In 2014, several members of the Centre County Criminal Justice Advisory Board formed a subcommittee to take a look at drug overdoses and overdose-related deaths in Centre County. The effort aimed to determine what needs to be done to stop the problem and educate the local community about the epidemic.
This committee consisted of people from law enforcement, criminal justice planning and the county’s drug and alcohol office.
As drug-related deaths continued to rise (73 in Centre County from 2013 through February 2017), the committee began attracting new partners, who also realized the problems. In addition to concerned members of the public, the Centre County HOPE Initiative now includes representatives from nearly two dozen governmental and community organizations.
That dedicated partnership proves the need for such a strong presence in the county, said Centre County director of criminal planning Gene Lauri.
“It seemed like once we started exploring this subject, more and more people started to come on board,” he said. “People started to open their eyes to how much these dangerous drugs are affecting our young people and our community. One by one, different groups and organizations approached the committee to offer their resources, advice and opinions.”
Currently, the HOPE Initiative has several entities represented, including the Centre County commissioners, Coroner’s Office, MH/ID/IE/D&A office, Criminal Justice Planning Department, District Attorney’s Office, Probation Department, EMS/first responders and correctional facility, as well as Centre County Youth Service Bureau, Centre County Children and Youth Services, Centre County United Way, YMCA of Centre County, PSU EPISCenter, local law enforcement, TAP (The Ambassadors Program) and United Against Heroin Addiction. Mount Nittany Health works with HOPE and supports its mission; however, it is not officially affiliated with it.
BROADENING PERSPECTIVES
Centre County Commissioner Steve Dershem has been involved in the initiative since its roots. He also helped organize a series of four town hall meetings held at various places in Centre County during 2016. These meetings included panels of experts in their fields, ranging from law enforcement personnel to treatment providers, offering dialogue and discussion on a variety of topics.
He said this collaboration of so many positive-thinking partners can only move the effort forward.
“By that, I mean law enforcement gets to interact with the treatment community, who get to interact with local, state and federal government, who get to interact with medical and educational professionals and so on,” said Dershem. “Layer that with the tragic experiences of mothers and fathers and families who bear the scars of loss to addiction, and everyone involved broadens their perspectives and reaches deeper for solutions.”
“People are talking more about the problem than before,” said Centre County coroner Scott Sayers. Sayers confirmed that deaths in Centre County from heroin and opioid overdoses have been on the rise since 2014. “It seemed like they didn’t want to believe it was happening in Centre County. That is was somewhere else. It’s not. The problem just isn’t in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, or in Johnstown, Williamsport or Altoona, but it is here in Centre County.
“The problem is in every borough and township countywide,” he said. “The person or persons using the drugs could be up the street from where you live, or even your next-door neighbor.”
“The group effort in Centre County is a true reflection of this community’s dedication to tackling this issue head on,” said Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller. “We have seen too many deaths from heroin and opioid overdoses. One was too many. We must and are uniting to do everything we can to fight this scourge.”
SOCIAL PROBLEM
As a prosecutor, Parks Miller said she has first-hand seen the increased number of criminal cases involving heroin and opioids appearing on the court dockets. The increase in recidivism is comparable.
She still wants to target the people dealing illicit drugs in the community; however, she believes the epidemic should be treated more as a social problem, and feels HOPE can help remove that “druggie” stigma.
“The purpose of HOPE is to discard the single- minded methods of yesterday where drug problems were thought to be solved by merely locking up people after being caught with drugs, to the new reality where drug dealers are targeted and drug addicts are diverted towards programs that help them get well, removing demand for drugs, keeping our community safer and saving lives.
‘At the same time, education, prevention and support is being stepped up in the community regarding this issue, completing the circle.”
That attitude for approaching the problems is echoed throughout the HOPE Initiative partner list.
Thomas Backenstore, director of probation and parole in Centre County, said many offenders sentenced by the Court of Common Pleas and supervised by his office are either addicted to or are serious abusers of these drugs. He said a punitive approach will not work for these offenders, and alternative methods have to be used.
“The probation staff makes every effort to provide treatment to these offenders as part of their supervision and rehabilitation plan,” he said.
Although several local deaths have been attributed to the drugs (26 since the start of 2016), there is an unknown number of patients that have been treated at local medical facilities for heroin and opioid overdoses. HIPPA laws prevent the disclosure of exact information, but local experts believe the numbers could reach into triple digits annually.
Jeannie Lozier is the outreach coordinator for Mount Nittany Health. She said a multitude of factors affect individuals struggling with a substance abuse disorder, and an organization such as HOPE can bring together cross-sections of the community that can work together efficiently and effectively to address the issues.
“Because of (those factors), there is no single entity that can effectively provide prevention programs as well as treatment programs for our community,” said Lozier.
Educating the community is also another important facet of the HOPE Initiative, she said. Mount Nittany Health provided material, technical and promotional support for the series of town hall meetings.
NETWORK OF PARTNERS
Have the efforts of the HOPE Initiative been working?
Dershem said although it is tough to quantify an absolute answer as to if HOPE has had an immediate impact on Centre County, its efforts have spurred a number of programs and ideas.
“The court and criminal justice system have begun their new drug court initiative, aiming to divert addicts into intensive treatment and supervision. Drug collection boxes now populate the area, keeping prescription meds out of the hands of abusers and out of our watersheds,” he said. “Naloxone, a lifesaving opiate overdose antidote, is carried by many more law enforcement agencies.
‘Schools, families and individuals that never understood the increased threats posed by heroin and opiate abuse, now not only have resources, but a network of partners to combat this program.”
Dershem added that those suffering from addiction and their families have the understanding now that recovery is possible and that they are not alone on the road to a healthier and more productive life.
“I hope that we can look back years from now and see that all these efforts, and many more to come, made a marked difference in our communities,” he said.
For more information on the HOPE Initiative, visit www.centrecountyhope.org or its Facebook page.
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