Pubdate: Mon, 14 Jul 2003
Source: Rutland Herald (VT)
Copyright: 2003 Rutland Herald
Contact:  http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/892
Author: Brent Curtis, Herald Staff
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?131 (Heroin Maintenance)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

RUTLAND PANEL TAKES STOCK OF DRUG WAR

A committee of residents and professionals has worked for two years on
strategies to win a 3-year-old drug war in Rutland.

On Friday, members of the group dubbed the "Rutland Heroin Committee"
paused to take stock of how far they've come and what tasks still lie
ahead.

Made up of police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, alcohol and drug
counselors, youth workers, mental health officials, case workers and
others, the group has toiled to coordinate services, bolster programs
and tailor new services for drug prevention, enforcement, treatment
and recovery.

Among their more tangible accomplishments have been the creation of
groups such the Rutland Turning Point Club, which offers a haven for
those recovering from substance abuse; Wit's End, a support group for
the parents and loved ones of drug addicts; and the Heroin Impact
Panel, a public speaking group made up of people whose lives have been
touched by drug addiction.

But Rutland City Police Capt. Scott Tucker said Friday that one of the
group's most important contributions to the drug war was the structure
provided to other organizations trying to get a handle on the drug
crisis.

"One of the most important things at the beginning (of the drug
problem) was recognizing that we had a problem," Tucker said. "Rutland
wasn't afraid to say it. This committee was one of the earliest
expressions of that."

Tucker, and eight other members of the committee who met at the city
police station Friday, agreed that the group has acted as a lightning
rod for those seeking help for their programs and those interested in
offering aid.

"People have recognized that things are happening down here," Tucker
said. "The Legislature makes contact with the committee when they're
interested in something drug related."

"Everyone is doing things today they weren't doing two years ago, and
this committee is the reason for it," he added.

Patricia Lancaster, a defense lawyer with the Rutland public
defenders' office, said the group has been an excellent source for
names and services that would be hard to locate otherwise.

"It's just an amazing device," she said.

But there's still plenty of work to do, committee members
said.

"This group started out of a sense of crisis because there was nothing
in place at the time," Tucker said. "Now, we need to decide where to
go and what gaps need to be filled."

One of those gaps, according to Patricia McCarthy, an alcohol and drug
counselor, is the lack of resident participation in the group.

"We need more everyday people here," she said. "When we first started,
there were a lot of regular people coming in, but now I don't see
enough community members here."

Lancaster said there were also some organizations that weren't on
board, either.

Peter Neary, a deputy state's attorney in Rutland County, said the
committee also hasn't been able to bring a halfway house for
recovering addicts to Rutland. A hotline for people seeking help or
information is also still on the to-do list, he said.

City Police Detective Kevin Stevens said there was still some work to
be done to eliminate duplication of services among the many agencies
involved in the prevention, enforcement and treatment of drug addiction.

He also said there were too many agencies not paying attention to the
big picture.

"We've got to get providers together to better serve the people of
Rutland rather than watching out for their own corners," he said.

The Rutland Heroin Committee meets on the second and fourth Friday of
every month at 11 a.m. at the city police station.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin