REVIVE! participants learn how to respond to opioid overdose

Southwest Regional Adult Education currently has three Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) cohorts and one Certified Pharmacy Technician cohort in session. As part of the cohorts’ technical training, each cohort recently participated in REVIVE! Training, the Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Education (OONE) program for the Commonwealth of Virginia. REVIVE! provides training on how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose emergency with the administration of naloxone (NARCAN®).

These sessions of REVIVE! were provided by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. This training covers understanding opioids, how opioid overdoses happen, risk factors for opioid overdoses, and how to respond to an opioid overdose emergency with the administration of Naloxone.

Why is REVIVE! training important in our communities? The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services reports that since 2013, fatal drug overdose has been the leading method of unnatural death in Virginia, surpassing all other forms of unnatural death including homicide, suicide, motor vehicles accidents, and undetermined deaths. Opioids have been the driving force behind the large increases in fatal overdoses since 2013.

In 2017, there were 1,229 deaths from all-opioids which includes all versions of fentanyl, heroin, prescription opioids and U-47700 (an illicitly manufactured synthetic opioid).

Each participant in the training received a NARCAN® kit and a REVIVE! kit at no cost. Participants learned how to recognize when someone is experiencing an overdose, risk factors that make someone more susceptible to an overdose, myths about overdose reversal, and opportunities to practice rescue breathing and naloxone administration.

For information about more educational opportunities offered through Southwest Regional Adult Education, call 866-581-9935, or visit our website at www.https://sites.google.com/russell.k12.va.us/adulted.