Hometown Hero | Sue Howland [Video]

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Sue Howland spends her days on the roads in Cabell County as a peer recovery coach with Huntington’s Quick Response Team.

The Huntington Quick Response Team (QRT) is a collaborative effort of the Cabell County EMS, the city of Huntington, Huntington Police Department, Marshall University, behavioral health agencies, and faith leaders to reduce the number of overdoses in the community. The four-member QRT unit consists of a paramedic, a peer recovery coach, a law enforcement official, and a faith-based organization member.

The team attempts to conduct home-based outreach to the person who has overdosed and their families within 72 hours of the overdose to provide educational materials and encourage them to initiate post-overdose treatment services.

“When we go on a porch, when we first start [we always say] you’re not in trouble. We’re here to help. People aren’t used to that,” Howland said.

Howland, a Huntington native, has been a peer …