Pubdate: Sat, 28 Jul 2012
Source: Telegraph-Forum (OH)
Copyright: 2012 Telegraph-Forum
Contact:  http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2626
Author: Mike Corwin

COMMUNITY IS FIGHTING DRUG PROBLEM

It was shared with me that the keynote speaker at a recent county
gathering made the comment that there are a lot of groups fighting the
drug problems in our county, but that nothing is being
accomplished.

I do not know what context this statement was made in and am not
writing to argue with this speaker, but I am writing to let the people
of this county know that this cannot be a blanket statement as there
are groups that are actively fighting drug abuse in our county. These
groups have taken note that our county has a huge problem with drug
addiction, especially heroin and other opiates, and are trying various
things to combat the problem.

The first groups working toward solving the problem are the law
enforcement agencies in the county, which are continually building
cases and arresting those who are selling and using drugs. Their case
loads are full of other crimes such as theft, which occurs so the
addict can buy their illicit substances.

The fight is continued by the courts, prosecutors, and probation
departments who have all had their hands tied by the various laws
passed by the state which has taken away some of their power in
deterring offenders. They are all looking at new and innovative ways
to help those with addiction problems in the hopes of returning them
to a useful life as a citizen of the county instead of being a burden
to the system.

I know that the ADAMHS board has started programs such as the Opiate
Task Force to delve in to the problem and has taken steps such as a
prescription drug drop-off program to take unused medications out of
the reach of abusers. The Crawford County 20/20 program, through the
Public Safety task force also is working diligently towards the
eradication of this scourge by trying to facilitate new "out of the
box" efforts.

Another group I know is active and making progress in the fight is
"Together We Hurt, Together We Heal." This group is a non-profit
corporation recognized by the state and is a registered 501c3 entity.
They have been in the fight for about five years now and have taken
positive steps to end this plague in our county.

I believe they were the group that brought the problem to the public
eye and made everyone aware of its scope in our county. This was done
through various public forums and gatherings where speakers revealed
the statistics and how we ranked in the state concerning this issue.

At the same time we have been continually working in the areas of
education, intervention and support for those who are affected by the
illicit use of drugs. We have developed resources where people can be
referred for treatment, hold monthly meetings to support those who are
affected by a family members use, work with the courts trying to help
those who want it, and have partnered with the Alpha 12-step recovery
program so we have a local option for people.

For more than a year now, we have been diligently working toward the
establishment of a transitional facility -- a place where people who
have been through rehabilitation can come for support and mentoring as
they are given the tools to remain sober and get their lives back on
track.

We have looked at four different locations for this purpose. The
first, which was announced last September, was removed from
possibility due to political turmoil outside of our control. The
second was talked about but never officially offered. The third was
stopped by people inside the offering organization who did not want
their building used for this purpose and the fourth was stopped by
neighborhood and zoning resistance.

Yet we continue to work on making this happen in some form. We are
working on handbooks and business plans for its operation as we
continue to look for space to house it. We continue to dream about the
programs it can offer people who need them and helping fill the job
openings which are going empty due to lack of qualified (drug free)
applicants. All the funds which have been entrusted to us for this
purpose are in a local bank and have not been used for anything else.
They will be used for what people generously gave them to us for.

So, what can you do? Perhaps you have a property that would be
suitable for our facility, like a farm house that's no longer being
used as a residence, which could house people. I have a dream that we
could actually have a storefront in the downtown area where people
could come for mentoring, training, information and support. You may
be the one who has such a space we could utilize. Maybe you have an
idea that we haven't thought of yet and we need to hear it.

We will be having another banquet to raise funds for our projects on
Sept. 11 at the new Colonel Crawford school building. The speaker for
the banquet will be Orman Hall, the director of the Ohio Department of
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. If you are invited, please come
and help us financially. If you aren't invited and would like to be
please let us know.

We will be having the second annual Community Care March on Nov. 3 in
Galion (times and other information will be announced later) and we
invite everyone to come together to send a message that you support
the efforts to stop addiction and to reach out to those who want help.

We are working and will continue to do so but to win this war we will
need the entire county to be in the fight. I hope you will catch the
vision and share in our decision that "Doing nothing is not an option."

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Mike Corwin is president of Together We Hurt, Together We Heal, and
can be contacted at P.O. Box 772, Bucyrus, OH 44820; 419-562-5061.
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MAP posted-by: Matt