Recovery Court donates medication lock boxes to RADD. Photo: Kristy Kelly/Neuse News

Recovery Court has donated 23 extra-large medication lock boxes paid for by Trillium to Raising Awareness for the Developmentally Disabled (RADD) to help prevent unintended overdoses in the community. The lock boxes are part of an outreach initiative aimed at improving medication safety in Wayne, Lenoir, and Greene counties.

Colleen Kosinski, a representative from Recovery Court, explained the importance of these lock boxes, particularly for differently-abled individuals who require larger storage for their medications. “Last year, we were giving out medication lock boxes and we learned that there was a special need among our differently abled folks for larger lock boxes,” Kosinski said. “The lock boxes that we had, though they were great, were just not big enough for the medications that a lot of the folks that RADD works with to carry all those medications.”

The donation was made possible through a collaboration with Trillium and funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield. Kosinski emphasized the coalition’s commitment to educating the community and preventing unnecessary deaths. “We’re really hoping to educate the community and prevent unnecessary deaths and overdoses and bring about better awareness,” she said.

RADD Executive Director April Houston expressed gratitude for the donation, highlighting its significance for the organization’s participants. “It is important for us to have larger boxes because the majority of our individuals take a lot more medications, and their medication containers and bottles are a lot larger than the average home,” Houston said. “It is absolutely necessary for our population, and we are really appreciative of this donation.”

In addition to the lock boxes, Recovery Court is also providing Deterra bags, which allow for the safe disposal of up to 45 pills at a time. These bags help prevent the accumulation of unused medications in households, further reducing the risk of misuse and accidental overdoses. The coalition is also distributing naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, ensuring that it is available in homes where it may be needed.

The initiative reflects a broader effort to promote harm reduction and support recovery in the community. Recovery Court is actively involved in outreach, offering educational sessions to church groups, school groups, and other organizations. They are also organizing a recovery conference at Lenoir Community College on September 13, sponsored by Blue Cross, Trillium, Hope Restorations, and Lenoir Community College. The conference aims to support individuals in recovery and educate the community about various recovery-related topics.

“We’re really excited about working with RADD because we think they’re such a wonderful organization,” Kosinski said. “We’re happy to go out to church groups, school groups, any organization that would like us to meet with them and provide these educational opportunities.”

The partnership between Recovery Court and RADD exemplifies a community-focused approach to addressing the challenges associated with medication safety and overdose prevention. By providing essential resources and education, they aim to create a safer and more informed community.