“Narcan Night” Offers Help For Families In Substance Use Crisis

When a family is in crisis due to a substance use disorder, it’s hard to know when and where to turn for help, and what the outcome of reaching out for help might be.  A local nonprofit, A Promise to Jordan, hopes to clear up any misunderstandings and confusion, and offer help to those struggling with a substance use disorder, at a “Narcan Night” co-hosted by Simsbury Police Department.  

The program will take place virtually, via Zoom, on Monday, June 21, from 6 to 8 pm. An officer from the Simsbury Police Department will explain what happens when someone calls 9-1-1 for a loved one having a substance use crisis, and co-presenters Sue Wilk from InterCommunity Health Care and Lauri Weber from Farrell Treatment Center will talk about the process of getting help for a loved one, including setting up an intervention, and home-visit programs now available.  There will also be a training on how to administer Narcan (naloxone), the opioid-antagonist drug that can be used to reverse an opioid overdose, and every attendee will receive a free Narcan kit.

“I know from experience that, when living with a loved one’s substance use disorder, it’s hard to know when to step in, and how and where to get help,” said Lisa Gray, Founder and Executive Director of A Promise to Jordan, a Simsbury nonprofit whose mission is to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma of substance use and other mental health disorders, help people access quality care, and give hope that recovery is possible to those struggling with substance use disorders and their families.  “There is often also a fear that calling the police will cause a loved one to get in trouble,” Gray added.  “We want to clear up any misconceptions people may have and guide them on the path to getting real, meaningful assistance.”

Individuals can get more information and register for the program on the organization’s website, www.apromisetojordan.org.

A Promise to Jordan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit named for a young Simsbury man, Jordan Arakelian, and was founded by his mother, Lisa Gray, in the wake of his death from an opioid overdose on June 30, 2018 at the age of 24.