John Frey is a Montgomery County Commissioner and can be reached at john.frey@montgomerycounty.in.gov.
This week, I am switching gears to talk about a difficult topic, substance use in our county. I have the responsibility of serving on the Opioid Council and as an elected official representative on the committee and have heard many stories of devastation as well as many stories of hope. Today, I’d like to use our column to talk about some of the selfless volunteers who work hard to help those facing this relentless disease.
I am talking with Samantha Cravens, CHES and health educator with the Montgomery County Health Department. The health department in conjunction with Drug Free Montgomery County just launched a new informative website with the goal of providing much needed resource materials to those facing the disease as well as their families.
JOHN: Tell me about the new website and why it is important.
SAMANTHA: We created the new website www.drugfreemoco.org, in an effort provide a centralized resource for people in our county who are affected by substance abuse. The site is primarily intended for those currently struggling with a substance use disorder, those who have recently overdosed, as well as family and friends of those individuals. We provide resources for SUD such as opioids, alcohol, tobacco, nicotine and other drugs. People can find information about treatment and recovery, prevention and education, harm reduction, events and more.
JOHN: What is your primary message?
SAMANTHA: We want people to understand it is possible to get through the disease of addiction. There is help available and that there are local options. Many times, individuals dealing with SUD feel they are all alone and there is nowhere to turn, but there are so many people in our community who care and we have multiple innovative initiatives going on. We want the public to be aware and be able to utilize these resources.
JOHN: Tell me about the Drug Free Montgomery County group.
SAMANTHA: DFMC is our Local Coordinating Council for the Governor’s Commission for a drug-free Indiana. It is a volunteer group made of many dedicated individuals and stakeholders that are committed to achieve outcomes related to substance use prevention, intervention and enforcement. The focuses range from prevention/education, law enforcement/first response, treatment/rehabilitation, to the recovery community. Having such a comprehensive group involved, it helps us to combine our efforts and resources to help tackle the substance use issues within our community.
JOHN: Tell me about the Quick Response Team and the role each member plays in the treatment and recovery stage.
SAMANTHA: The Crawfordsville QRT is made up of Crawfordsville paramedics, an early intervention specialist, peer recovery coaches and a law enforcement officer, to help guide individuals with SUD to treatment and wrap around services. The QRT is invaluable, and each member plays a significant role in the process. This is a collaborative team which assists individuals at all different capacities. Whether it is someone who has recently overdosed, was released from jail, or even individuals who have hit their rock bottom and are ready to find help. The QRT helps identify the appropriate route for each individual and assist with education and harm reduction best practices, but not just for substance users, they assist with friends and families of users as well.
JOHN: How can people in our community get involved to help with the efforts to fight addiction?
SAMANTHA: Through the website, there is information about the Drug Free Montgomery County board and coalition meetings and some of the other programs and initiatives going on in the community. Eventually the website will have a calendar of events that can help individuals plug in where they see fit. As for now, everyone can get involved by helping reduce the stigma around substance use disorders by focusing on the person, not the disorder. We have to fight these issues as a community.
I’d like to thank Samantha and the countless others who work hard every day to make our county a better place to live. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact Samantha at 765-364-6440.
Mark your calendars for this Saturday for a special Coffee with the Commish event. County Engineer Jim Peck and I will discuss the Montgomery County Thoroughfare Plan. This will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and learn more about the plan. The event will take place at the Joshua Cup downtown Crawfordsville from 7:30-9:30 a.m.
