Monroe County is forming a team to look at trends in overdose deaths and what stands in the way of prevention.

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello's office says the new Overdose Fatality Review Initiative will include people from the public and mental health care sectors, as well as voices from public safety, social services and others in the community.

Officials say the team will use overdose data to spot trends and prevention barriers. The goal is for policymakers to use that data to come up with solutions to combat the ongoing opioid crisis and prevent more fatal overdoses.

“Despite aggressive efforts on the part of many government agencies and community organizations, there are still too many people dying from overdoses – be they opioids, fentanyl, or combinations of narcotics and other drugs,” Bello said in a statement. “This is not just a health problem, or a public safety problem, or a government problem – it is a community crisis, and it will to take a comprehensive, sustained and systematic effort to address it. The OFR is an important step toward making this happen, and I am grateful to Congressman Morelle and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their support in securing the funding to establish this program.”

More information can be found on the county executive's website.