Heroin addiction can be beaten, but funding is low
By Peter Cameron, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The big man gave them a hug.
It's not uncommon for recovering addicts to praise -- and credit the saving of their lives to -- the police and judges who locked them up and got them into programs that helped them stop using.
Heroin abuse can be overcome, but effective treatment can be expensive at a time when government funding is anemic. Experts warn that failing to invest in treatment programs hurts addicts and the community as a whole.
'It works'
In the past, the "solution" to the drug problem was to banish addicts to prison, after which most went back to using, said
Overflowing prisons and a poor record of rehabilitation have forced new strategies.
The judge now oversees the county's drug court, which works with professionals like parole officers, counselors and nurse clinicians to tailor treatment programs for addicts who land there after committing a crime. The court also assists in buying things like dentures to boost confidence and help people get jobs, the judge said. Those who successfully complete the court's program and high school diploma requirement, as
Prison looms for those who fail.
Creating an individualized recovery program is more time-intensive than a one-size-fits-all approach, and thus more expensive, "but it works," said
The numbers are stark. While the general county prison population's recidivism rate consistently hovers north of the 50 percent line, only about 11 percent of drug court graduates get locked up again.
Taxpayers save as much as
Since its inception in 2000, the number of drug court graduates has increased from 25 in its first year to 50 in 2012 and 36 in 2013. The judge said he could triple the size of the drug court with more funding.
But it's not there. Financial support for helping addicts has not risen with the record amount of heroin flowing into the area, and the country in general, experts say.
"It is a health crisis for which we are woefully underfunded,"
'Like a magic show'
Annual state funding for rehab centers often runs out by
That puts an enormous amount of pressure on organizations and requires a lot of struggling and scrambling.
"It's kind of like a magic show the last couple months to get through,"
The agency hasn't received an increase in funding from the state in the last two decades, he said. In fact, it has absorbed two decreases and is getting
"It's really tough to take the heroin problem on under these circumstances," he said.
More funding would mean treatment centers could provide more and faster access to treatment. It could also help cut down on turnover, allowing the organization to raise wages and keep experienced professionals in the nonprofit industry where a master's degree earns someone a salary of
At facilities like Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service, addiction recovery plans vary, but often include a lot of talk therapy, a sponsor who can be contacted at all hours and the 12-step program. In drug court, graduates must complete 90 meetings in their first 90 days, on top of daily phone calls to a court representative.
Programs can also include more drugs.
Narcotics like Suboxone and methadone have had success in weaning addicts off heroin while minimizing the brutal withdrawal effects. But many in the criminal justice system, including
The schedule keeps idle hands busy and minds off cravings for drugs. The daily routine, filled with group and recreational therapy and acupuncture to ease withdrawal symptoms, is so overloaded that patients often complain about a lack of free time, said Dr.
'We can't keep up'
"It borders on unethical and wrong practices," said
Many patients at the facility are encouraged to take naltrexone, a drug that blocks heroin from getting to receptors in the brain -- preventing a high.
Without more funding to fight alcohol and drug addiction, the health care industry will continue to struggle to provide proven treatment to those who need -- and perhaps more importantly -- want it, experts say.
Since fiscal year 2008-09, the cash-strapped state has cut
The 2014-15 budget signed by Gov.
"There's no increase here, and we're in the middle of a heroin epidemic," Ms. Beck said. "We can't keep up."
Contact the writer:
@pcameronTT on Twitter
<p>Where to go for help
Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service of
Clearbrook Treatment Centers: 800-582-6241,
A
Families Helping Families holds a support meeting for addicts and/or their families from
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