MORRIS COUNTY — An Overdose Fatality Review Team (OFRT) is being launched in Morris County through a partnership between Prevention is Key (PIK) and the Morris County Division of Public Health to combat the rise in overdose deaths.

The OFRT has enlisted the support of multiple agencies and organizations to begin analyzing data, identifying regional trends, and evaluating strategies to address opioid overdose deaths in Morris County. The initiative is being funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Jersey Department of Health under a successful model program developed in Maryland.

OFRTs consist of local, multi-agency, multi-disciplinary teams of professionals in a position to conduct comprehensive, yet confidential reviews of overdose deaths to ultimately improve response, prevention, treatment and public awareness services.  By fully understanding more about overdose deaths in the county, local health officials can more effectively direct policies, practices, and partnerships to prevent future overdoses and allocate prevention resources and services where they are most effective.

“The idea of gathering a group of individuals from diverse professions to share their perspectives and experiences, and to learn from one another in order to make a recommendation on how to prevent future overdose deaths feels like a massive step in the right direction, and I’m happy to be part of that process,” said Samantha Neville of PIK, who will serve as the coordinator of the Morris County OFRT.

“Opioid overdose fatalities continue to be a serious public health crisis affecting individuals and families from all walks of life. The Morris County OFRT will play a critical and integral role in the development of critical interventions for the prevention of opioid misuse and fatalities,” said Morris County Health Officer Carlos Perez, Jr. Ph.D.

In offering $100,000 grants to cities and counties throughout New Jersey last year, the NJDOH explained that the review teams can uncover the individual and population factors and characteristics of potential overdose victims. Knowing the who, what, when, where, and how of fatal overdoses provides a better sense of the strategies and coordination needed to prevent future overdoses and results in the better allocation of overdose prevention resources and services, according to the NJDOH.

“The Department recognizes the importance of local solutions to bring about a larger change that is needed to address the overdose crisis,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli when the grant opportunity was rolled out last year. “The power of Overdose Fatality Review Teams is that they combine robust data with local partnerships, which is the perfect public health recipe for success. These teams will bring about innovation to help end the overdose epidemic.”

According to the NJDOH, the Maryland project improved the quality of referral systems, enhanced outreach to families to provide overdose prevention and treatment services by local health departments and other providers; identified new audiences for its naloxone training, and amplified overdose awareness.

The NJDOH summarized the responsibilities of all OFRTs in the state:

• Conduct multi-agency/multi-disciplinary reviews of all available information on an individual who dies from an overdose; promote cooperation and coordination across agencies involved in overdose investigations;
• Establish policies and procedures for pooling all available information on overdose deaths from local, county, and state government agencies, law enforcement, private entities that maintain privacy and confidentiality and comply with all applicable State and Federal privacy and confidentiality legal requirements;
• Identify points of contact between deceased individuals and healthcare, social services, criminal justice, and other systems involved;
• Identify the risk factors that put individuals at risk for drug overdose within their jurisdiction; and
• Recommend how to improve local partnerships, policies, and practices to prevent overdose deaths.

Morris County and Prevention is Key are pursuing partnerships with the following agencies and organizations to form an Overdose Fatality Review Team.  Partners may include, but are not limited to:

The Municipal Alliances network in Morris County
Morris County Stigma-Free Communities Initiative
Morris County Mental Health Addictions Services Advisory Board
Catholic Charities
Hope House
Daytop New Jersey
Grace Counseling Center
Morris County Aftercare Center
New Bridge Services.
Hope One
Various public schools
Morris County Department of Human Services
Morris County Prosecutor’s Office
Morris County Sheriff’s Office and Correctional Facility
Morris County Emergency Medical Services
Morris County Medical Examiner
Atlantic Health System
Saint Clare’s Health System

MORRIS COUNTY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) was named this week to the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee on the House Education and Labor Committee. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over education and workforce development beyond the high school level, including the Higher Education Act, adult education, postsecondary career and technical education, apprenticeship programs, science, and technology programs, domestic volunteer programs, and national service programs.

“Focus on and investment in our students and our workforce is absolutely essential to help our country get to the other side of this crisis,” said Rep. Sherrill. “Programs that build and support a strong workforce pipeline, connect students with the jobs of today, and ensure Americans have the training they need to adapt to the jobs of tomorrow will help to jumpstart our employment recovery from this pandemic and provide long-term benefits. I am excited to work with my colleagues on the Higher Education and Workforce Investment subcommittee as we get past this pandemic and support getting Americans back to work and our economy back on track.”

Rep. Sherrill is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

MORRIS COUNTY —  Today’s Joint Committee on the Public Schools remote meeting highlighted the importance of getting teachers and children back in the classroom for full in-person learning, said the committee’s Assembly Republican members.

Legislators, state officials, education advocates, and concerned parents discussed how New Jersey can successfully reopen schools while addressing the learning loss and the social-emotional impact the pandemic has had on the students and teachers of New Jersey.

“I think everyone agrees that in-person learning is crucial, especially for children from our underserved communities that don’t have equitable access to the Internet and rely on school breakfast and lunch for their nutrition,” said Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R-Morris). “But since kids are still not in the classroom, it is evident that the key players are not prioritizing our families most in need. It is time to fully fund schools so that they have what they need to reopen.”

Education spending for this school year is the same as last. Murphy’s plan to increase funding by $335 million was scrapped because of revenue concerns due to the coronavirus. How the federal Covid-19 relief funding the state receives for K-12 education is being spent remains unknown.

“We can’t wait until March to reconvene another meeting,” stressed Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso (R-Monmouth). “The subject matter is just too important to put it off another month. It is imperative that the Department of Health be on our next call to discuss how we can safely get kids and teachers back to school as soon as possible. The learning loss and subpar education they are receiving are totally unacceptable and as we heard today not everyone is getting the same opportunities – our disadvantaged children are disproportionately suffering.”

On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that 190 school districts out of more than 600 remain remote only, while 95 have moved to in-person instruction. Twenty-one districts are offering a hybrid format that combines both remote and in-classroom learning and 35 have some combination of the formats. Districts like Newark, Trenton, Camden, Paterson, Pleasantville, and Jersey City have yet to return to in-person instruction. All are among the poorest districts in the state and part of what was formerly known as Abbott districts.

“Teachers are front-line workers and as such, should be able to receive the Covid vaccine,” said Assemblyman Erik Simonsen (R-Cape May), who is also the athletic director of Lower Cape May Regional High School. “Schools are important to children’s mental health, emotional well-being and provide the support that cannot be replicated online. It’s time we move teachers up in the queue to be vaccinated – whether we use existing nursing staff and hold clinics at schools or ensure they can receive appointments at other vaccination sites – we need to make a plan and put it into action now. There are only a few more months of the school year left.”

Health care personnel, long-term care residents and staff, first responders, and individuals deemed high risk for severe illness because of certain medical conditions are currently the only ones eligible to receive the vaccine.

Despite New Jersey Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan speaking during the joint meeting, she did not take questions from legislators. As such, the Republican Assembly members are submitting a list of questions to the commissioner. They are looking for answers concerning statewide guidelines for reopening schools, mental health services for students, meeting the needs of special education students, the distribution of federal Covid-19 funding for K-12 education, and more.

MORRIS COUNTY — “A member of the Governor’s family recently tested positive for COVID-19. Per guidance from public health officials, the contact tracing process has begun to notify everyone who may have come into contact with the Governor’s family member during the potential infection window.

“After careful review, the Governor does not qualify as an exposed close contact. However, out of an abundance of caution and in line with the highest levels of commitment to protecting public health, the Governor will be canceling in-person events and voluntarily quarantining before resuming any in-person engagements. The Governor received a coronavirus test earlier today as part of his regularly-scheduled testing regime, which came back negative.

“From the beginning, the Governor has taken every precaution to limit the spread of COVID-19. Today’s exceedingly cautious steps are part of that ongoing commitment.”

MORRIS COUNTY — On Friday, Speaker Craig Coughlin announced the postponement of all Assembly business for 10 days, a move designed to allow the governor and Senate more time to come to an agreement on the details of marijuana legislation.

“An internal political feud is not more important than providing funding to help businesses, keep renters in their homes and guarantee people don’t lose their full earned income tax credit,” said Bergen (R-Morris).

Gov. Phil Murphy has refused to sign legislation regulating the legal sale of marijuana until there are clear punishments for users below the age of 21. The Assembly Community Development and Affairs Committee passed a bill on Jan. 29 establishing those penalties, but the Senate remains firm that the legislation on Murphy’s desk achieves their social justice and criminal justice goals.

“Suspending all business because of one bill is completely unnecessary. We have more than 5,000 bills in the queue for consideration addressing a wide breadth of issues in our state. We should meet and do our jobs. To ignore all of the other important issues awaiting action because establishment Democrats have become myopic about everything other than their political needs is ridiculous.”

Bergen has been advocating to provide $300 million to help small-businesses (A5085) that are at risk of going out of business because of Murphy’s executive orders in response to Covid-19.

He also wants to help renters at-risk of eviction by increasing their property tax deduction to 30 percent of rent from 18 percent (A3928) – saving struggling renters thousands to help them keep a roof over their head, and guarantee that EITC recipients don’t receive a lower credit because they aren’t aware of needing to refile 2019 tax information (A5090).

“I hate to admit this, but I think even Congress is less dysfunctional than the state legislature right now,” exclaimed Bergen. “At least they meet in person and conduct their business. We are skipping meetings and having conference calls to vote on bills while letting Governor Murphy make unilateral decisions affecting the entire state without our input. What is going on here?”

The Morris County assemblyman was the first to introduce legislation requiring the legislature to review executive orders within 14 days after they are issued. Both houses would have to approve the orders or they expire on the fifteenth day after enactment.

MORRIS COUNTY — Although the lights of Broadway are dark for the foreseeable future, the lights in Dragonetti Auditorium at County College of Morris (CCM) are shining bright! Paying homage to the dazzling excitement of Broadway, the Music, Performing Arts & Music Technologies department at CCM presents “Broadway Night: Reflections From the Past” on February 11, 12, and 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the college’s Dragonetti Auditorium. Tickets to the Broadway review are free with limited seating.

Tickets can be ordered by clicking here and using the password: Broadway.

Directed by Professor Marielaine Mammon, of Mount Olive, 35 performing arts majors will dazzle and delight in singing iconic musical selections from a dozen beloved Broadway shows. “Broadway Night: Reflections From the Past” incorporates a video montage of past CCM productions, celebrating the rich history of the college’s theater program and immersing the vibrant, young thespians of the future. Professor Matthew Swiss, of Randolph, is the musical director, and Professor Colleen McArdle, of Riverdale, is the choreographer.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there are only 70 tickets available for each show and there will be no intermission. Masks must be worn at all times. Please park in Lot 6. CCM is located at 214 Cedar Grove Road, Randolph.