Chief Styka Presented with Celebration of Excellence Award

Overdose Fatality Review Team Recognizes Styka's Efforts to

Prevent Overdose Deaths in Winnebago County

OSHKOSH, WIS. (December 12, 2022) — The Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) Team presented its first ever We Heart You Celebration of Excellence Award to Chief Tim Styka from the Menasha Police Department.

The We Heart You Celebration of Excellence Award is given to a person or organization that serves the residents of Winnebago County and fits the following description:

• Dedicates time, commitment and support to community initiatives that increase access to substance and mental health related resources.
• Identifies gaps, assesses services, and creates, supports, and/or assists with programs that create a way for community members to seek help.
• Demonstrates a strong ability to create meaningful relationships that advance the work of our local substance use or mental health services.
• Contributes experience, data and meaningful input to help save lives.
• Goes above and beyond to use their position, organization or relationships to accomplish exceptional work.

“Tim has been a leader on the OFR team, not only with his experience and perspective, but always pushing partners to do better and go beyond their boundaries,” OFR Facilitator Jennifer Skolaski said. “I’m grateful for his willingness to think differently and push our team to where it is today. He has made a tremendous impact on our work, the community and beyond.”

Chief Styka has been with the Winnebago County OFR Team since 2019, working to address the root causes of overdose deaths and make our community a safer place to live, work and be. Chief Styka is a leader of this work. He works with the Menasha Community Addiction Assistance Program (MCAAP) to improve access to treatment and recovery services. He is involved in the Winnebago County's Overdose Spike Alert Pilot initiative, which tracks nonfatal overdoses and identifies potential intervention and prevention points. He helped institute and find funding for the Solutions Peer Response Team, creating a way for people with lived experience to connect with those struggling with substance use disorder to help prevent overdoses and connect people to resources. Chief Styka is also a member of the OFR Steering Team and was a speaker at the first We Heart You: Recovery in Our Community event in March where he talked about the success of peer recovery teams.

"Chief Styka has created momentum in the community that continues beyond implementation of his work." said University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Acting Chief of Police and OFR Team Member Chris Tarmann. "His leadership, innovation and commitment to saving lives is shaping a path forward for other law enforcement leaders."

Menasha Police Department is one of 56 partners representing 37 agencies that work together on the OFR Team to prevent overdose deaths. The team accomplishes this purpose by examining individual, organizational and systems level factors related to overdose deaths that occur in Winnebago County. The reviews focus on systems level change to prevent future deaths and not on identifying fault in organizations or individuals connected to the death being reviewed.

“Chief Styka has gone above and beyond in working with the community to build relationships, identify gaps and contribute meaningful input and action to save lives,” Skolaski said. “Tim has always been the one to understand second plus chances are needed, and he’ll be the first in line to give it.”

To learn more about the Winnebago County OFR Team, visit winnebagopublichealth.org.

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Media Contacts:

Ashley Mukasa

Communications Specialist, Winnebago County Health Department

920-232-3352, amukasa@winnebagocountywi.gov

Jennifer Skolaski

Facilitator, Winnebago County OFR Team

JSkolaski@winnebagcountywi.gov

Download:

• Press Release
• Headshot of Chief Styka
• Image 1: Chief Tim Styka of the Menasha Police Department receives the We Heart You Celebration of Excellence Award from Chris Tarmann, fellow Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review team member and Acting Chief of Police for the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Police Department.
• From left: Jennifer Skolaski, facilitator, Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review Team; Chief Tim Styka, Menasha Police Department; Acting Chief of Police Chris Tarmann, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Police Department; Jolie VerVoort, President of Residential Treatment at Apricity; Carrie Kubasta, manager, Outpatient Therapy Services at ThedaCare
• Image 2: Members of the Menasha Police Department support Chief Styka at the We Heart You Celebration of Excellence Award ceremony. From Left: Sandy Gonnering, admininstrative assistant; Deputy Chief Angie Hanchek; Chief Tim Styka; Lt. Matt Albrecht; Lt. Adam Schulz
• Image 3: Jennifer Skolaski, facilitator of the Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review Team, speaks about the impact of Chief Styka's work in preventing overdose deaths at the We Heart You Celebration of Excellence Award ceremony.
• High resolution version of images (link expires 12/18/22)

Winnebago County Health Department

winnebagopublichealth.org

health@winnebagocountywi.gov