DOVER – Today, the Division of Public Health (DPH) announced the launch of a life-skills pilot program at eight middle schools across Delaware to teach students the skills they need to prevent addiction, promote positive decision-making and reduce violence.

DPH is partnering with the Department of Education to bring the Botvin LifeSkills® curriculum to the classroom. The Botvin LifeSkills® Training Program (LST) is a comprehensive, evidence-based program, which provides adolescents and young teens with the con¬fidence and skills necessary to successfully handle challenging situations.

“Adolescents tend to try substances due to peer pressure, family problems, or low self-esteem, and can easily become addicted,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “We wanted to provide teachers with the resources and supports this curriculum offers, to integrate life-skills building and substance use prevention in schools while also helping them to achieve their health education requirements.”

“The impact of substance use has far-reaching effects on our students, including hampering their ability to learn and interfering with their ability to function both in school and at home,” said Department of Education Secretary Susan Bunting. “It is critical that we reach students as early as possible and equip them with good decision-making skills, so that they stay on a path that will lead them to achieve their full potential.”

The pilot program kicked off earlier this week with a train-the-trainer session for 10 teachers who will be using the curriculum. Teachers learned interventions to address the social and psychological factors that lead to experimentation with drugs and other undesirable behaviors. Topics covered included self-image, decision-making, smoking, alcohol, marijuana, advertising, violence and the media, coping with anxiety, coping with anger, communication skills, social skills, assertiveness, and resolving conflicts. The LifeSkills® curriculum must be taught by a certified Botvin trainer.

“Our pre-teens need the confidence, social skills and self-esteem to reject peer pressure and lower their risk for addiction and violence,” said Representative Ruth Briggs King, who welcomed the teachers to the training session held at the University of Delaware Kent County Cooperative Extension office in Dover. “One way to help communities is to initiate prevention, and the school setting is ideal. Research suggests that universal lessons to all children – not only to those at higher risk – strengthen children’s self-esteem, decision-making and communication skills.” DPH paid for the train-the-trainer course and curriculum materials.

DPH selected middle schools in the Capital, Indian River, Red Clay, and Seaford school districts because they are located in areas with high overdose numbers. Through games, discussion, role-playing, and other exercises, students practice refusing drugs, communicating with peers and adults, making choices in problem situations, and confronting peer pressure. Materials range from worksheets and posters, to videos and online content. Schools will decide individually how to best incorporate the 15 class sessions that run 30 to 45 minutes.

“Capital School District is committed to meeting the needs of the whole child. Health education and skill-building so our students can say ‘no’ to heroin, prescription painkillers, and other addictive drugs is critical to this mission,” said Michael Saylor, Supervisor of School Success Planning for Capital School District. “We greatly appreciate this level of partnership and support from the Division of Public Health.”

Training will be implemented in the 2017-2018 school year, beginning with sixth-graders and reaching approximately 2,000 students. Students will complete pre- and post-tests, which Botvin will analyze and summarize for DPH.

Like the nation, Delaware is experiencing an epidemic of addiction to opioids, illegal drugs and alcohol. Overdose deaths in Delaware climbed from 172 in 2012 to 228 in 2015, and then jumped to 308 deaths in 2016. First responders administered the life-saving medication naloxone more than 1,535 in 2016. Parents searching for resources and information regarding how to talk to their children about alcohol and drug use can visit HelpIsHereDE.com.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, children who use alcohol before age 15 are four times more likely to become addicted to alcohol at some time in their lives, compared to those who have their first drink at age 20 or older. Nearly 70 percent of children who try an illicit drug before age 13 develop a substance use disorder within seven years. Substance use disorders among children are associated with deteriorating relationships, poor school performance, loss of employment, diminished mental health, and sickness and death from motor vehicle crashes, poisonings, violence, and accidents.

Schools offering the Botvin LifeSkills® curriculum are:

• Red Clay School District: Brandywine Springs Middle School
• Capital School District: William Henry and Central middle schools
• Seaford School District: Seaford Middle School
• Indian River School District: Selbyville, Millsboro, and Georgetown middle schools and the Delaware School of the Arts

About Botvin LifeSkills® Training
Botvin LifeSkills® Training (LST) is a highly acclaimed, evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program used in schools and communities. LST has been extensively tested and proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, opioid and illicit drug use by as much as 80 percent. Long-term follow-up studies also show that it produces prevention effects that are durable and long-lasting. Visit www.lifeskillstraining.com for more information.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

DOVER – With hundreds of lives being lost to drug overdoses each year in our state, Delaware will hold a Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 28, 2017, to help reduce the risk of prescription medications being diverted for misuse. Delawareans can discard their expired or unused medications at 22 locations statewide between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Health and Social Service (DHSS), the twice-a-year event has resulted in more than 70,000 pounds of medication being collected in 14 events. Properly discarding unused medications reduces the risk of addiction, keeps prescription medications out of the hands of people who may abuse them, helps prevent drug overdoses and protects groundwater.

“With the recent suspected overdose deaths in Kent County, people across the state are wondering what they can do to reduce the impact of addiction,” said DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker. “One concrete thing that everyone can do is to use Drug Take-Back Day as an opportunity to turn in your expired or unused medications. Tragically, in more than 80 percent of the 308 fatal overdoses in Delaware last year, the presence of one or more prescription drugs was detected.” National studies show that almost two-thirds of people who misuse prescription drugs get them from friends and family, including by raiding medicine cabinets, purses and drawers.

As of Oct. 18, 2017, there have been 180 suspected drug overdose deaths in Delaware. In 2016, 308 people died from drug overdoses, compared to 228 in 2015 and 222 in 2014.

In addition to the 22 participating sites in Drug Take-Back Day activities, there are also 21 permanent medicine drop-off locations across the state available year-round. In April, Walgreens became the first private Delaware retailer to install safe medicine disposal boxes. Six of Delaware’s permanent drop-off sites are in Walgreens pharmacies. The remaining 15 are located in local law enforcement agencies.

“Drug Take-Back Day is an important day to drop off medications, but we want people to be aware that they can safely dispose of unused and expired medications all year round,” said Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “The permanent locations are an important tool in our fight against addiction, along with providing access to the drug overdose-reversing medication naloxone and getting those struggling with addiction into treatment.”

Delawareans seeking help for drug addiction, medical providers seeking information on patient education and treatment resources, or individuals searching for information about naloxone training classes and how to use the medicine, can visit www.HelpIsHereDE.com. The website, Delaware’s one-stop-shopping resource for information about education, prevention and treatment options for addiction, also features short testimonial videos from Delawareans in long-term recovery, parents who lost adult children to overdoses, a treatment provider and a police officer.

On Drug Take-Back Day, drugs for disposal must be in a container such as a pill bottle, box, blister pack, or zipped plastic bag, with personal information removed. Liquid medications must be in their original containers. Needles, aerosols, biohazard materials, medical equipment, and batteries will not be accepted.

For more details and a list of permanent collection sites, visit DPH at http://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/hsp/hhdrugtakeback.html or 302-744-4546, ext. 4; and the DEA at https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1.

Delaware’s Drug Take-Back Day sites for Oct. 28, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. are:

New Castle County
Christiana Care Surgical Center, 4755 Ogletown Stanton Road, Newark, DE 19718
Daniel S. Frawley Stadium, 801 Shipyard Drive, Wilmington, DE 19801
Delaware City Police Department, 407 Clinton St., Delaware City, DE 19706
Delaware State Police Troop 2, 100 La Grange Ave., Newark, DE 19702
Middletown Police Department, 130 Hampden Road, Middletown, DE 19709
New Castle County Airport, 151 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720
New Castle County Police Department, 3601 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720
Newark Police Department, 220 South Main St., Newark, DE 19711 (permanent collection site)
Wilmington VA Medical Center, 1601 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington, DE 19805

Kent County
Atlantic Apothecary, 103. S. Dupont Blvd., Suite 2, Smyrna, DE 19977
Camden Police Department, 1783 Friends Way, Camden, DE 19934
Cheswold Police Department, 691 Main St., Cheswold, DE 19936
Delaware State Police Troop 3, 3759 S. State St., Camden, DE 19934
Felton Police Department, 24 East Sewell St., Felton, DE 19943 (permanent collection site)
Milford Police Department, 400 N.E. Front St., Milford, DE 19963 (permanent collection site)

Sussex County
City of Lewes Board of Public Works, 129 Schley Ave., Lewes, DE 19958
Dagsboro Police Department, 33134 Main St., Dagsboro, DE 19939
Delaware State Police Troop 4, 23652 Shortly Road, Georgetown, DE 19947
Delaware State Police Troop 7, 18006 Coastal Highway, Lewes, DE 19958
Laurel Police Department, 205 Mechanic St., Laurel, DE 19956 (permanent collection site)
Milton Police Department, 101 Federal St., Milton, DE 19968
Ocean View Police Department, 201 Central Ave., Ocean View, DE 19970 (permanent collection site)

For further information on addiction recognition, prevention and treatment, visit www.helpisherede.com.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

Public Health asks OB/GYNs to screen pregnant women for substance use disorder

DOVER – Delaware and the nation are struggling with an addiction epidemic, a fact that is well known. Less well known is that the addiction epidemic is impacting pregnant women and their infants in increasing numbers. In 2016, there were 431 reports of substance exposed infants to the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, a sharp increase from the previous year.

The two most common substances found at birth in Delaware are marijuana and opioids, both of which are tied to either short and/or long term negative consequences for the infant. Alcohol exposure, which has the most well-documented long term negative impacts on an infant, is virtually impossible to detect immediately following birth but remains a serious problem throughout the country.

Responding to input from OB/GYN providers, the Division of Public Health (DPH) today announced new guidance and educational materials on the dangers of substance abuse while pregnant, and how to screen pregnant women for potential addiction and connect them with treatment. The materials will be available starting today at www.helpisherede.com/Health-Care-Providers#obgyn-resources.

“Pregnant women often do not realize the extent to which even minimal alcohol and drug use can harm their baby,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, DPH director. “We also know that women struggling with addiction are less likely to access prenatal care and are significantly more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy. We want to work with the medical and treatment communities to increase awareness about the dangers of substance use while pregnant and connect those struggling with addiction to treatment.”

Delaware’s law, the Medical Practice Act, requires certified medical providers to give written, verbal and posted warnings to pregnant women regarding possible problems, complications, and injuries to them and/or to the fetus from consuming or using alcohol or cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and other narcotics during pregnancy (Delaware Code, Title 24, Chapter 17 (Medical Practice Act), Subchapter V, §1769A).

Under House Concurrent Resolution 44 – sponsored by Representative Ruth Briggs King and Senator Ernie Lopez – the General Assembly has designated September 17 – 23 as “Awareness Week for the Prevention, Recognition, and Treatment of Prenatal Substance Exposure in Infants and to Support Healthy Families in Delaware.”

“Little things have a big impact on unborn and newborn infants. We must protect the health and welfare of the most innocent and vulnerable to enable them to have a healthy outcome,” said Rep. Briggs King. “Delaware is faced with many challenges in our war on heroin and opioid addictions. Families and their futures depend on us to be leaders; therefore, it is imperative that we develop and deploy a strategy. When we know better, we do better. The sooner we share, learn, and act, the faster we see positive results.”

Delaware first began to address this issue last year. In 2016, it was one of the states selected for Substance Exposed Infants In-Depth Technical Assistance (SEI IDTA), funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, and provided by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare. The Delaware Child Health Protection Accountability Commission, Department of Health and Social Services, Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families, March of Dimes, Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium (DHMIC), Fetal Alcohol Task Force, Connections, medical providers, and many others have begun work to:

• Survey birth hospitals and obstetricians and gynecologists on their experiences and needs to help them address the addiction epidemic.
• Increase screening of reproductive age women who may be at risk for substance abuse addiction, and increase links to treatment and home visiting services.
• Educate physicians on the signs and symptoms of addiction in pregnant patients, and how to refer patients to treatment.
• Reduce stigma around maternal substance use, and highlight the role of addiction as a chronic disease and the importance of connecting families to support, not punitive measures.
• Develop a system where infants born substance exposed and their families receive the medical treatments and supports they need as part of the federally-required “Plan of Safe Care” process. The revised federal rule requires states to address the health and substance use disorder treatment needs of the infant and family.
• Link to the Delaware Contraception Access Now (Delaware CAN) program to help women get access to effective contraception immediately postpartum.

“The Child Protection Accountability Commission Committee on Substance Exposed Infants Task Force sought the federally funded In-Depth Technical Assistance in response to the addiction epidemic and the impact it is having on our infants and families in Delaware,” said Jennifer Donahue, Esq. and co-chair of the SEI IDTA with Public Health. “We are now in the process of building a system of care that is better equipped to help pregnant women struggling with addiction, and, following the birth, to ensure that mothers and infants have the services, treatment, and supports they need to thrive as a family unit.”

Added Dr. David Paul, DHMIC Chairman and Christiana Care Heath System Chair of Pediatrics, “We have seen a sharp increase in newborns struggling with neonatal abstinence syndrome and have worked hard to standardize our medical care, minimize length of hospital stay and assure safe transition from hospital to home in this population of infants. By engaging multiple stakeholders throughout the state, we are making great strides in improving outcomes and assuring that babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome start their life as safely and healthy as possible.”

“Like many states across the nation, Delaware has experienced a sharp increase in the number of babies who have been born substance exposed,” said Trenee Parker, deputy director of the Division of Family Services in Delaware’s Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. “We are more committed than ever to address the varied needs of this vulnerable population and to continue to work collaboratively with our system partners, advocates, and families to ensure healthy outcomes for Delaware’s children and their families.”

To find the screening materials and more information about substance use disorders, addiction, and where to find treatment, visit the Help is Here website at www.helpisherede.com, or call DHSS’ 24/7 Crisis Services Hotline at 1-800-652-2929 in New Castle County, or 1-800-345-6785 in Kent and Sussex counties. If someone is too drowsy to answer questions, is having difficulty breathing, or appears to be so asleep they cannot be awakened, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Data indicates that the unplanned pregnancy rate of women struggling with addiction is very high – up to 90 percent in one study. Through the Delaware CAN initiative, any woman who wants access to effective contraception can get it for free. To find Delaware CAN participating providers, visit www.upstream.org/delawarecan or call DPH’s Family Planning office at 302-744-4552.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

Session included measures to improve Delaware’s economy, create jobs, reform the Department of Correction, and combat addiction crisis

Highlights of the 2017 legislative session include:

• Restructuring Economic Development: House Bill 226 restructures the way Delaware attracts good-paying jobs to Delaware and keeps them here, with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and small business development.
• Modernizing the Coastal Zone Act: House Bill 190 allows the responsible redevelopment of 14 legacy industrial sites along the Delaware coastline, bolstering Delaware’s economy while paving the way for additional environmental clean-up of those sites.
• Raising Correctional Officer Pay: The Fiscal Year 2018 budget includes a pay increase for Correctional Officers across experience levels – including a 22 percent increase to starting officer pay that will help Delaware recruit and retain officers and eliminate a staffing shortage.
• Combatting Delaware’s Addiction Crisis: Senate Bill 41, House Bill 91, and House Bill 100 will expand access to substance abuse treatment, and strengthen oversight of opioid prescriptions. Senate Bill 111 and House Bill 220 will form a Behavioral Health Consortium and an Addiction Action Committee to create an integrated plan around the prevention and treatment of substance abuse and mental health challenges.
• Creating the Department of Human Resources: House Bill 4 creates a new Department of Human Resources to help confront issues important to state employees. The new agency will promote diversity and inclusion across state government, and help solve a Correctional Officer staffing shortage.
• Protecting Delawareans from Cybersecurity Threats: House Bill 180 requires additional protections for Delawareans whose personal information may be compromised in a computer breach, including requiring additional notifications and free credit monitoring services.

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DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney on Sunday night signed a $4.1 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2018, a plan that balances a nearly $400 million budget shortfall through a nearly equal mix of spending reductions and new revenue, while maintaining funding for key public services.

Governor Carney signed the budget in his Legislative Hall office flanked by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. He also signed a $590 million capital spending plan and a $37.2 million grant-in-aid bill.

“Since January, I have talked to thousands of Delawareans who understand the need for a balanced, long-term budget plan for our state,” said Governor Carney. “The budget I signed tonight makes critical investments in education, healthcare, our environment, and in our correctional system. But going forward, we cannot be complacent. We must do more to put Delaware on a sustainable path forward. With this budget, we are committing to studying real spending reforms, and to improving the way we deliver state services. We also should continue discussing new, creative ways to fund those services through a long-term revenue plan. Thank you to the General Assembly for their work on this budget, and I look forward to continuing our work together.”

 

The budget funds a number of key priorities, including:

• $24.2 million to fully fund new teachers in Delaware’s classrooms to match enrollment growth.
• $16 million to fund pay increases for Correctional Officers.
• $7.8 million to fully fund growth in the Medicaid program for low-income Delawareans, Delawareans with disabilities, and seniors in long-term care.
• $4.7 million to maintain funding for early childhood education.
• $2.3 million to authorize new Correctional Officer positions.
• $1 million to add funding for substance abuse treatment programs.

Savings and other reductions include:

• $11 million reduction to the Educational Sustainment Fund.
• $5 million savings by eliminating 200 vacant positions across state agencies.
• $2 million target savings in employee health costs.
• $1.6 million reduction by modifying double state share for employee health insurance rates.

Revenue increases include:

• $116 million: Corporate franchise tax increases
• $11.6 million: Raise taxes on cigarettes 50 cents per pack, and increase taxes on other tobacco products.
• $5.2 million: Raise taxes on beer, wine and spirits, including by one penny per beer.
• $44.7 million: 1% increase in the realty transfer tax.
• $4.5 million: Across-the-board increases to the filing fees associated with Department of Insurance filings.

 

When Governor Carney signed the budget, he capped a legislative session that included significant action to improve Delaware’s economy, create jobs, reform the Department of Correction, and combat Delaware’s addiction crisis.

“Together with lawmakers of both parties, we have acted to create good-paying jobs, and to make sure our economy works for all Delawareans. We have taken steps to reform our prison system and confront our addiction crisis head on,” said Governor Carney. “We’ve also passed common sense reforms to protect Delawareans from cybersecurity threats, and to close a persistent gender pay gap. Votes taken this session will make a real difference for citizens up and down our great state. Thank you to members of the General Assembly for their hard work and partnership on these important issues.”

 

Additional details:

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL PLAN

Budget Reset Community Conversations: Governor Carney met with thousands of Delawareans from Claymont to Delmar about Delaware’s budget challenges. Hosted by members of the General Assembly, the Governor held ten budget town halls before his budget presentation on March 23, and another ten town halls after presenting his budget plan.

Managing Healthcare Costs: House Joint Resolution 7 authorizes DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker to establish a health care budget benchmark with a growth rate tied to the overall economy of the state. It is the first step in evaluating the total cost of care of health care in the state and a major step in transforming Delaware’s health care system to a more outcome-driven system and away from a system that pays for care based solely on the number of room days, visits, procedures and tests.

DEFAC Panel on Budgeting Practices: House Joint Resolution 8 creates a panel of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council to study and develop a report on Delaware’s historic budgeting practices, the need for reasonable restrictions on the use of budget surpluses, and the benefits of a budget stabilization fund.

Making Government More Efficient: Governor Carney signed Executive Order #4, creating the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review Board (GEAR) and committing to a long-term effort to study cost savings, efficiencies and ways to improve the delivery of services across state government. Governor Carney maintained a commitment to responsible spending in his budget and throughout the year, calling for an equal mix of spending reductions and new revenue to confront Delaware’s budget challenges.

Escheat Reform: Senate Bill 13 comprehensively rewrites Delaware’s unclaimed property laws. In an effort to align Delaware’s laws with other states, the legislation retooled all aspects of unclaimed property examinations, voluntary disclosure agreements (VDAs), and compliance.

 

CREATING JOBS

Restructuring Economic Development: House Bill 226 approved Governor Carney’s plan to fundamentally restructure Delaware’s economic development efforts, with a new focus on supporting Delaware’s entrepreneurs and small businesses, and promoting innovation. Governor Carney’s plan includes creation of a public-private partnership, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, to leverage additional resources to help attract employers to Delaware, keep them here, support innovation and develop Delaware’s workforce. On his first full day in office, Governor Carney signed Executive Order #1 to explore a new economic development strategy. Restructuring the state’s economic development efforts, and partnering strategically with the private sector, was a recommendation of Governor Carney’s Action Plan For Delaware.

Modernizing the Coastal Zone Act: House Bill 190 will allow responsible redevelopment of 14 heavy industrial sites in the Coastal Zone Act. The reform will pave the way for new job creation and additional cleanup of legacy industrial sites along Delaware’s coastline. Governor Carney called for a plan to responsibly modify the Coastal Zone Act during his March address to the General Assembly. Revitalizing abandoned industrial sites was a recommendation of Governor Carney’s Action Plan For Delaware.

Expanding Broadband Access: House Bill 189 will accelerate investments in mobile broadband infrastructure, expanding access to high-speed internet for Delawareans and businesses across the state and encouraging innovation. Expanding broadband access was a recommendation of Governor Carney’s Action Plan For Delaware.

 

REFORMING THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION

Correctional Officer Pay Increases: The Fiscal Year 2018 budget funds the agreement with the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware (COAD) to raise salaries for Delaware’s Correctional Officers – including a 22 percent increase in starting officer pay – to help recruit and retain officers across Delaware’s correctional system.

Adding Correctional Officer Positions: The Fiscal Year 2018 Budget authorizes and funds 50 additional Correctional Officers at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center and 25 additional officers at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution.

Investing in Equipment and Training: The Fiscal Year 2018 Budget invests $2 million in new cameras at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, and $1.3 million in new equipment and training that will help Correctional Officers better prevent and respond to violent incidents.

Special Assistant: Governor Carney appointed Claire DeMatteis – a former senior counsel to then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden – as a temporary Special Assistant to the Governor at the Delaware Department of Correction. DeMatteis will focus her efforts on reform of management practices and training, cultural turnaround, and implementation of Governor Carney’s plan following the Independent Review into the causes of the February 1 incident at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center.

Improving Re-Entry Programs, Reducing Recidivism: Department of Correction Commissioner Perry Phelps hired Jim Elder – the Director of Clinical Services for Re-entry Programming at the Wilmington HOPE Commission – to lead DOC’s efforts to help offenders successfully re-enter their communities, and reduce Delaware’s rate of recidivism. The selection of Elder will place a new emphasis inside the agency on re-entry programming and efforts to reduce recidivism.

 

COMBATTING DELAWARE’S ADDICTION CRISIS

Expanding Treatment, Strengthening Regulation: Senate Bill 41, House Bill 91, and House Bill 100, a bipartisan package of legislation, will expand access to substance abuse treatment, strengthen oversight of opioid prescriptions, and combat Delaware’s addiction crisis. Governor Carney signed the legislation during a ceremony that included remarks from Attorney General Matt Denn, members of the General Assembly, and Delaware advocates for improved access to substance abuse treatment – including families who have lost loved ones to Delaware’s opioid epidemic.

Behavioral Health Consortium: Senate Bill 111 and House Bill 220 will further combat Delaware’s addiction epidemic and improve services for those suffering from mental illness. The legislation will lead to the creation of a Behavioral Health Consortium and an Addiction Action Committee that will form an integrated plan and blueprint for action for the prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental health, substance use and co-occurring disorders in Delaware. The creation of the consortium and coordinated plan was a recommendation of Governor Carney’s Action Plan For Delaware.

 

STANDING UP FOR DELAWAREANS

Creating the Department of Human Resources: House Bill 4 creates a new Department of Human Resources to help confront issues important to state employees. The new agency will promote diversity and inclusion across state government, and help solve a Correctional Officer staffing shortage. Creating a new Human Resources agency was a recommendation of Governor Carney’s Action Plan For Delaware.

Confronting the Gender Pay Gap: House Bill 1 will prevent employers from requesting the salary history of job applicants and will help close the pay gap between men and women. The bipartisan legislation – which takes effect in December – also explicitly prohibits employers from screening applicants based on previous compensation history.

Protecting Delawareans from Cybersecurity Threats: House Bill 180 requires additional protections for Delawareans whose personal information may be compromised in a computer breach, including additional notifications and free credit monitoring services.

Artificial Island: Senate Joint Resolution 2 urges the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to accept either of PJM’s alternative cost allocation methodologies for funding the Artificial Island transmission line project. As currently funded, Delmarva Peninsula ratepayers would fund more than 90 percent of the cost of the project through higher electric bills, while receiving few direct benefits. Under PJM’s alternative methods for cost allocation, Delmarva ratepayers would fund approximately 7-10 percent of the project costs. Governor Carney has consistently worked with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to urge a more fair resolution for Delmarva ratepayers.

Offering Delawareans a Second Chance: Senate Bill 54 allows Delawareans with juvenile records to petition Delaware’s judicial system for expungement, removing barriers to additional education and employment.

Redeveloping Blighted Properties: House Bill 187 and House Bill 188 hold property owners of blighted properties accountable, requiring them to clean up their properties and pay back taxes before bidding on additional properties, and ensuring that taxpayers do not bear costs created by abandonment.

 

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For details on all of the legislation that Governor Carney has signed into law to date, visit the Legislative Advisories page on the Governor’s website.

NEW CASTLE (June 1, 2017) – With six suspected overdose deaths statewide since Monday and multiple overdoses within hours Tuesday in New Castle County, the Department of Health and Social Services is urging Delawareans suffering from addiction to reach out for a connection to treatment.

The suspected overdose deaths – one on Sunday, three on Monday and two on Wednesday – bring the total of suspected overdose deaths this year in Delaware to 94. Last year, 308 people died of overdoses in Delaware, up 35 percent from the 228 total deaths in 2015, according to the Division of Forensic Science. Paramedics and the Delaware State Police also responded to a number of overdoses in New Castle County on Tuesday in less than eight hours.

“This epidemic continues to impact families in every part of our state,” Governor John Carney said. “When people are ready for treatment, we need to have the resources and services ready for them. We cannot afford to turn away anyone.”

Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a family physician, urged people in active use or their families to call DHSS’ 24/7 Mobile Crisis Hotline to be connected to experienced crisis staff who can help them navigate the most appropriate treatment services. In New Castle County, call 1-800-652-2929. In Kent and Sussex counties, call 1-800-345-6785.

“Addiction is taking an incredible toll on individuals suffering from this disease,” Secretary Walker said. “It takes a toll on their families, as well, who are desperate to get their loved ones connected to treatment. As a Department, we have increased treatment services across the state, and will do more in the coming months. I urge individuals in active use to call our Mobile Crisis Hotline in order to take that first step toward recovery.”

In response to the addiction epidemic, the General Assembly has increased funding for the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health in order to add capacity to the public treatment system statewide. The increased funding has been used to:

• Open a second withdrawal management clinic in November 2015 in Harrington, joining one in New Castle County, near Elsmere. Both locations now offer new and expanded withdrawal management services.
• Expand residential treatment beds from one location to four locations in February 2016, with new beds open in Smyrna (men), Dover (one location for men; one for women) and Delaware City (women), increasing total capacity by 22 percent. These beds are available for people who have received withdrawal management services and are in need of residential treatment to further their recoveries. The changes increased the total number of residential treatment beds from 78 to 95, with all beds having a variable length of stay.
• Increase residential treatment beds for young people age 18 to 25, with 16 new beds expected to be online late this summer, bringing the total to 32 beds.
• Provide 16 beds for individuals suffering from significant co-occurring disorders (mental illness and addiction).
• Double the number of recovery house beds statewide, with 120 beds now available to aid individuals in making the transition back to their communities.
• Expand outpatient treatment services statewide to include a full continuum of support.
• Open a second Recovery Response Center in Newark, joining an existing center in Ellendale, to provide medical assessments of individuals in immediate crisis for addiction or mental illness.

Dave Humes, who lost his son, Greg, to an accidental overdose in 2012, is a board member of atTAcK addiction. The grassroots advocacy group has pushed for increased treatment services, ending the stigma associated with the chronic disease, and the expanded use of naloxone, the overdose-reversing prescription medication.

“This week we lost six more Delawareans unnecessarily to overdose,” Humes said. “We need to find new and creative ways in our prevention efforts. We have to extend our outreach to those Delawareans who are still in active use. When my son, Greg, relapsed, his use proved to be fatal. Every time a person uses, they run the risk of ending their life. The purity of the heroin and the fentanyl-laced heroin put lives at risk with each use. This is the public health crisis of the 21st century, 553,000 Americans lost to overdose.”
Humes and five other Delawareans are featured in new short videos on DHSS’ redesigned HelpIsHereDE.com, a site for people seeking information and resources about addiction treatment, recovery or prevention. The improved website:
• Is easier to navigate to find detox, treatment, intervention, and recovery resources. Just click on “Get Help Now” on the home page.
• Can be translated into four languages (Spanish, Haitian Creole, French and Chinese) by clicking on Google translate in the top right corner.
• Is more mobile device-friendly.
• Provides updated screening tools and information for health care providers, including on the new Division of Professional Regulation prescribing regulations.
• Contains new videos integrated throughout the site in which Delawareans share their experiences with addiction, treatment, recovery, prevention and community response. The one- and two-minute testimonials feature individuals in long-term recovery, parents who have lost adult children to overdoses, a treatment provider, and a police officer.
In addition to supporting family members by using the resources on HelpIsHereDE.com, loved ones of those struggling with addiction can get trained on the use of naloxone. For people in the community, naloxone is simple to administer, has proven to save lives and provides an opportunity for recovery to begin. To learn more about community naloxone training classes in Delaware:
http://www.helpisherede.com/Content/Documents/DOSE_Program_Schedule_.pdf

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The Department of Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of life of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.