Each year we lose far too many people to overdose (lets face it, one person dead is ‘too many’) so I decided it was about time I wrote a new workshop to try and help address the situation.

This latest workshop covers a range of overdose issues and has been designed to be run either as a full workshop, or as separate sections in NSP or one to one sessions.

This is one of the biggest pieces of work that I’ve produced in the last year for the site (about 2 months to make, test and format), and I’m really happy with it. The workshop is split into the following sections:

• What’s your score? A form of risk assessment for overdose that can be used as a motivational tool for change.
• Overdose quiz. Full of myth busting facts, although this appears to be only a short section it has so far been the cause of some of the longest discussions when we’ve run the workshop.
• Overdose symptoms. An interactive session that identifies knowledge gaps on both opiate and stimulant overdose.
• Recovery position. Interactive (physical) section demonstrating the formal recovery position and discussing its practicalities.
• Overdose promise. Section trying to get people to commit to stay with people who overdose
• Promotional poster. That can be displayed in projects and partner agencies
• Other resources. All of these sections have extensive worker notes to help you run the workshop either as a complete session or as separate pieces of work on a more one to one basis.

The sessions are really good with loads of areas you could spin off into discussions. Good interactive type sessions, it’s really open to the needs of any group

Extras

After the initial popularity of this workshop I designed a couple of extra resources.

One of the areas of the workshop that lends itself to being used on its own is the ‘Whats your Score’ risk assessment. Because it’s so suited to being used as a quick intervention tool I’ve designed a promotional poster to go up in projects.

For people who prefer to use a presentation while running workshops I’ve designed a ‘Prezi’ to go along side which can be viewed from the link below.