VILLAS – The Lower Township Healthy Youth Coalition, a community initiative of Cape Assist, gathered a panel of members of local organizations, law enforcement, and community leaders Dec. 3 to discuss substance misuse, prevention programs, services in place to help residents and their families that are struggling with addiction, and what services are needed going forward.
Panelists included Lower Township Police Investigative Lt. Doug Whitten; Mitchell Plenn, superintendent of Lower Township Parks and Recreation; Lower Township Police Chief William Mastriana; Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland; Sueanne Agger, patient navigator at Cape Regional Medical Center; Joseph Faldetta, director of prevention at Cape Assist, and Lower Township Councilman Thomas Conrad.
The consensus of the panel is that there is hope for those dealing with substance abuse, and those dealing with the results of that addiction.
Targeting young children about the need to find other avenues, like sports, academics, or taking a walk in the outdoors, was the message of many panelists.
“’Idle hands are the devil’s workshop’ is an old saying. Get them (children) outdoors to enjoy life,” said Conrad, a Boy Scout leader, and captain in the Lower Township Rescue Squad.
Faldetta said Cape Assist looks to prevent and treat substance misuse.
“One way to prevent substance misuse is to influence the attitudes of students. We’ve found that through middle school, students have a negative view of drug use,” explained Faldetta.
“Between eighth grade and freshman year of high school, that changes, and the students begin to accept someone using. We are working toward them keeping that disapproval, by focusing on life goals and alternate ways to deal with stress, depression, and anxiety.”
One of the ways for children and adults to deal with stress is through physical activity. Plenn explained that the recreation department provides plenty of opportunities to do that, from a new fitness center in the recreation building to a proposed aquatic center.
“The recreation department is always working on ways to build a healthy community. Plans for Mulligan Park, in Villas, have a fitness component. Our current pool, in North Cape May, offers aquatic fitness opportunities. We have youth camps and a variety of township sports that any child can take part in. There is a fund for anyone who can’t afford the fees for participating,” said Plenn, who noted the recreation center is open 361 days a year.
Another component of the discussion was the legal ramifications of drug use on the user and family members.
“We discovered pretty quickly that we can’t arrest our way out of this epidemic,” Conrad noted.
The cycle of arrest, prosecution, jail with no drug treatment, release, and return to jail has been replaced with prevention and recovery court.
“We still go after the people who need to be prosecuted, but we want to divert the lower-level user to a better, healthy lifestyle,” Sutherland said.
One way to do that is through the Hope One van, which brings awareness and help to the community.
Operated through the Prosecutor’s Office, Hope One travels to locations throughout Cape May County each week, bringing addiction services to people in need. A county detective, licensed clinician, certified peer recovery specialist, and nurse who understands the needs of those suffering from addiction, staff the vehicle, explained Cheryl Spaulding, justice coordinator for the county.
Recovery court allows those convicted of low-level drug crimes to enroll in a program that offers substance recovery, job placement, and expungement of their record if successfully completed.
Agger added that the county jail now allows inmates on substance abuse medication to continue that medication while incarcerated, and gives them a three-day supply upon release, so they can continue until they see a doctor.
There are other programs available, including help for people convicted of third or fourth-degree possession charges to get treatment. Agger said the pilot program has seen 71% of participants clean after one year.
Mastriani concurred that the opioid crisis is more than a criminal justice issue.
“There is no one in this room that hasn’t been touched by this epidemic. The Opioid Prevention Act made us look at this in other ways. We have partnered with Cape Assist and other organizations to offer addiction counseling, homeless prevention, and we have a prescription drop box where we collected 416 pounds of unused prescription drugs that were destroyed, so that they didn’t end up in the wrong hands,” he explained.
Mastriani also said officers carry Narcan, used to recover those overdosing on opioid drugs.
“Last year, we deployed Narcan 170 times and saved 170 lives,” Mastriani said.
Whitten added that children are often present when parents are arrested, or when they overdose, and there is a program, Handle With Care, that allows notification of schools and teachers, so they can offer understanding when a child has been exposed to a traumatic event.
“The program allows us to speak with the school, so that teachers and counselors recognize that the student may not have been able to complete homework, or is having a hard time in class, and can understand why,” Whitten said.
He also praised the recreation department youth camps, saying several school resources officers participate and stay involved with the kids after camp. Whitten also pointed to the Cops in Shops program, where undercover officers are stationed in establishments that serve alcohol to prevent underage drinking, and the Cop Stop program, where officers meet with the public in coffee shops or convenience stores, as ways the police department seeks to speak with the community.
After the panel discussion, the floor was opened to the public. Denise South, of Cape Hope, a homeless advocacy organization in Cape May County, said addiction and homelessness often go together. She said the organization can offer funds for temporary housing for county homeless, which could keep them from reverting to drug use.
Faldetta agreed with South, saying it is hard to start programs when a client doesn’t have a safe place to live.
Alexander Bland, newly elected president of the Cape May County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), offered his organization’s help in dealing with the issues discussed.
“We have several committees set up to deal with these issues, and we would offer our assistance in any way. We are eager to help,” Bland said.
Faldetta offered Bland to join the coalitions offered in the county, and to attend meetings.
To contact Carl Price, email cprice@cmcherald.com.
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