Are U OK?
The Are U OK? campaign started in 2023 as an anti-stigma message calling us to each consider our own experiences and expressions of trauma when considering what it means to be at risk for overdose. In recognizing root causes of illicit chaotic substance use, the risk for overdose in the St. Louis region can be better understood, approached, and reduced. Overdose risk need not be made worse through misinformation, a lack of knowledge and resource, and stigma. When we say “Are U OK?” we are checking in with each other in love and in solidarity, recognizing the way trauma is the real drug, and committing to being equipped and prepared to respond if someone near us should overdose.
Programs:
-
TWheels Outreach
The T on Wheels, or TWheels, brings holistic harm reduction services to people who are at risk for overdose due to trauma-related drug uses directly to the community, addressing the barriers to care created by poverty, housing instability and isolation. This includes Naloxone Distribution and Wound care supplies.
-
Training
An important component of the Community First Responder Curriculum is the Are U OK? campaign. In this hands-on training, we introduce an anti-stigma framework for recognizing and responding to overdose which includes the signs and symptoms of overdose, life-saving actions you can take to prevent fatal overdose. When we say “Are U OK?” we are checking in with each other in love and in solidarity, recognizing the way trauma is the real drug, and committing to being equipped and prepared to respond if someone near us should overdose. This includes kits with Naloxone.
