The ceremony honored Carol Egan, a longtime local advocate in addiction prevention and recovery work who died earlier this year. It was the seventh consecutive year Morris County has held an Overdose Awareness Day observance at the complex.
Speakers reflected on the people and families affected by overdose while emphasizing treatment, education and recovery. County officials also noted a decline in fatal drug overdoses statewide, while stressing that continued prevention and support are needed.
The county highlighted programs including Hope One, Hope Hub, Community Connections, Navigating Hope and the Hope Wing at the Morris County Correctional Facility. These programs connect residents with treatment, mental-health services, benefits and other support.
Since launching in 2017, Hope One has made about 77,000 community contacts and provided 14,886 naloxone trainings, according to Morris County. The program reports 196 lives saved through those trainings and more than 2,300 referrals to services.
