Greene County overdose task force presents plan, workshops ideas

WAYNESBURG – For Mt. Morris resident Chad Smith, addiction and recovery are very personal to him.
He shared insight into his own struggle with addiction Monday night during a meeting with the reformatted Greene County Overdose Task Force that is working to find solutions to stop the opioid epidemic.
“I’ve used heroin in Greene County and there was nothing here,” he said of recovery options. “I went to jail.”
He needed to leave the area to pursue treatment, he said, so he wants to see more rehabilitation groups like Celebrate Recovery in the county.
Greene County residents should see a finalized version of the overdose task force’s strategic plan by the start of August, at which point members say they’ll be ready to hit the ground running to implement it. Monday night’s session was the fifth meeting of Greene County’s reformed overdose task force and the second one that was public.
Project coordinator Megan Neuf walked those in attendance through the five goals the group is hoping to accomplish in the next three years, which include increasing access to treatment and other recovery opportunities, heightening community awareness and education while reducing stigma, preventing overdoses, reducing the supply of opioids in Greene County and ensuring the task force is sustainable in the future.
From there, participants broke into four groups to discuss the goals in depth, sans sustainability, as that piece focuses largely on funding and requires less community comment.
Neuf emphasized the goals presented at the meeting were only a draft of the strategic plan and the feedback provided at Monday’s meeting would be considered and integrated into the final version. The task force plans to have another meeting in July, with a finalized version available for the public in early August. Another public meeting will come in late September.
Greene County Commissioner Blair Zimmerman said he was disappointed by the diminished turnout, which attracted about half as many community members compared to the first public meeting when about 50 people met and discussed possible solutions to the area’s addiction crisis.
Still, there were many good ideas provided. The key will be implementing these strategies and putting the plan into place, Zimmerman said. With many agencies coordinating and several interested parties at the table, fitting all those pieces into a cohesive puzzle is key.
“It’s not an overnight fix and when we’re done with this (strategic plan), it will be a continuing battle,” Zimmerman said at the close of the meeting. “Everybody, including myself, wants a quick fix. It’s not a quick fix. This has been going on for decades.”
Kate Craig, who began as Greene County’s addiction navigator in April, said transportation is a huge barrier. Options offered by the county stop after business hours, and in such a rural area, it’s nearly impossible to get to a meeting if someone lives far outside of Waynesburg. In many cases, it’s easier to get access to an addictive substance than assistance.
“It’s nice to be an integral part of the community and helping to fight the good fight,” she said.
In many cases, those with a substance abuse disorder who have entered the legal system have lost their license, so even if they want to re-enter the workforce or society, they’re unable.
Suggestions from the breakout groups ranged from addressing those barriers to transportation, advocating for a county drug court, forming a local police task force, increasing Naloxone availability and offering addiction education at the elementary school level and at senior centers.
One suggestion also included raising awareness for the county’s drug take back boxes. There are three, each at a law enforcement agency.
The sheriff’s department’s box at the courthouse is available during business hours. The boxes located at the Cumberland Township police department and state police’s Waynesburg barracks are available at all hours of the day.
Neuf said the finalized plan would get into the hands of the community and thanked attendees for their comments. Some elements are already in place, she added, such as the new addiction navigator.
Greene County’s task force is modeled after Washington County’s coalition and comes from a partnership with University of Pittsburgh, which is coordinating with other agencies across the state to combat the opioid crisis.
The task force reorganized at the start of the year, directed and managed by the Pennsylvania Overdose Reduction Technical Assistance Center, or TAC, at University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy.
Anyone who needs help finding a treatment provider or funding for addiction treatment can call the state 24/7 hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or contact a local county drug and alcohol office. For Greene County, call the Human Services program at 724-852-5276. Washington’s Drug and Alcohol Commission can be reached at 724-223-1181.