Overdose Awareness Day hits home for Georgetown official

For many in Scott County, substance use disorder can be found in every neighborhood in Georgetown, according to the Georgetown Police Department.

Georgetown, Ky (WTVQ): August 31st is “International Overdose Awareness Day.” For many in Scott County, substance use disorder can be found in every neighborhood in Georgetown, according to the Georgetown Police Department.

On March 19th, 2017, Corey Councill, the department’s recovery support coordinator, lost his son to a drug overdose.  “I got a call from his employer at about 11:30 that night saying that I need to come to Lexington, that he may have had an overdose,” he said.  “I was angry, scared. I got about 15 minutes down the road, that’s when I got the second call that said he didn’t make it,” Councill said.

His son David, was only 23-years-old “I remember thinking David might have been going through an experimental phase. Well, we don’t have time for phases. Just one pill can kill.”

Three months after Councill’s son died, he learned about Casey’s law, a law where you can petition the court to order treatment for anyone older than 18. “I remember driving home that day just angry, that I didn’t know about it,” he said.

In 2020, Councill joined the Georgetown Police Department as a recovery support coordinator and recovery coach. In just three years Council’s connected with more than 600 people, through the program ‘Operation Hope-Angel’. The program encourages folks to get help and engage in long-term recovery for substance use disorders.

Councill says he hopes to get rid of the stigma, regarding substance abuse. “We go out to non-fatal overdoses, try and reach out and connect with people. We give them Narcan to reverse overdoses,” he said.  “Tough love didn’t work in my case with David. It’s more about connecting and caring and loving them back to health is what it’s really about.”