I served for the Rural Health Service Corps, a local branch of AmeriCorps, from November 2020 through May of 2021. I was fortunate to be placed at Cortland Area Communities that Care, a local nonprofit that works to address...

“The REACH Project Inc. is a nonprofit organization with the belief that all individuals deserve respectful and equitable access to compassionate healthcare in a setting where they will not be stigmatized or judged based on drug use, homelessness, or...

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released recent data that more than 93,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2020.That's a 29.4% increase from the 72,151 deaths projected for 2019. As in recent years, opioid use was...

Take Our Micro-Survey  As you may know, the goal of Healing Cortland is to reduce the number of opioid-related overdoses in Cortland County by 40% over the next three years. Our first step was to conduct a Needs Assessment. that analyzes trends in opioid-related...

This year is the 20th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day. With over half a million people dying as a result of drug use annually, it has never been more important. Here in Cortland County, we have felt this...

Healing Cortland was fortunate to speak with Dean O’Gorman, the director of Healing Hearts Collaborative and the 607 Grief Group. He shared with us the ins and outs of the organization.  Can you describe Healing Hearts Collaborative and The 607...

During the past year, Cortland County has experienced an alarming increase in the opioid overdose rate.  An opioid overdose can happen to anyone consuming opioids for medical or recreational use. However, the pandemic and resulting social isolation have contributed...

What is the CRAFT Program? Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a six session program for people who find themselves stressed and anxious about how to help their loved one who is misusing substances. CRAFT helps family members, friends,...

Ashley Dailey, pictured below, is a Family Support Navigator with Prevention Network of Central New York. Prevention Network of CNY is a prevention center in Syracuse that provides healthy alternatives to substance use in the community. We spoke with...

Pictured above is Karlene Shafer on the left, pointing to her daughter's name on the remembrance tree, and father Dean O'Gorman on the right. In last week’s blog article, Part One: Harm Reduction with Dean and Karlene, we were fortunate...