Tuesday afternoon, Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn and several law enforcement officials handed a stack of checks to Health Recovery Services
Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn handed over a thick stack of checks Tuesday to the executive director of Health Recovery Services, hoping to further combat opiate addiction in the area by investing in a program for local addicts.
The transaction was a part of Blackburn’s Fresh Start initiative, and will allow HRS to further treat patients who are dependent on prescription pills by monitoring their use on a daily basis and offering them one-on-one counseling.
“So far, several years now, supported by the 317 Board, we’ve had a medication-assistance program,” Joe Gay, HRS executive director, said. “But it was clear to us that we need something even more intensive than that.”
The Athens County Prosecutors Fresh Start fund contributed $25,000 to the program, while the Athens County Sheriff's Office, the Athens Police Department, the Ohio University Police Department and the Nelsonville Police Department contributed $2,500 each to the new program, totaling $10,000.
The Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol Drug Addiction Mental Health Services, also known as the 317 Board, is also redirecting $50,000 of previously allocated funds to the initiative.
The HRS outpatient treatment program will provide day-to-day treatment for opiate addiction through the use of Suboxone and Vivitrol, as well as a prevention program that will educate people about the effects of addiction.
“Opiate treatment requires some specialized methods,” Gay said. “The use of opiates appears to make an actual change in the function of the brain. People who use opiates on a chronic bases often need medication to re-stabilize, and they may need that on an ongoing basis.”
Support from local law enforcement will also help send addicts to the HRS program through recommendations and court orders.
Athens County Sheriff Rodney Smith said he believes that drug addicts deserve a fresh start.
“We are willing to help the ones who want to help themselves,” said Smith. “We are going to do our part to help (Blackburn) enforce that as best we can.”
OUPD Chief Andrew Powers agreed with Smith, saying that it feels “great to be a part of this program.”
“It’s great to be addressing not only the supply side, which is what we normally deal with in law enforcement, but also an opportunity to start addressing the demand,” said Powers.
Gay estimated that about 5,200 people will benefit from the program, although the exact number of opiate addicts in the area can be hard to pinpoint. He added that about 40 percent of patients stick with the program.
“Traditionally, treatment programs only see about one out of ten people who are addicted,” Gay said. “So there are many more, and that equation changes when you deal with heroin.”
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