Category Archives: drugs
Population Health Summit: A review
Yesterday, June 5th, 2018, was the 3rd Annual Population Health Summit in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The topic was focusing in on utilizing an integrated approach to address the opioid epidemic/crisis. In 2016, there were a total of 64,070 fatal overdoses in the United States, 2,200 of those being in New Jersey, 35 in Morris County. Though the number of overdoses in on the rise, there has been little action to limit the number of prescribing doctors. In New Jersey, we have 1,332 licensed prescribers but only 38 Medication Assistance Treatment (MAT). These numbers do not make sense. New Jersey increases the number of those able to prescribe, yet does not increase the number of treatment facilities that use prescriptions.
Dr. Nash, key note speaker, stated that we need to “shut off the faucet instead of mopping up the mess.” It is important to provide the prevention measures so that we can cut the opioid epidemic off at the source, and prevent people from even starting to use drugs. Dr. Nash also noted that 50% of all opioid users are unemployed and 25% are permanently disabled. This shows that the opioid epidemic needs to be looked at from the very beginning. If we provide resources from the beginning, keeping people healthy all around, it could limit the amount of people getting involved in drugs. Furthermore, it is important to address the institutional racism that has caused minorities and lower income persons to be pushed further and further away from medical care access.
The key component of the summit was to note that prevention and intervention is not a one person job. It is important for the law makers, family services, treatment centers, insurance companies, and caregivers to work together. Addressing the epidemic is a team sport, and is something that influences the entire population.
Sheriff Heralds First Anniversary of “Hope One” — County Announces Launch of “Navigating Hope”
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon’s groundbreaking Hope One program that offers critical in-the-field support for persons struggling with addiction, celebrated its first birthday yesterday on the rain-soaked Morristown Green with the unveiling by Morris County of its new “Navigating Hope’’ mobile human services operation.
Morris County Human Services Director Jennifer Carpinteri announces the launch of Navigating Hope as Sheriff James. M. Gannon looks on
Navigating Hope will work in concert with the Sheriff’s Hope One unit, with both fully staffed mobile vehicles traveling together across Morris County to deliver vital services to residents most in need of assistance.
“Hope One’s impact on the addiction and mental health communities in Morris County has been tremendous,’’ said Morris County Human Services Director Jennifer Carpinteri. “Now, the county is going to expand upon the great work being done by the Sheriff and his Hope One team.’’
Hope One travels twice a week to locations throughout Morris County, bringing services to persons in need. A sheriff’s officer, licensed clinician, and a certified peer recovery specialist – who understand the needs of those suffering with addiction — staff the vehicle.
Their goal is to prevent drug overdoses and deaths by reaching out to those in need, rather than wait for them to show up in a hospital emergency room.
In the first year of operation, Hope One has compiled some amazing statistics, with nearly 3,000 residents in need visiting the Hope One mobile unit and nearly 850 county residents receiving life-saving Narcan training to be employed in emergencies.
Hope One’s many stops have included supermarket shopping centers from Chatham to Kinnelon, libraries from Rockaway to Whippany, the Morristown Green, a Dover church, and even the Rockaway Townsquare mall, among many locations.
With overdoses on the rise, opioid programs come to Morris
- Four Prosecutor’s Office heroin programs heading to Morris towns
In a continued effort to fight the heroin and opioid epidemic, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is hosting four symposiums in several county high schools over the next few weeks.
In Morris County, fatal opiate overdoses jumped from 43 in 2015 to 64 in 2016. There have been at least 23 overdoses so far in 2017, on track to greatly exceed last year’s total.
Prosecutor Fredric Knapp is hoping the ongoing public programs will continue to raise awareness of the heroin and opioid epidemic and show how to combat it.
Prograns will be held in: Montville, Roxbury, Dover, and Kinnelon
Click the link below to read the full story:
http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/morris-county/2017/04/20/overdoses-rise-opioid-programs-come-morris/100702728/
Recovery Mentoring in the News
Click the link below to watch “Jersey Matters.”
Morris County Prevention is Key and Center for Addiction, Recovery, and Success (CARES) are featured and discuss some of the new methods we are using to combat addiction.
Reporter, Sherry Karabin, talks with some of the amazing people we work with to learn about the life-saving drug Narcan, and focus on an amazing Mentor Program, to help recovering addicts.
Jersey Matters
Please visit the CARES website to learn more about the Mentor Program and how you can get involved.
Pinwheel Project
40 Pequannock Township High School students placed 500 pinwheels across the front lawn of the school the day before the homecoming football game – to spread awareness about the dangers of underage drinking.
The Pinwheel Project is designed to visually represent the 5,000 youth who die as a result of alcohol yearly.
“Each pinwheel represents 10 deaths due to underage drinking,” said Phyllis Minicuci, Project Coordinator for the Pequannock Township Coalition. “It’s a very powerful statement and I’m proud of the students. They stepped up and did a terrific job.”
Read the full story in The Daily Record here.
