“This app makes it so easy to connect people to resources and, at the end of the day, it’s going to save lives,” said Chris Tarmann, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh acting police chief and OFR team member. “We’re grateful for the partnerships and relationships in our community that were key to moving this idea forward.”
The We Heart You app is available for immediate download and usage on all Apple and Android devices.
The idea for the app grew out of community conversations, including listening sessions at the We Heart You: Recovery in Our Community event hosted in March 2022 by the OFR team.
The event connected the recovery community to the broader community, bringing together over 350 people from all over the state to learn and connect. Based on what our community learned at that event and the hard work of Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review partners, especially Solutions Recovery Inc., the UW Oshkosh police department and behavioral health ARPA funding from the city of Appleton and Outagamie County, the OFR team came together to create the We Heart You App.
The app offers substance use resources related to treatment options, support meetings, access to Narcan and harm reduction tools, support services and mental and behavioral health screeners.
“A big piece of this app that we’re really excited about is the ‘Talk to Someone’ feature,” said Trevor Fenrich, executive director of Solutions Recovery Inc. and OFR partner. “Individuals struggling themselves, family members, friends, professionals or anyone who needs help has 24/7 access to peer support specialists who can walk them through whatever they’re going through.”
When you tap on the ‘Talk to Someone’ button, you can call, text, email, or chat with a Peer Recovery Specialist who will be there for you when you need them.
“If you’re struggling and need help, we want you to know that you don’t have to walk this path alone,” said OFR Facilitator Jennifer Skolaski. “There are so many wonderful resources in our community to assist you. Together we can stop the cycle of overdose deaths.”
The OFR team will continue to update and improve the app, thanks to funding from the J. J. Keller Foundation.
The purpose of the Winnebago County OFR team is to prevent overdose deaths. The team accomplishes this by examining individual, organizational and system-level factors related to overdose deaths in the county. We Heart You has become the tagline of the team. It means we hear you, we love you and we stand together as a community to help one another in times of need.
Download the app at www.weheartyou.org/app. Watch the launch of the app on Solution Recovery Inc.’s YouTube channel or youtu.be/QbUcrF2pLe0.