New program intended to combat drug epidemic
Photo by Tracy Klimek/New Jersey Herald - Newton Police Chief Michael Richards and Becky Carlson, executive director of the Center for Prevention and Counseling, talk about launching a new program called C.L.E.A.R., Community Law Enforcement Addiction Recovery, on Wednesday in Newton.
Posted: Mar. 11, 2016 12:01 am
NEWTON -- Officials representing several Sussex County professional organizations are forming a coalition in an effort to combat the ongoing drug epidemic.
A press conference is scheduled for noon today at the Newton Municipal Building to announce C.L.E.A.R., or Community Law Enforcement Addiction Recovery. The public is welcome to attend.
Newton Police Chief Michael Richards and Becky Carlson, executive director of the Center for Prevention and Counseling, outlined plans for the program with the Herald on Wednesday.
Richards and Carlson said they have support from the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office, Newton Medical Center, local law enforcement and legislators.
The program seeks to find new ways to aid those who are struggling with addiction. C.L.E.A.R. will focus on education, outreach, prevention and enforcement.
Richards noted his department's implementation of Narcan, the life-saving antidote that counteracts opiate overdoses. The problem, Richards said, is what happens after the police save someone's life.
"A lot of times, what's missing is follow-up," Richards said. "We saved your life -- now what?"
C.L.E.A.R. seeks to find an answer to that question.
Richards said the goal is to include "like-minded" people throughout the county who have a stake in the fight against opiates and the effects the drug are having on communities. The group behind C.L.E.A.R. has been meeting monthly since October to put together a program that is tailored toward the issues specific to Sussex County.
"What we found was that each of these entities was fighting the same problem, but we weren't really communicating each other," Richards said.
In their first few meetings, Carlson said she realized that people who had been admitted to the hospital after receiving a dose of Narcan would leave and not know where to turn.
To help with that issue, the Center for Prevention and Counseling created a pamphlet specifically for hospital staff and law enforcement to give to those who are seeking addiction services but don't know where to start.
"From that very first meeting, we had something happen just by all of us connecting and talking to each other," Carlson said.
Carlson said her goal is to involve volunteers who have firsthand knowledge of drug addiction. These recovery coaches will take part in 30 hours of training to standardize a method of helping those who are fighting for their lives. Some of those volunteers will include drug court alumni and other people with personal experience in dealing with drug addiction, Carlson said.
C.L.E.A.R. is modeled after a similar program known as P.A.A.R.I., or Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative, that has been implented with success in Massachusetts and other areas.
David Danzis can also be contacted on Twitter: @ddanzisNJH, or by phone: 973-383-1274.
