Community Overdose Awareness Solutions Team (COAST) was originally formed in 2018, as the County Opioid Abuse Suppression Taskforce, initiated by a Department of Justice Grant for the County ofVentura to address the opioid crisis. Collaboration with county departments has remained the collective effort of agencies such as Ventura County Public Health, Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and our county’s Ambulatory Care and Hospital system.
This recognition for the County of Ventura stemmed from a successful, long-standing effort by the Behavioral Health Department to address prescription drug abuse with the RX & Heroin Workgroup, formed in 2012. Today the Opioid & Illicit Drug Workgroup meets five times per year, alternating with meetings of the COAST LEADS team. County leadership makes the effort to meet monthly to share successes and address issues as they arise, with a singular goal: keeping our community informed and safe from drug abuse.
One of the initiatives of the original grant was the creation and maintenance of the COAST Data Dashboard, a public-facing snapshot of local trends and resources, such as addiction treatment locations, prescription drop-off locations, and overdoses by zip code. Ventura County Behavioral Health maintains dedicated staff to track these critical data points and there is ongoing collaboration with all law enforcement agencies to address areas of concern.
Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) provides a continuum of care for substance use and addiction problems and access to a range of treatment services for achieving and maintaining recovery. If you believe you or a family member may be struggling with addiction, talk to your healthcare provider or call the confidential 24/7 VCBH Access/Crisis Line: 1-866-998-2243.