Overdose Fatality Review Teams are multi-agency/multi-disciplinary teams assembled at the jurisdiction level to conduct confidential reviews of multiple individual overdose death cases in compliance with all applicable State and Federal privacy and confidentiality legal requirements. OFRTs work to identify preventable risk factors and missed opportunities for intervention and make policy and programmatic recommendations with an intent to prevent future overdose deaths.
Teams compile individual-level data from multiple stakeholders who are involved in the community for case reviews.
OFRTs seek to achieve five main goals:
- Develop a more robust understanding of the circumstances surrounding fatal drug overdoses.
- Identify missed opportunities for prevention and system gaps.
- Build working relationships between local stakeholders on overdose prevention and improve overall collaboration and communication within a jurisdiction.
- Recommend policies, programs, or changes in laws to prevent overdose deaths and better serve people at risk for overdose.
- Inform local and state overdose and opioid misuse prevention strategies.