Trauma-Informed Approaches to Post-Overdose Response

CDC Course Website

This free online course features five modules that aim to equip first responders and post-overdose outreach teams with knowledge and tools to implement a trauma-informed approach to overdose. The course was developed by CDC and the National Association of City and County Health Officials.

Teams of first responders – including emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement officers, and firefighters – respond to people who experience overdose emergencies in the field. As a UnityPhilly participant, you are a first responder! They often arrive on the scene first and encounter individuals in crisis. Trauma-informed care is an evidence-based way to:

• Incorporate understanding of the impact of trauma on a person’s perceptions and behaviors.
• Promote healing and recovery.
• Avoid practices that may inadvertently re-traumatize the individual(s) receiving care.

The course includes a series of five modules.