How Video Storytelling Shares the Important Work of a Drug & Alcohol Response Team
The opioid epidemic affects communities of all kinds across the country. Know The Dangers, a campaign and website created by Russell Herder for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, provides information and support for individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder. Know The Dangers also celebrates organizations working to effect change in their communities.
One such group is the Drug & Alcohol Response Team (DART), part of Olmsted County’s Diversity, Equity and Community Outreach team.
A largely rural county with a population of only 164,784, Olmsted County experiences its fair share of substance-use disorder, dispelling the myth that this issue only happens in big cities. To showcase DART’s impactful work and empower other organizations to do the same, Russell Herder developed videos featuring this passionate team.
The videos highlight Social Worker Teri Dose’s “dream team,” which includes an addiction counselor and two peer recovery specialists with lived experiences of substance misuse work with individuals in the county who have recently experienced an overdose.
DART members bring care and connection, traveling to meet people where they are to sit with them, listen to their stories and offer a suite of holistic resources to meet their unique needs. Instead of pushing treatment as the only option, DART team members offer NARCAN® and connect people to food, housing, medical care, harm reduction items and more.
The project demonstrates how a relatively small but dedicated team can make a meaningful impact in their community along with Russell Herder’s longstanding commitment to hyper local storytelling that amplifies social justice issues and voices in marginalized communities. This longstanding, impactful work has enabled Russell Herder to leverage connections, finding new stories and facilitating community engagement, especially through the powerful medium of video.
In the first eight months of operation, DART helped over 300 people. By viewing the videos and hearing the team’s stories, visitors of the Know The Dangers website can clearly see the team’s passion for the work and desire to do even more.
As a B Corporation and advertising agency dedicated to doing work that matters, Russell Herder values the importance of working with organizations that provide innovative approaches to addressing serious social issues. To learn more about how Russell Herder partners with communities to create effective storytelling, get in touch with our team.
