Baltimore Earns Recovery Friendly Workplace Designation, Launches Naloxone Access Initiative

BALTIMORE, MD – In advance of International Overdose Awareness Day, the City of Baltimore has been recognized as Maryland’s newest Recovery Friendly Workplace, a designation earned through the State of Maryland’s Recovery Friendly Workplace program. This initiative, announced by Mayor Brandon M. Scott, also includes the launch of the new Naloxone Neighbors campaign, aimed at increasing access to and knowledge of naloxone, an overdose reversal medication, within the community. The city is committed to supporting individuals with substance use disorder at all stages of their recovery journey, with a particular focus on meeting people where they are through proactive outreach efforts.

The City of Baltimore’s achievement of a Silver-level Recovery Friendly Workplace designation highlights its commitment to fostering an inclusive professional environment for individuals recovering from substance use disorder. This program, administered by the Maryland Department of Labor, acknowledges employers who actively minimize risk factors associated with substance use. As part of this commitment, the City plans to provide naloxone training to at least half of its more than 14,000 employees in the coming weeks. Mayor Scott’s preliminary Overdose Response Strategic Plan supports this effort by advocating for an increase in the number of employers across Baltimore to adopt the Recovery Friendly Workplace model, thereby working to dismantle stigma surrounding substance use disorder.

A key component of the city’s enhanced response to the overdose crisis is the introduction of the Naloxone Neighbors campaign. This new initiative directly addresses the alarming statistic that nearly two-thirds of fatal overdoses in Baltimore occur within residents’ homes. To combat this trend, the campaign will partner with community and neighborhood association leaders, who will serve as Naloxone Neighbor Captains. These captains will be instrumental in organizing regular naloxone training sessions and coordinating door-knocking events for medication distribution, ensuring that more Baltimore residents have naloxone readily available in their homes and are equipped with the knowledge to administer it during an overdose. The campaign is strategically focusing its efforts on neighborhoods most affected by the overdose crisis, aiming to reduce disparities in overdose incidents.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the City of Baltimore.

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