435 E Henrietta Rd.
3rd Floor – Faith East
Rochester, NY 14620
Phone: (585) 753-2433
Email: [email protected]
The Monroe County Overdose Fatality Review (MC OFR) was established in January 2025 to bring together key stakeholders from sectors of the community impacted by the overdose crisis. To help the County better understand overdose deaths and work to prevent them, this multidisciplinary team conducts monthly case reviews of recent deaths and builds recommendation strategies. Additionally, we analyze data related to overdose deaths in order to identify emerging trends and existing barriers to prevention. Our work informs policy makers and practitioners in developing effective solutions to combat the overdose epidemic and prevent overdose fatalities. The MC OFR, with Monroe County Research Strategy & Development as the Lead Agency , is made possible by a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
MC OFR Statements
Vision: To reduce fatal and nonfatal overdoses in Monroe County
Mission: Monroe County, in conjunction with service providers and community members, collaborating to combat drug overdose fatalities through prevention and removing barriers to substance use recovery resources.
Goal: We believe that all overdoses are preventable. In the interest of this prevention, our goal is to provide meaningful recommendations to the agencies in our community to save lives. These recommendations are based on identified systemic gaps as well as possible opportunities for growth.
Our Team
The MC OFR consists of a multidisciplinary team from different organizations and entities within Monroe County.
Lead Agency: Agency responsible for overseeing the OFR team coordination, grant requirements, and providing administrative support.
Governing Committee: A team made of leaders in local organizations including: county and city government, health care facilities and providers, the judicial system, and community organizations. This team supports and provides resources to implement recommendations generated by case reviews.
Case Review Team: Multidisciplinary team that reviews a series of individual deaths to identify system-level missed opportunities for prevention and intervention. This includes individuals from community organizations, judicial systems, law enforcement, medical examiners, people with lived experience, physical and behavioral health care providers, and substance use treatment providers
- Subcommittees: Smaller groups within the case review team focusing on a specific area or need.
Research Team: Team responsible for collecting and synthesizing data to assist in compiling and presenting information to assist in annual report summaries, policy suggestions, funding distribution, and other possible decision-making outcomes.
Ways to Get Involved
People with Lived Experience (PWLE)
We are actively seeking to add PWLE to our team. A person with lived experience is someone directly affected by overdoses or substance use through personal experience beyond professional or educational experience. PWLE are an essential part of our process as their experiences in our community provide a “hands on” view of how we can better serve our community.
If you are interested, please fill out the form below and we will be in touch.
Next of Kin (NOK)
We are actively seeking NOK individuals interested in sharing their story of a loved one who has passed due to an overdose. NOK stories allow our team to better understand the unique circumstances of someone’s life. These individuals can be family, friends, partners, or anyone else with a close connection to someone they’ve lost.
If you are interested in sharing the story of a loved that you have lost due to an overdose, please fill out the form below.
