(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine brought together hundreds of people who help victims in Ohio to empower them with the latest research, best practices, and strategies for navigating the impact of addiction on children and families.
The “Ideas for Advocacy” Conference focused on victims who also struggle with substance abuse issues and how addiction treatment can be worked into services for survivors. Topics included the importance of handling childhood trauma, understanding how trauma plays a role in possible addiction, and sharing evidence-based practices that can help victims.
The conference, in partnership with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Harding Hospital, was attended by people who work at children's services organizations, domestic violence shelters, addiction treatment centers, human trafficking survivor organizations, crime victim services groups, mental health organizations, court-appointed victim advocacy centers, rape crisis groups, medical and hospital facilities, and first responder departments.
“The wave of addiction, unfortunately, continues to impact Ohio’s children and families, as well as those who work every day to help these victims,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. “I am committed to continuing the aggressive work of finding solutions and bringing people together to share what we know is working, so that we can help as many Ohioans as possible, as fast as possible.”
The conference also highlighted the importance of self-care for those who make a living helping others, because the trauma impacts them as well.
This is the fourth statewide “Ideas” conference organized by Ohio Attorney General DeWine. It follows an emergency summit for law enforcement and public safety first responders in 2016, an action-oriented conference addressing the heroin epidemic in 2017, and a conference for health care professionals in September. Another statewide conference, planned for March, will focus on children and specifically, the impact of addiction, trauma, and violence.
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows 174 people die every day from drug overdoses. Here in Ohio, we lose at least 11 people a day from accidental drug overdoses.
Learn more about Ohio Attorney General’s 12-point “Recovery Ohio” plan to attack Ohio’s opioid epidemic.
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