Whether it’s Summit Shock or a 15-bed “sober” house in some place like Middleburgh or Sharon Springs, Schoharie County needs to start planning now—if not sooner—on the most effective way to spend nearly $500,000 in expected Opioid Settlement monies.
That was the consensus Monday, when the Citizens Collaborative Committee hosted Sarah Nies, director of Community Services and Mental Health.
Formed to review and revise the Sheriff’s Office’s policing policy, the CCC has shifted much of its focus to dealing with the opioid crisis—and recovery.
Monday, Undersheriff Bruce Baker shared the story of a local friend whose grandson overdosed just before Thanksgiving, four days out of recovery.
“What if we had something more sustainable to come home to?” he asked.
“These are people who are wanting to stay clean, but they aren’t sure what’s available. On a holiday weekend, what’s easier? Calling for help or texting your dealer?”
The group talked about the possibility of creating something like Prospect House in Schoharie, which provides housing and wrap-around services for those dealing with mental health issues.
“Treatment is tough,” Ms. Nies said. “It takes a lot of effort and there are so many factors that play a role.”
Providing essential services in one place is one way to help those in recovery succeed—and creating something like Prospect House is one model and something Community Services has long wanted to do.
“The difficulty is in finding the right kind of provider for something that’s sustainable,” Ms. Nies said.
“I don’t think that it’s impractical to think that could happen here,” said Undersheriff Baker, pointing out that nearby Delaware County is already doing it.
“We often dwell on the challenges,” added Sheriff Ron Stevens.
“It prevents us from getting anywhere. We have to give this our best shot.”
Lois Goblet, CCC chair, and Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Chris Tague, argued they already have the place: Summit Shock.
“We’ve been to Summit multiple times,” she said. “At some point, we need to make a decision.
“If you listen to the Governor, there’s supposed to be a stream of [opioid] money coming. If Bassett doesn’t want to do it, then we find other providers. Because this money is going to come and this county isn’t going to be ready.”
Ms. Nies warned that when it comes to the regulatory process, “we need to have our ducks in a row,” no matter which direction the CCC efforts take, but smaller may be better.
“People want to be at home,” she said. “They don’t want to be somewhere where they have to live. It’s a continuum of care.
“It has to be fiscally sound. It has to be sustainable. We have to be able to show OASAS [Office of Addiction Services and Supports] that we have a provider who can run this and run it well. We won’t get a second chance.”
Ms. Nies agreed to reach out to her contacts at OASAS to see what the CCC would need to do next to get something like a Prospect House for recovery going.
“I think there’s enough will here to start pushing to figure this out,” Undersheriff Baker said. “That means we need to get on the treadmill and start moving.”