Last Thursday, Dr. Kathleen Burke, director of Substance Use Initiatives in the Office of Will County Executive Larry Walsh, met with officers from the Grundy County Sheriff’s Department and several other local municipalities in Grundy County to provide an overview of the Will County Safe Passage Network.

JTHS Hosting Wake Up Call Substance Abuse Awareness Event

Joliet Township High School will host a Wake-Up Call Substance Abuse Awareness Event on Thursday, January 31, 2019 from 6:30-8:00 PM at Joliet West High School, 401 N. Larkin Avenue. The event is free and open to all members of the public 21 years of age and older. Dinner will be provided from 5:00-6:15 PM and a resource fair will take place from 5:00-6:30 PM. Free childcare is available.

SPRINGFIELD – Within the past 24 hours, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has received reports of approximately ten individuals transported to area hospitals for respiratory distress, cardiac arrest, or confusion. Individuals reported using crack cocaine before experiencing these symptoms. There has been one death. These cases have been reported in Chicago and suburban Cook County and law enforcement is investigating.

People who use, or know someone who uses illegal drugs, should seek substance use treatment. The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Recovery and Treatment offers resources on its website.

Individuals who experience symptoms of respiratory distress, cardiac arrest, or confusion after using illegal drugs should seek treatment immediately.

Will County is hosting several State of Illinois agencies in a community conversation to discuss the changes in federal and state parity laws relating to mental health and substance use disorder treatments.

"The Conners" addressed life after Roseanne with the show's return to primetime Tuesday night.

The family matriarch passed away after overdosing on prescription pills following knee surgery.

How can you hold your insurance company accountable?

5:30pm until 7:30pm
Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018
Auditorium -- U Building
Joliet Junior College, 1215 Houbolt Road

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.2 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs.

Over 20 million people suffer from addiction in the United States – that’s one in seven people, according to the Addiction Policy Forum.

Three days after learning how to administer naloxone to an opioid overdose victim, a Will County auto mechanic put his new training to use when he saved the life of a man in Joliet.

“I fix cars, not people,” said Jerry Reeves.

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is receiving nearly $29 million in new federal funding to help the state fight the opioid crisis.

To help save lives in the current opioid epidemic or following a deliberate attack, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will work with Opiant Pharmaceuticals of Santa Monica, California, to develop a fast-acting, long-lasting intranasal, potentially improved form of an opioid overdose drug.

Join Dr. Kathleen Burke from Will County as she offers Narcan training at the National Recovery Month Community Awareness Day from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 27 at Symetria Recovery Joilet, 229 N. Hammes. The Will County Sheriff's Hidden in Plain Sight trailer will also be part of the activities.

Last Sunday, a Joliet resident, who recently participated in naloxone training offered by Will County, used these newly acquired skills to save a life.
“I was in a park in south Joliet when I noticed a parked car and a man lying on the ground next to it,” Jerry Reeves said. “There was also a woman standing there so I went over to offer help. The woman told me the man was drunk but I recognized the symptoms of an overdose.”

The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance today released the Fentanyl Safety Recommendations for First Responders’ companion training video Fentanyl: The Real Deal. The video was produced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help first responders protect themselves when the presence of fentanyl is suspected or encountered on the job.

As the opioid epidemic continues to affect the entire nation, Will County is working to expand its harm reduction efforts by providing naloxone training to any organization or individual. Naloxone is a powerful antidote that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.