TLCPL reacted to alarming increases in Heroin and Fentanyl related drug overdose deaths from eight in 2010 to 215 in 2015 with a holistic approach working alongside community partners to reduce the stigma of addiction throughout Lucas County, face our community and staff with answers to their questions, respond to changing community needs, build community and connections where it was absent or weak, be a safe place to meet and learn, contribute to the Pieces to Peace mural and focus on customer and staff education and safety.

Innovations include Public Safety Officers responding with law enforcement on the Drug Abuse Response Team (DART); caregiver education and social support with the Grandparent Project; attendance of over 600 people in two November 2017 events (“Working Together: Community Leaders Address the Opiate Epidemic” with the Mental Health and Recovery Board and a follow-up event with author, Sam Quinones, to discuss his book Dreamland); and 40 smaller branch conversations of “Fighting Heroin” and Dreamland Book Groups since Jan 2017.

TLCPL connected over 30 state and local organizations and raised awareness of community resources especially for caregivers. Fighting Heroin presentations helped to enlist more foster parents and expanded to include churches, block watches, book clubs and nursing students. Public discussions highlighted transportation issues and the Mental Health and Recovery Board purchased portable drug take back boxes. Additionally, staff training and policies were implemented to respond to crisis with empathy and reduce barriers.