The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Drug court provides help for local addicts

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

With the influx of cheap Mexican heroin into the area, opiate addiction has been steadily rising in Van Wert County over the past few years, leading to tens of thousands of dollars in street crime, several fatal overdoses and more and more local residents who are now serving time in prison for drug-related offenses.

Drug use artwork 5-2015To combat the opiate problem, local authorities created a “drug court” program six months ago that provides a reasonable opportunity to kick the habit for addicts motivated to do so.

“The idea is to change people’s thinking and to give them time and support to make a life-changing situation,” said current Common Pleas Judge Martin Burchfield, although he added: “We go into this with wide-open eyes; we know there are going to be failures.”

In fact, the judge said that those selected for the program aren’t chosen based on their chances for success.

“In a perfect world, (addicts) would be put on a year-long inpatient treatment program,” Judge Burchfield said, adding that taxpayers would likely balk at the cost of such a program, estimated at $50,000 to $60,000 a year for each addict treated.

With inpatient therapy limited to only a few people, it was decided that a well-thought-out outpatient program could be a viable alternative for local drug addicts.

The county’s intensive outpatient treatment program was developed last year under the supervision of then-Van Wert County Common Pleas Judge Charles D. Steele, with assistance from Westwood Behavioral Health Center, Tri County Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Services Board, the County Adult Probation Department, law enforcement agencies and the County Department of Job and Family Services.

Westwood and Tri County have provided funding for the program, while Ohio Governor John Kasich’s expansion of the state Medicaid program has provided additional funding to pay the cost of the expensive Vivitrol injections, which run approximately $850 for each monthly injection.

“What we’re hoping to see is a return on that investment,” said Mark Spieles, Westwood executive director, of the local drug court program.

Ashley Schaadt was hired as coordinator of the program, and has already earned praise from Judge Burchfield and others involved in the program.

Judge Burchfield added that having even a small number of people get off drugs through the program is worth the efforts being expended in the drug court program.

“If one person comes out of this (addiction), we’re affecting 80 years of that family; we’re affecting them, their parents, their kids and their grandkids,” Judge Burchfield said. “There are a lot of families where grandparents are raising children, aunts and uncles are raising children, because parents are just totally AWOL because they’ve fallen into this stuff.

“We’ve got to address that; it has to be addressed; and that’s what we’re doing,” the judge added.

The problem with quitting opiates is the serious withdrawal symptoms addicts experience in going “cold turkey”, while drugs such as Suboxone (buprenorphine) and Methadone both create new addictions that users must overcome before getting “clean.”

The court’s “A New Day, the Right Way” treatment program uses Vivitrol (Naltrexone) injections — an “antagonist” that blocks users from getting a high from opiate use — in conjunction with an intensive four-phase substance abuse treatment plan, to help opiate addicts, as well as alcoholics, stay off their drug of choice.

The treatment program could also be used down the road to help other drug addicts, Spieles noted.

Because Vivitrol is not an opiate, unlike “maintenance” drugs Suboxone and Methadone, there’s no new addiction to treat, which is an added benefit in getting addicts off heroin and prescription opiates such as Oxycontin and Vicodin.

Also unlike Suboxone and Methadone, where addicts take pills daily, Vivitrol is a monthly injection given by a physician in a medical office. Chief Adult Probation Officer Bruce Showalter said Suboxone and Methadone are often sold on the street and taken by addicts who can’t get heroin or other opiates.

Van Wert DARE Officer Greg Blackmore added, though, that addicts involved in drug court who don’t make needed lifestyle changes, such as getting away from addict friends and others users, still won’t be successful in getting clean.

Spieles said that’s why intensive treatment and support is part of the “A New Day, the Right Way” program. He called drug addiction a “brain disease,” noting that drugs affect the pleasure centers of the brain, which keeps addicts continually wanting drugs, even though other parts of their brain are saying doing drugs is wrong.

Phase I of the program — the most intensive phase — runs for 16 weeks and includes daily drug testing, eight early recovery skills sessions, 12 family and education sessions and 32 relapse prevention sessions under Westwood’s Matrix Model treatment program.

Participants must also attend at least three other support or pro-social activities through Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous or Celebrate Recovery, as well as other approved activities, and will meet weekly with Judge Burchfield to review results.

Infractions are dealt with immediately, with serious slip-ups usually leading to removal from the program.

The other three phases continue intensive treatment and other activities designed to keep participants off drugs, but the number of drug screens decrease as the program moves forward.

While all those involved realize the drug court program isn’t perfect, all are just as adamant that it offers a very real hope for local opiate addicts who want to get off drugs, while Spieles said it’s an important first step in turning the current situation around.

“Right now, we’re seeing more failures than successes when it comes to drug addiction, and we’re just trying to shift those scales so that we come even and start to see more successes than failures,” Spieles said.

Showalter said it’s also an attempt to change the establishment mindset from punishment to treatment, when it comes to the problem of drug addiction.

“We’re trying to change the War on Drugs into the War on Addiction,” he said.

So far, things are working fairly well, with 15 of the 18 people who started the program still participating, with two people who recently reached Phase 2, while three others, who Showalter categorized as “extremely high risk,” have been kicked out of the program.

They weren’t ready, they shot themselves in the foot,” the probation officer said.

That’s been a pleasant surprise to Judge Burchfield and others involved in the program, who thought more people would wash out by now.

“This is still a young program and we’re still learning a lot about it,” Spieles said. “One piece that we’re continuing to work and get stronger is identifying the people are appropriate for the program … and can be successful for the program.”

POSTED: 05/18/15 at 8:43 am. FILED UNDER: News