The opioid crisis in Centre County has reached epidemic levels, and now the county is looking to partner with a nonprofit organization to hire a full-time employee to help combat the problem.
Gene Lauri, director of the Criminal Justice Planning Office, Kathy Arbogast, program administrator for Centre County Drug and Alcohol, and Denise McCann, community-based division director for Centre County Youth Service Bureau, attended the weekly meeting of the county’s board of commissioners seeking support for a grant application to fund the endeavor.
‘We’ve been doing everything in a hodgepodge way,’ said Arbogast, referring to the county’s efforts to coordinate training, information seminars and other gatherings about to the growing problem associated with opioids, including heroin. ‘We need a single person to help coordinate all this.’
According to Lauri, a grant for substance abuse reduction is available and would fund such a position; however, it is only available to nonprofit organizations, thus the partnership with YSB.
‘We’re grateful the Youth Service Bureau wants to be involved in this project,’ said Lauri. ‘They recognize the opioid and heroin overdose problem in the county and, like us, want to do whatever we can to stop these unnecessary overdoses and deaths.’
According to Lauri, the grant money would be used by YSB to hire a full-time staff person to work on implementing the Community Reinforcement and Family Training Program, as well as organizing and implementing one or two classes of the Strengthening Families Program. The staff member would also serve as a resource person for the Centre County HOPE Coalition by taking a lead role in organizing meetings and carrying out critical tasks for projects the coalition wants to move forward.
According to McCann, YSB could seek up to $150,000, but she noted it is more realistic to apply for the $125,000 to $130,000 the groups will need to get the program started.
‘That would cover the costs of hiring a full-time employee, as well as all the training involved,’ she said.
Commissioner Steve Dershem commended the foresight of the agencies and motioned to approve sending a letter of support for the initiative, which was seconded then approved by the board.
Information on the county’s website from the Drug Enforcement Administration reports there were 3,383 reported drug-related overdose deaths in Pennsylvania in 2015, a 23.4 percent increase from the 2,742 such deaths in 2014. There were 15 drug overdose deaths in Centre County in 2015, according to the report. In just the first six months of 2016, there were 13 drug overdose deaths, according to the Centre County Coroner’s Office.
Heroin was identified in toxicology test results in about 55 percent of Pennsylvania drug related overdose deaths in 2015, making it the most frequently identified drug. Fentanyl was next, identified in 27 percent of such deaths.
In other business, the commissioners:
■ Approved an economic development strategy with Penn State Extension and the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education. The contract total is $3,500.
■ Approved a contract renewal between the county and Brockerhoff House Corp. to provide representative payee services for intellectual disability and mental health consumers. The contract total is $19,700.
■ Approved a contract addendum between the county and Bauer’s All About Kids to increase the allocation to allow Bauer’s additional early intervention services in the amount of $17,000, increasing the contract maximum from $27,000 to $44,000.
■ Approved a contract addendum between the county and Cen-Clear Services Inc. to increase the allocation to allow Cen-Clear to provide additional early intervention services in the amount of $10,000, increasing the contract maximum from $5,000 to $15,000.
■ Approved a contract renewal between the county and Twin Lakes Center to provide drug and alcohol services to include inpatient non-hospital detoxification. The contract total is estimated at $5,000.
■ Approved a contract renewal between the county and Formax for maintenance service for a low-volume folder/sealer. The contract total is $961.
