LAKE PLACID — The Essex County Department of Health has issued a community alert after January saw the highest number of overdoses ever reported in a single month.

The department posted on Facebook they’ve received data from an Overdose Mapping and Application Program, which provides information in real time about suspected overdoses. This data shows there has been one fatal overdose and 10 nonfatal overdoses so far in 2025, as of the Jan. 29 post.

Linda Beers, the director of public health for the county’s health department, said this is in line with broader trends in rural regions across the country. While this problem is complicated, Beers said there are a number of factors that contribute to this rise.

Rural areas, including Essex County, have a shortage of mental health professionals and people can struggle to find transportation to appointments and services. There are also limited treatment options; many rural communities do not offer Medication-Assisted Treatment programs, such as methadone treatment. There is also still a problem with stigma around the problem.

“There is a significant stigma associated with seeking help for substance use disorders in rural communities, which can deter individuals from accessing necessary treatment and services,” Beers wrote in an email.

When overdoses are reported by law enforcement or EMS workers, the Law Enforcement Mental Health Referral System sends information to members of the crisis intervention team at the Mental Health Association in Essex County.

Alyissa Galusha, opioid response and harm reduction specialist at MHA, is one of those people. She said they receive information from law enforcement, usually with some kind of contact information, and are able to subsequently contact the vast majority of overdose survivors. In January they were able to reach out to nine out of the 10 people who experienced an overdose.

MHA always provides these individuals with Narcan kits, along with xylazine and fentanyl testing strips, and leaves contact information for MHA. Individuals have a right to refuse services, Galusha said, so they have a range of engagement with the additional services they offer. She worries that the stigma around mental health and drug use still prevents people from seeking help, but for many people, she said these services can provide what they need to begin recovering.

It is unusual to see a spike like this in the span of a month, Galusha said, and she is very concerned.

“That tugs on my own heartstrings, too,” she said. “It’s very hard to see so many overdoses in just one month. But we strive and we do the best we can, as well.”

When people do reach out for help, MHA is able to connect them to inpatient and outpatient providers. They work with a number of agencies including some in Vermont. MHA is also able to help connect people with transportation to these services, if needed. They provide case management and can refer patients to a number of other services, including housing, education and employment resources.

Galusha encourages anyone struggling with drug use to get in touch with MHA, even if it’s not regarding an overdose. There are several hotlines available from Essex County Mental Health and MHA.

The Essex County Mental Health hotline is 1-888-854-3773. For more information about Essex County Mental Health, visit tinyurl.com/yckrz3n2.

For information about the Community Opiod Overdose Prevention Program from Essex County, visit tinyurl.com/36r8yeet. This includes instructions for administering Narcan, forms that can be filled out to receive Narcan training and/or Narcan kits (requests can be anonymous) and pharmacies around Essex County that carry Narcan.

The MHA “Hopeline” can be reached at 800-440-8074. Their website is tinyurl.com/5akasv9z.

There is also a hotline called “Never Use Alone,” a national service where someone who is using a drug can call and have someone on the line informed of their location in case they overdose. If an emergency arises during the call, the operator calls a local EMS. This hotline can be reached at 877-696-1996.