Mon County QRT Grief Support Group works to heal, reduce stigma

While the COVID-19 pandemic surges, there is a quieter epidemic that has been plaguing West Virginia for years: overdose. According to the National Institutes of Health, West Virginia has the highest rate of opioid-involved overdose deaths per 100,000 people.

With each life lost to overdose, there are family and friends who are left behind. If you are one of those people, the Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT) wants to show you that you are not alone with its Grief Support Group, which meets on the first and third Mondays of each month at Sabra United Methodist Church, 1234 Richwood Ave.

This specific type of grief support group is a necessity, noted Mark A. Liptrap, Monongalia County Health Department’s social worker and a QRT member.

“There is a vast difference between losing someone to an overdose versus losing someone to other causes. There is a lot of stigmatization happening,” Liptrap said. “When someone finds out your loved one died from an overdose, their support shifts to judgment.”

Read the full press release from the Mon County Health Department.