LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Over the last several years, Kentucky has been awarded multimillion-dollar settlements from pharmacies that helped fuel the opioid crisis.

Now, Hardin County Coroner's Office is using some of that money to create prevention measures and lower the number of deadly drug overdoses the county has seen.

The county has averaged nearly 45 drug overdoses a year for the last five years:

  • 2020: 41
  • 2021: 50
  • 2022: 55
  • 2023: 37
  • 2024: 39

It's an issue Shana Norton, Hardin County's chief deputy coroner, has spent several years researching, and knew needed to be addressed.

To help address the problem, the county coroner's office has helped launch the Quick Response Team. The mission is financially supported by Kentucky's Opioid Abatement Commission, which has received $842 million from settlements reached between the state attorney general's office and pharmaceutical companies for their role in Kentucky's opioid crisis. Each county has received a portion of that money to be used toward prevention and treatment.

Starting up Hardin County's Quick Response Team included hiring Justin Blair to work as the county's QRT officer.

QRT can receive a referral from agencies like EMS, or from an individual's loved one. When QRT receives a referral, it will meet with a team of people, including case managers and harm reduction specialists, to discuss the situation. They will then create a plan to address the individual's situation.

Within 24 to 72 hours of a referral, QRT will respond to that individual, and try to help get them treatment. If that person does not wish to seek treatment, QRT will leave them with information for local resources, Narcan and fentanyl test strips. 

"We're not forcing anything on anyone. So this is just we care for you. We love you. And so we want to do, like, try to help as much as we can," Blair said.

Hardin County's QRT launched its referral system Jan. 1. Since starting, it has helped one person seek out treatment.

Norton said the person now in treatment was present when another individual died from a drug overdose.

"That person confided in us that, yes, they did have a substance abuse disorder, and actually had used the same type of substance that the person that was deceased had used," Norton said. "So we were able to get them some resources. And they are currently in treatment."

But Blair and Norton said QRT's work doesn't stop there.

"This is a long-term support system," said Blair.

QRT will follow up with individuals once it completes a treatment program, and offer resources to help find things like housing and a job.

"I have lived experience with substance use disorder and you, when you go into treatment, you're in a safe place. You really aren't even dealing with the outside life of anything. It's just focusing on you and healing. But then whenever you get out, life is there again," Blair said. "So we want to be there just to walk next to them and and do it with them."

Blair said having lived experiences with substance abuse disorder helps his approach when trying to work with individuals.

"There's a lot of smart people out there that know a lot about substance use disorder, but if they haven't been through it, it's hard to connect with that person," Blair said. "This is a you care for me, and you're here for the right reasons, and not just to try to just stop right, like that's not what I'm doing. I'm just, I want to love on them and just let them know that they matter and that they care."

QRT's ultimate goal is to eliminate drug-related overdoses.

"We want to just let the community know that you have resources, there are people who care. You're not on your own. You don't have to do this alone," said Blair. 

It also hopes to create a ripple effect that helps individuals and other agencies. 

"We would also love to see the County Attorney's Office have less and less cases that come in that are related to overdoses or child protective services, or the police departments, you know, less and less arrests," said Norton.

To learn more about Hardin County's Quick Response Team, click here.

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