As the opioid epidemic remains a growing concern in Fairfax County and across the U.S., the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) has expanded their REVIVE (opioid reversal) training to include the Reston area.

The one-hour, free course will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 29, at the CSB’s Northwest Center in Reston. The course offers a chance for residents to acquire lifesaving tools against overdoses.

Residents will learn to administer naloxone, what to do and not to do in an overdose emergency, how to administer the lifesaving medication and what to do afterward during REVIVE training. Attendees also learn about safety plans to help individuals prevent overdose in the event of a relapse. Free naloxone, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses, will be available to attendees who meet eligibility requirements.

The CSB has been offering community trainings across Fairfax County since 2015 and, as the epidemic has grown, has expanded the number of trainings. So far, over 1,800 people have taken the REVIVE training. Initially, many of the attendees were people whose lives had been impacted by substance use disorders or the opioid epidemic in some way. But according to Miranda Gillespie, a substance abuse counselor at CSB’s A New Beginning program, the classes are now drawing many who do not have any connection to the crisis, they simply want to help. “We are seeing people who have CPR training and who want to be prepared to help others. Like CPR, our course is one that can be used by anyone who encounters a person who is overdosing. We’ve trained parole officers, people who work in schools and the courts, and mothers and fathers from across the county. It’s very encouraging to see.” Gillespie adds that REVIVE classes are offered at A New Beginning in Chantilly once a month on Sundays at 3 p.m. and all are welcome. [See the full list of REVIVE classes.]

The trainings started as our CSB partnered with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Chris Atwood Foundation.

CSB has wallet-sized information cards designed for quick, easy access to CSB resources and phone numbers. Cards can be distributed to people at risk of overdose, and to all community members, upon request. Email your request to the CSB Communications Office or call 703-324-7006 (TTY 711).

Residents can get assistance finding treatment options by calling CSB Entry & Referral at 703-383-8500 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or the Fairfax Detoxification Center at 703-502-7000, available 24/7. If you believe you or someone is overdosing, call 911 immediately.