Overdose Fatality Review: A Rural Community Approach

A suicide/overdose fatality review (S/OFR) can impact community change and policies. Having the right participants at the S/OFR is critical to positive community engagement. Bringing together cross-sectors of a rural community to create change can bring remarkable success and significant challenges! Protecting our children and future community leaders is a great reason to work toward a solution and put bias aside. In 2019, the Jay County, Indiana, community developed an S/OFR. In 2020, it reviewed its first decedent. Since that time, the county has been able to make strides toward the following:

• Adjustments to programs, processes, policies, and practices to meet changing priorities in the community’s needs
• Developing relationships with different sectors to implement substance use prevention strategies
• Engaging decision makers and community leaders to support substance use prevention policies, programs, and infrastructure