About Our Committees
Are you interested in joining a committee? Click on the FAQs below to learn about the priorities and projects for each of our committees.
Fill out our New Member Form to be contacted about joining an SOS Berks Committee!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Community Safety Committee will focus their efforts to enhance community safety regarding Substance Use Disorder, Opioid Use Disorder, and overdose.
Their key priorities include:
- Naloxone education and distribution.
- Medication disposal bags, and education and distribution of medication disposal bags.
- Medication and prescription take back programs.
Committee members include:
- Law Enforcement
- Criminal Justice
- First Responders
- Other agencies or organizations that have direct contact with individuals with high risk for overdose and /or OUD.
Accomplishments include:
- Outreach in areas with high overdose rates
- Partnering with Penn State to bring a Health to Go vending machine to Reading
- Partnering with Helping Harvest to distribute Narcan and other resources
The Healthcare and Treatment Committee will incorporate efforts that touch both the healthcare and treatment/recovery sectors of Berks County.
Key priorities include:
- Increasing Recovery Support and Medication Assisted Treatment
- Expanding Warm Hand Off
Projects include:
- Created No Wrong Door policy with contracted providers to help get clients placed, even if not within their facility
- Made Narcan kits available at Reading/Tower Health emergency department.
- Expanded Warm Hand Off program to 24/7 at Tower Health and on-call at Penn State/St. Joe’s Tower Health.
The Outreach and Education Committee group will focus on increasing overall community awareness about the overdose epidemic and coalition efforts, and on coordinating and performing SUD/OUD specific prevention and education opportunities throughout Berks County. Their focus will include, but is not limited to:
- Implementing a marketing strategy to promote coalition activities, achievements, and events through social media, SOS Berks website and communication with local media outlets. This includes topics such as addiction, overdose, medication safety, Narcan and drug and alcohol prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery resources.
- Helping to reduce stigma surrounding opioid and other substance abuse and treatment across Berks County.
- Identifying target populations for prevention and education programs (i.e. older elementary and younger middle school age children, work force, older adults and pregnant women).
- Identifying/developing and implementing new prevention and education programs for identified high-risk populations.
- Develop prescription management educational programs and materials for older adults.
Key Priorities: Increasing community awareness and education regarding substance use and opioid us prevention, addiction, treatment, and recovery, manage marketing and information dissemination efforts of the coalition.
Projects include:
- Created informational postcards, posters, flyers and promotional materials.
- Maintain SOS Berks website
- Ran a multimedia stigma reduction campaign that featured video testimonials from Berks County individuals in long-term recovery
- Oversaw the SOS Berks Mural project.
- Community education and Narcan trainings
- Outreach at community events including the Oley Fair & Reading Pride Festival
- Organizing Recovery Simulation events
The Data Collection and Assessment Committee focuses on collecting and analyzing data from various entities in Berks County.
Key priorities include:
- To assist other subcommittees on current initiatives and future actions by presenting information and analysis.
Projects include:
- Data analysis of 911 calls, treatment services, coroner reports and Tower Health Narcan distribution
- Data has guided outreach efforts
The Editorial Board oversees the publication of the SOS Berks Response Magazine, which offers timely articles on:
- Opioids and other substances
- Stigma reduction
- Available resources for prevention, treatment and recovery of substance use disorder
Projects include:
- Since Winter 2018, 12 issues have been published, with a print circulation of 3,500+ and 4,500+ online impressions.
- An emerging partnership with Palo magazine will ensure that vital information reaches Berks County’s Spanish speaking population.
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