Groups Target Facets of Drug Addiction Recovery

CREST HAVEN – Approximately 50 attended Cape May County’s “Family Forum, Community Action against Addiction” March 6. They divided into groups with missions to assist and advise those affected by drugs. The majority were family members of persons having substance use disorders. The remainder were professionals or interested community members.
The third of its kind, the session, hosted by Freeholder Kirstin Gabor, sought volunteers from among attendees who would work on separate facets of the addiction problem and recommend, in June, what direction the county should take.
Gabor said of the first session it did not allow enough opportunity for those addicted or who had family members with substance abuse disorder time to tell of their struggle and related issues. The second gave more time to hear those affected, but it, too, could have been longer.
“Someone has to listen to plan for the next step,” said Gabor. At the second session, complaints and problems were listed on large paper pads.
Patricia Devaney, director, county Human Services Department, “Is the brainchild behind a lot of this,” Gabor said.
Some of the problem, she noted, is the stigma attached to the drug problem. The term addict, she said, “depersonalizes who they are.” DeVaney referred to a test of two stories, one used “addict” the other used, “Substance use disorder.” The latter received more favorable consideration, she said.
To remove the stigma attached to drug addiction is one part of the resolution, she said, but there remain others.
Using an automated tabulation program, attendees were able to rank ideas and treatment priorities.
Alternative activities to keep youth and adults away from drugs were among subjects to focus on first. A close second was need for a “stigma campaign” to change society’s views of those with substance use disorders. Parental and youth education tied for third place to warn against drug use.
Under the topic of treatment, most rated the availability of residential treatment in county or region. Second was more training for life, social and job skills in a halfway house setting. Third was for more family involvement in treatment.
Another need was to investigate the possibility of an engagement or hold-over program for persons awaiting detox treatment. Second closest was to investigate ambulatory detox. Least popular was the Florida model of sober living and day treatment.
For recovery support the majority favored relapse prevention treatment programs. Next to that were job training, shadowing and employment possibilities and 12-month case management.
Also under recovery support, a recovery center was viewed as most needed followed by sober living resources, Vivatrol availability, mentors and reentry programs.
Robin Heatherington, of Lighthouse Church, Burleigh, spoke of the congregation’s decision and assistance from Pastor Charles “Pastor Charlie” Harrah, after a stand-room-only meeting of “people wanting to do what we could to get to this community to help and assist the ones struggling with addiction. We are taking the stand we don’t want to be silent any more. We want to end the shame for those struggling.”
“We want to be a warehouse, a place where all the resources you are talking about here tonight, will come together organized in such a way that we can give (information) to those families,” Heatherington said.
Lighthouse Church, she said, “Has people willing to drive to detox, people volunteering at 2 a.m. when a mom’s child is arrested. We want to be there. We want to give them resources like tonight,” she continued.
“Someone needs to gather it and put it together so it is user friendly. We have all these places mentioned, all the agencies; we want to put it together in one place. What one person can do might help, but how will they know unless they are told?”
Heatherington asked. Another meeting at the church is scheduled for March 16 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. when teams will solidify their direction and outreach.
“We are committed to this. We are ready to launch this. This is what we’re going to do so that they (families and users) have hope again,” she said. Those committees include Helping, Healing and Hoping.
Assemblyman Samuel Fiocchi (R-1st) recently named to the Assembly Human Services Committee, spoke of the need for cooperation between Cape May and Cumberland counties, since the drug problem spans both.
Fiocchi said “Research shows that integrating employment with substance abuse treatment helps secure participants in the treatment program and leads to lower rates of relapse.”
He said that $1 million would be devoted by the Christie Administration’s 2015 budget “and partners” to those integrated employment services. He cited a $500,000 grant from the Nicholson Foundation that the governor is “leveraging” to “press forward with his commitment to make a more effective, compassionate and innovative approach to nonviolent offenders who are drug addicted with an integration of employment services to make treatment even more effective and lasting.”
Fiocchi said those grant dollars, would allow up to $500,000 in added federal resources to be drawn down via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training program, for which many Drug Court participants are eligible.
Wildwood resident Ernesto Salvatico told the group his belief “at least 20 K-9 units” would stem the drug problem. He said the canines should be muzzled so they could not bite, and could be used to search cars “with no need for a search warrant from a judge.”
County Prosecutor Robert Taylor rose to disagree, and said “You still have to get a warrant.”
Taylor also said he had spoken with county school superintendents regarding taking K-9 units into schools to search for drugs.
Michael DeLeon, president of Steered Straight, told the group of his willingness to speak to school students about his 12 years in prison and long-term recovery, and his loss of four close friends within 10 days due to tainted heroin.
He produced a 45-minute video that touches on the drug problem in New Jersey’s 21 counties.
After DeLeon had addressed Middle Township Middle and High schools, he left bracelets with a toll-free telephone number that students could call “for anything.” In the days following those presentations, calls from middle school students jumped 63 percent, and 75 percent from the high school.
He said students are more likely to listen and believe him rather than law enforcement officers about drugs.
Taylor said, “In jail the ones who are addicts are also sellers. I am going to put dealers in jail. We don’t do that to addicts. I am all for rehabilitation and getting them what they need (for recovery). Education works with a child.”