With funding from the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund, the Myrtle Beach Fire Department created an Opioid Response Program to expand the city’s role within the continuum of care. In May 2023, the Opioid Response Program deployed a Community Support Team to reach some of our most at-risk community members. The team includes an Opioid Program Coordinator and Three Certified Peer Support Specialists. 

Our mission is to improve the quality of life of individuals who are struggling with substance use.  That goal is inclusive of the loved ones supporting them, and our services are completely voluntary. To reach as many individuals as possible, we utilize three main deflection pathways – Naloxone-plus, community response, and self-referral.   

Through the self-referral pathway, any community member who is struggling with problematic substance use can contact the team.  The community response pathway, occurs when our team responds in real time with Myrtle Beach’s first responders to the scene of suspected overdose calls.  The post-overdose outreach pathway is our third response. Our team initiates home visits to individuals who have survived a suspected overdose in an attempt to provide support and connections to care.

Through empathy, compassion and informational guidance, the team’s vision is to help you break the cycle of addiction. With “lived experience,” the teams’ certified peer support specialists can meet you where you are to help you start your chosen path to recovery.  Following a brief assessment, the team provides resources and guidance and can help facilitate the care that you feel is most appropriate. 

Loved ones who are supporting someone who is struggling with problematic substance use often benefit from support, too.  The team can provide informational guidance about community based resources, including family-centered mutual aid groups and counseling services.

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If you or someone you know is suffering from problematic substance abuse, please send an email to opioid@cityofmyrtlebeach.com or call 843-918-1600.  We’ll be glad to direct you to the appropriate team member.