUI News Feed

During the 2018 Hero Helps Community Summit, slated for 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Friday, May 11, 2018 at the Edward Hospital Athletic and Event Center in Romeoville, Ill., training on the delivery of naloxone or Narcan will be available to the public.

95 overdose deaths in Will County in 2017

JOLIET – One year ago, Will County hired Dr. Kathleen Burke as director of substance use initiatives. 

Riverside Community Health Center has partnered with a global drug manufacturer to offer Vivitrol to patients with an opioid addiction. This medication has proven an effective method for long-term treatment of opioid addiction. Vivitrol is the manufacturer’s name for naltrexone a non-addictive, monthly treatment proven to prevent relapse in opioid dependent patients when used with counseling. 

Will County officials announced today a vital partnership with Joliet Township to support the Safe Passage initiative, a critical strategy to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths in the county. The Safe Passage Program facilitates rapid entry into substance abuse treatment while also serving as a crime prevention strategy and deflects people addicted to drugs away from the criminal justice system.

     Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Nirav Shah co-chaired a public hearing by the Governor’s Opioid Prevention and Intervention Task Force Wednesday in Chicago.

     Opioid overdose deaths are continuing to rise across the nation and in Illinois, a dramatic increase was reported in Illinois in 2016. More than 2,000 opioid overdose deaths occurred last year, a 44 increase over 2013. Congressman Bill Foster is joining officials in Will County to share information about the science of addiction and strategies to stop overdose deaths at a forum to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 23 at the Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago Street in Joliet.

Dr. Kathleen Burke, Will County's Director of Substance Use Initiatives, was a guest on ABC Channel 7 Newsmakers on Sun. August 6 to discuss the opiate crisis that is spreading across the nation. Dr. Burke discussed a variety of strategies in Will County to address this terrible epidemic. 

For the second year, Will County was awarded the Prescription Drug/Opioid Overdose Related Deaths grant by the Illinois Department of Human Services and funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to further its efforts in combating the opioid overdose epidemic. Will County is part of the Statewide Illinois Opioid Crisis Advisory Council.

     Heroin and fentanyl overdose deaths are increasing in Will County, according to recent autopsy reports from Coroner Pat O’Neil’s office. Fentanyl is a manufactured opioid more than 50 times stronger than heroin.

     With the approval of the Will County Board last week, the county has hired Dr. Kathleen Burke as Director for Substance Use Initiatives.  In this role, Burke will serve as project coordinator for the FY 17 Prescription Drug/Opioid overdose-related deaths grant that was awarded by the Illinois Department of Human Services and funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA).