Pilot Programs Comes to Smithtown – Innovative Out-Patient Medicated Supported Treatment
Far too many parents on Long Island have been met with terrible fates; the Island’s opiate/heroin epidemic is real and has been one of the greatest health crisis’s this region has seen. It has taken the life of too many young people with promise, with families who love them. This has been going on for about twelve years or so.
They and those still suffering had/have so many obstacles during that millisecond their loved one ‘wanted to get clean’. Sometimes this was after overdosing or jail; or all the families monies spent on their sick child. Second mortgages are not uncommon to get a child well. Those devastated parents have been told by hospitals that detox from opiates is not deadly. If they get sick enough bring them back and only then they can admit them for detox.
That have been told by Insurance Companies they or their employers paid into that their loved one must fail at out-patient before they get in-patient treatment. What about heroin addiction doesn’t scream failing?
Well it seems what many consider a most flawed model is fading out; the future seems to hold out-patient medical detox with what are known as miracle drugs like Suboxone and Vivitrol. Those drugs take away the very painful detox from opiates. Those suffering said their bones aches, they are vomiting, they are so sick death could be thought of as easier. It’s horrific suffering and they are someone’s child, somebody’s grand-child or sibling. They are not bad, just sick. Some patients may still need in-patient, no doubt but now a new PILTO model is here in Suffolk.
“We are happy with the collaboration of so many organizations and levels of government that we are able to bring this new PILOT program to Smithtown,” said Elaine Economopoulos who runs Horizons of Smithtown.
Mary Silberstein, like Elaine has been in the business of helping people recover from addiction and the two-some have worked extensively over their careers together. They were key members of the original
Suffolk County Heroin and Heroin Task Force somewhere in about 2005 or 06. Deemed by many as the Opiate/Heroin Dream Team and written about in this paper over the last 7 years since it came to fruition, it was comprised of some of some of the best and brightest in the industry of those in recovery and prevention.
They culminated with an extension report after only a few months of meeting. There were a myriad of what experts called smart recommendations to eradicate the epidemic, about forty-six of them – dozens have since been implemented. This particular Task Force was overseen by Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds of Smithtown who headed up LICADD at the time (Long Island Council of Addiction and Drug Dependency). The agency is now headed up by Reynolds protégé Steve Chassman.
Silbertein is with CN Guidance and Counseling Services but has played many roles in the last two decades in the prevention world in Nassau and Suffolk. She also runs Communities of Solutions (for the 2nd time) where dozens of stakeholders from the Movement come together. They include treatment providers, community coalitions, clergy, local and state representatives and often law enforcement including, the Suffolk County Police Department and Sherriff Vinny DeMarco’s office.
“We are now offering Medicated Supported Treatment, the beauty of it, is that it’s such a seamless process,” said Silberstein. Silberstein says the client makes the call to Horizons of Smithtown (info below), they come in, get an evaluation and are seen by a doctor. Said doctor gets the addicted on the proper medicine immediately and then as the sick client begins to get physically better, unbeknownst to them, many are busy behind the scenes. Horizons of Smithtown gets in touch with the out-patient in the geographic area of the patient say like a Catholic Charities or The Kenneth Peters Center for Recovery. A representative from said agency comes after two weeks to meet with the patient upon their discharge from Smithtown of Horizons and then they begin out-patient in their own community immediately. There are no gaps in service.
This was no small effort say both Elaine and Silberstein. OASAS, Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services is essentially the Mother Ship at the state level for accrediting establishments for prevention and treatment services. However, not all organizations throughout the state have to be OASAS approved. There are many excellent ones, smaller ones with their own philosophies or modalities that have been quite successful. They also don’t have to follow the stringent protocol to be OASAS certified.
The Pilot came to fruition when OASAS came together with Suffolk County after Silberstein testified about the need for this new model that also provides other ancillary services as treatment for alcoholism. The Legislature had many questions. They are well aware of the crisis we face on this Island.
The Suffolk County Department of Mental Hygiene was also instrumental in this unique partnership. The funding was provided for the PILOT by the Suffolk County Legislature but since the program began November 1st, they reinstated it for the 2016 county budget.
“We are very excited about this and then handing off the patients to other agency’s without a gap,” said Elaine.
Horizons of Smithtown also offers another unique program called Par-Other. It’s designed for the family of the addicted, if they are not ready but the family wants to step up and get information and take the lead in helping the addicted. It is also considered Innovative. Last but not least, the Town of Smithtown, with Horizons of Smithtown being part of it, had to give the nod. This was a state, county, and private sector unison with non-profits and the Town of Smithtown involved.
For Information about Horizons, Par-Other or Medically Support Treatment Pilot Program, call: (631) 360-7578
You will not be turned away, mentioned the Medicated Out-Patient Support Program.
Horizons is located at 161 E. Main St.in Smithtown, NY