Join us for a free overdose prevention and awareness workshop provided by the Art of Mass Gatherings in collaboration with the Ben Meyer Recovery Foundation (BMRF) and the support of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. This training is led by Chris van Brenk, a paramedic, EMT instructor and US Army Special Forces veteran with a special focus in outdoor and wilderness rescue. Chris will be joined by founding members of BMRF, harm reduction and peer support specialists Justin Shytle and Maia Hughes, and Buncombe County paramedic Justin Prichard. At this workshop, you'll learn:

About opiates, how they work, and background about the opiate epidemic
What is fentanyl? Why is it so dangerous?
Pathophysiology of an opiate overdose: the signs and symptoms
What is Narcan? Expected reactions, side effects, etc.
How to respond to an opiate overdose
How and when to perform CPR / chest compressions

It will include hands-on experience to familiarize yourself with the packaging and instructions of commonly available Narcan Kits. Workshop participants will have the option to participate in interactive scenarios and drills later that afternoon to practice the skills and methods they've learned.

Please note, this workshop is free but you will need both a festival ticket and parking pass in order to access the LEAF Festival grounds where the event is being held. Keep reading for details.

Important Arrival Information for Attendees

This workshop takes place in the Film Hut on the LEAF Festival Grounds at 377 Lake Eden Road, Black Mountain, NC 28711. The location listed on this registration page and the event calendar invite is to your first checkpoint, the "Drive-through Check-in" and parking area for the LEAF Festival. Access to the festival grounds and symposium is via shuttle bus. You'll receive a parking pass at check-in and be directed where to park and catch the shuttle. We'll provide more detailed instructions via e-mail closer to the event date to help assist you in arriving from the shuttle dropoff location to the Film Hut!

You need a LEAF Festival pass in order to enter the grounds. If you don't already have tickets, you can purchase a Sunday day ticket here, giving you access to the entire LEAF Sunday lineup of performances and activities in addition to this workshop. Work exchange shifts are also available in lieu of a paid pass; see details and apply.

You'll also need a parking pass ($10/car). It's recommended that you pre-order a parking pass; otherwise once onsite you can pay for parking in cash only and are subject to longer wait times.

Please plan adequate time to arrive! This workshop is anticipated to start at 11:30am, so we recommend arriving at drive-thru check-in by no later than 10:30am in order to arrive on time.

Brought to you by the Art of Mass Gatherings at LEAF Festival

This workshop is part of the free Art of Mass Gatherings symposium at beloved LEAF Global Arts Festival. You're warmly invited to join us for the entire day! This learning and networking event is for event organizers, artists, emergency professionals, and anyone else who hosts large gatherings of people. It utilizes the infrastructure and grounds of the LEAF Festival as a hands-on classroom for elevating the safety, safety, accessibility, sustainability, and community responsiveness of events, and to build resilience in our communities. Participants are invited to share their own experience and expertise throughout. You'll leave with concrete practices and resources to increase safety, sustainability, accessibility, and community engagement within your own work.

In addition to the overdose prevention training, you'll experience workshops and tours on:

Introduction to using solar power for events
Site-specific design tour of the festival's safety, accessibility, sustainability, and community engagement features
Learning stations dedicated to physical and sensory accessibility
Mapping exercises to build community resilience and enhance cultural preservation
... and more!

Register here to participate in the complete Art of Mass Gatherings program (registration includes this overdose prevention workshop). This program is offered free to participants thanks to the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, part of their work to preserve and enhance the state's natural and cultural resources, expand educational opportunities, and build climate change resilience.

Made possible thanks to our partners!

Contact the host of Overdose Prevention & Response Training