pWATERTOWN — About 200 concerned locals gathered Monday night in Jefferson Community College’s Sturtz Theater to hear state and local officials offer strategies for overcoming the region’s heroin and opioid abuse epidemic./ppAttendance at the two-hour panel discussion surprised and inspired all of its panelists, especially considering the allure of the nearly 80-degree temperatures outside, officials said./ppDistrict Attorney Kristyna S. Mills, who provided opening remarks alongside Jefferson County Community Services Director Roger J. Ambrose and Jefferson County Board of Legislators Chairman Scott A. Gray, said she has never seen a public discussion on this topic so well-attended./pp“This right here has been the biggest turnout that I have seen — and that thrills me,” she said. “I believe one of the best ways to combat this issue is through education.”/ppThe event featured three speakers from the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, including Robert A. Kent, chief counsel of OASAS; Dr. Charles W. Morgan, the agency’s acting medical director, and Peggy Bonneau, its director of health initiatives./ppIt also included commentary from a panel of local stakeholders composed of Tina O’Neil, director of mental health services at Samaritan Medical Center; James P. Scordo, executive director of the Credo Community Center; William W. Bowman, executive director of Pivot; Jefferson County Sheriff Colleen M. O’Neill and city Police Chief Charles P. “Chip” Donoghue./ppOutside the theater, several community organizations offered guests information on local services./ppThe three guest speakers from Albany dominated the discussion with detailed explanations of statewide initiatives for combatting the issue./ppMr. Kent agreed with Mrs. Mills, saying that education and awareness are crucial to both curbing addiction before it begins and overcoming it after it has developed. He pointed to a series of videos his office has made to educate teens, families and addicts about warning signs and resources available to them./pp“Part of what we have been doing is trying to raise public awareness and education,” he said. “We created 10 videos ... running you basically from the beginning to the end. They’re two minute videos starting with recognizing that a loved one needs help.”/ppMr. Kent also highlighted the “OASAS Bed Availability Dashboard,” which addicts and providers can use to identify where and when vacancies at inpatient treatment centers exist./ppWhile he did acknowledge that such centers are not evenly dispersed throughout the state, Mr. Kent said that beds are available./pp“Are there beds in every county? Absolutely not,” he said. “Are we working towards filling gaps where we know there are needs? Are we looking at regional options? Absolutely. But I can tell you that there are beds available every day.”/ppHighlighting another statewide initiative, Dr. Morgan expressed the need for communities to eliminate the stigma that often surrounds drug addiction. He pointed to OASAS’s new “Stop the Stigma” campaign, which also uses video to share stories of real New Yorkers in recovery./pp“Addiction is an underlying disease that people have,” he said. “Addicts have been stigmatized for a long time, and stigma is not a thing that is helpful; it drives people away. This is the only chronic illness which instead of drawing people to you, pushes people away from you.”/ppThe OASAS representatives also urged the audience to protect their prescription medications and dispose of unused pills to help control the supply of opioids./ppDiscussion was followed by roughly 30 minutes of questions from the audience, and many answers from the panelists drew applause./ppWhen audience members told of difficulties getting medical insurers to pay for rehabilitation medications like Vivitrol and Suboxone, Mr. Kent offered his personal email for help./ppHe also provided hope when asked for an update on grant funding for a recovery community and outreach center, which was supposed to be awarded in January. Pivot, formerly the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council of Jefferson County, applied for this funding in November./pp“No awards have been made, so nobody has lost yet,” Mr. Kent said. “In less than two weeks, we hope to make an announcement, so I would be optimistic about that.”/ppFor more information on any OASAS initiative, visit www.oasas.ny.gov./p
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