Free Narcan Training Offered in Orange County, Community Focused Outreach

Garnet Health Medical Center announced December 8 that it will host a series of free Narcan training sessions open to the public, with dates at the Middletown campus and an additional session at a Catskills campus. The trainings are sponsored in partnership with Independent Living, Orange County Government, and the New York Office of Addiction Services and Supports. Each person who completes the training will receive a free dose of naloxone and instruction in practical harm reduction techniques.

The sessions will teach participants how to recognize an opioid overdose, how to safely administer naloxone, and how to use deescalation and other harm reduction practices. Local recovery and clinical staff will serve as trainers and hosts, bringing both lived experience and clinical expertise to the instruction. Registration is required, spots are limited, and Garnet Health provided contact and registration information with the announcement.

This initiative aims to broaden community capacity to respond to overdoses, a central public health priority across the county. Making naloxone and training widely available reduces barriers to life saving intervention, especially for people who use drugs, their families, friends, and the community members who encounter overdoses most often. Partnerships with Independent Living and Orange County Government signal an effort to connect clinical resources with local social services and government supports, while the involvement of the state OASAS program indicates coordination with statewide overdose prevention strategies.

From a policy perspective, community trainings and free distribution of naloxone are practical steps that align with evidence based public health responses to the opioid crisis. They also reflect a harm reduction approach that centers immediate safety and dignity, alongside longer term treatment and recovery pathways. For residents in neighborhoods most affected by substance use, accessible training can reduce fatal outcomes and empower bystanders to act.

Garnet Health framed the program as part of ongoing community outreach and overdose prevention work. Residents interested in attending are encouraged to register promptly due to limited space, and to consult Garnet Health for the listed training dates, campus locations, and registration instructions.