Lincoln County Opioid Task Force seeking community input through substance use survey

LINCOLN COUNTY – Through a community survey, the Lincoln County Opioid Task Force is seeking learn more about the substance use issues that affect county residents.

The task force was created to gather information and create a proposal to help the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors determine how the county should spend the opioid settlement dollars.

A release from the Lincoln County Health Department (LCHD) said the task force currently has representatives from law enforcement, probation and parole, social services, public health, area schools, healthcare and community members who have been affected by the opioid crisis.

A substance use community survey will be distributed throughout the county to gather information on community perceptions, current usage and barriers to treatment, according to LCHD.

LCHD said the survey is part of a larger needs assessment and gap analysis being prepared by the Impact Community Planning Group, in partnership with the Lincoln County Opioid Task Force. The assessment and gap analysis includes local data, community survey results and information gathered from community members through listening sessions and interviews.

“This information will be used to help identify gaps in our current systems and help guide decision making for use of the opioid settlement dollars,” LCHD explained.

“Gaining community feedback is an important piece of this process,” said Erin Ray, Opioid Grant Coordinator for the Task Force. “In order to develop a plan to combat the opioid crisis that is specific to our residents, we need to hear from you about the challenges facing our county.”

Surveys are available online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/LincolnCosurvey or on LCHD’s Facebook page. LCHD said the survey should take about five to 10 minutes to complete and is also available in Spanish.

“The survey is confidential, and your answers will not be shared,” LCHD said.

Additional information can also be found on the Task Force Website at www.tinyurl.com/2ndxuzta.

For more information, or to have the survey available at your business or organization, contact Ray at erin.ray@co.lincoln.wi.us or phone at 715-539-1367.