The Cumberland-Fayetteville Opioid Response Team (C-FORT ) is dedicated to improving the opioid response in our community through a collaborative effort among local government and community stakeholders. The Cumberland-Fayetteville Opiod Response Teams overall goals are to lauch a treatment center that revolves around treating community members who have an addiction to opiods, launch a recovery response center and develop a successful committee. C-FORT is committed to identifying strategies that will impact the opioid issue while creating a sustainable community response for years to come.

We currently have over 90 stakeholders participating with C-FORT. We believe everyone can play a critical role in these efforts and hope you will join to impact the lives of Cumberland County residents.

To achieve the collaborative, multi-faceted approach so crucial to tackling the opioid crisis in North Carolina, the UNC School of Government is supporting this collaborative learning model by providing direct support to each of the North Carolina communities. In early 2018, our community was selected as one of 10 sites across the state to receive funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina to engage in a collective impact initiative to bring stakeholders together to develop localized potential solutions to the opioid crisis. This is a two-year initiative in which team members meet monthly to engage in a series of planning activities to include assessing community resources and gaps, reviewing data surrounding the issue, goal setting, and strategic planning.

Everyone is invited to join the work of C-FORT. We currently have over 90 stakeholders participating with C-FORT.

C-FORT Representatives

C-FORT is constantly growing as new stakeholders join the team. Below is a list of agencies with representatives:

Cumberland County Opioid Injury & Death Data

Unfortunately, our community is one of several communities hit hard by opioid-related injury and death. Data from the Injury & Violence Prevention Branch indicates in 2016 Cumberland County lost 56 residents to unintentional drug poisonings. Preliminary data for 2017 indicates this number significantly climbed to 79.  In 2017, there were almost 20 million opioid pills dispensed in Cumberland County. For more local data, visit https://injuryfreenc.ncdhhs.gov/DataSurveillance/Poisoning.htm. To see county-level data, scroll to “County Overdose Slide Set” and to see county-level emergency room data, scroll to “NC DETECT Opioid Overdose ED Visits Reports”

Resource links:

• North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition
• UNC School of Government Opioid Response Project