Elk Grove Village continues to tackle opioid crisis with Sept. 14 event

In an effort to educate more residents about the opioid crisis and connect those in need to treatment and substance abuse resources, Elk Grove Village and the Kenneth Young Center are teaming to host "Remember. Recover. Discover. A Community Awareness Day," on Saturday, Sept. 14.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. at the Kenneth Young Center, 1001 Rohlwing Road in Elk Grove Village, and feature panel discussions, naloxone training and a memorial service honoring the lives lost to addiction.

The day will open with a panel of experts from the medical, law enforcement and substance abuse fields who will talk about local resources, as well as Elk Grove Village's community response to the opioid crisis. The panel also will field questions from attendees.

Following the discussion, attendees will be able to attend any one of several breakout sessions covering a range of topics. The day also includes a resource fair, where social agencies, treatment providers and family support groups will be on hand to discuss the services they provide.

The day will conclude with a memorial and tree-planting ceremony outside the Kenneth Young Center to recognize and commemorate the lives that have been lost to addiction and substance abuse.

Village leaders last year launched Elk Grove Village Cares, a broad initiative to combat the opioid crisis through a number of avenues, including assistance to get treatment for those who need it, the placing of the overdose-reserving naloxone at locations across the community, and education efforts intended to raise awareness and remove the stigma attached to addiction.

"A key facet of Elk Grove Village Cares is community outreach and education," Mayor Craig Johnson said in an announcement of the Sept. 14 event. "We need to take this conversation deeper into our community so everyone knows there is help out there for those who need it and resources available to families struggling to find answers for a loved one who is suffering from the disease of addiction."

The daylong event is free and open to the public. For more information and to see a full schedule of events, visit the "Events" tab of the Kenneth Young Center website at www.kennethyoung.org.