4 men found unconscious, overdosed on unknown drug released from Fort Worth hospital
Four people who overdosed and were found unconscious Tuesday at a halfway house in Fort Worth have recovered and were released from the hospital early Wednesday morning, Volunteers of America announced.
At about 7:50 p.m Tuesday, Fort Worth police officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of Avenue J, Volunteers of America community re-entry facility, in reference to a report of multiple people experiencing an overdose.
The Fort Worth Fire Department and MedStar personnel also responded.
Upon arrival, police found four unresponsive victims — all men. They were treated medically by the Fort Worth Fire Department and MedStar personnel for what appeared to be an overdose of a narcotic substance, police told the Star-Telegram. Narcan — an opioid used to treat drug overdoses in emergencies — was administered by VOA staff, according to the facility.
The victims became responsive before leaving the center and were all transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in stable condition for further medical treatment.
After the incident, the center was checked thoroughly for signs of drugs. Drug paraphernalia was found by VOA staff and Fort Worth Narcotics officers, according to the VOA Texas facility.
“As a result of the risks involved with providing treatment to those struggling with addiction, VOA Texas has several protocols in place to prevent and respond to emergencies. Its centers proactively work to prevent potential drug use by routinely checking for illicit substances. Drug sniffing dogs are regularly called in to help in the effort,” said the VOA Fort Worth in a statement.
The Volunteers of America facility is a halfway house that helps people re-enter the community after they’re released from prison, according to its website. The Fort Worth center houses 60 individuals who remain in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons but are receiving transitional assistance from VOA Texas in the way of housing, treatment, job training and job placement.
VOA Texas operates two residential re-entry centers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, one in Fort Worth and one in Hutchins, just south of Dallas. The organization also runs a residential treatment center in Fort Worth on Riverside Drive that focuses specifically on substance abuse treatment.
In addition to its re-entry and treatment programs, VOA Texas also works to prevent substance use in teens by facilitating drug prevention services inside Tarrant County schools.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons — who maintains custody of all the residents at the VOA Texas re-entry facility — will determine punishment associated with the incident, which could result in more prison time for the individuals involved, according to VOA Texas.
The Narcotics Unit has been requested to provide investigative support for this incident.