New Withdrawal Management Clinic in Harrington to Open Nov. 9; First of Many Steps by Department of Health and Social Services to Increase Addiction Treatment and Recovery Services Statewide

HARRINGTON – In the first of many steps to add addiction treatment capacity statewide, a new withdrawal management clinic in Harrington, which is operated for the Department of Health and Social Services by Connections Community Support Programs, Inc., will see its first clients starting Monday, Nov. 9.

Connections’ new clinic will join DHSS’ other withdrawal management clinic, NET Kirkwood Detoxification Center, located in New Castle County. Both clinics will match withdrawal services to an individual’s needs rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Both programs will have 16 beds for clinically managed and medically monitored detoxification; 12 23-hour slots to allow for stabilization and observation of an individual who might not need a medically or clinically monitored withdrawal program; and ambulatory withdrawal management services, which can serve 30 to 100 individuals for 30 days in an intensive outpatient setting. The cost of these additional services is estimated to be $1.7 million in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget.

Gov. Jack Markell, who spoke at the Connections construction site in August, said the new clinic’s opening affirms the state’s commitment to build treatment capacity. “The addiction epidemic in our state is creating a tremendous demand for treatment services,” he said. “With the epidemic growing rapidly, too many people ready for treatment have been turned away because the public system has lacked capacity. This opening marks a vital step in increasing the state’s ability to treat people in need.”

Michael Barbieri, director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), which oversees public treatment and recovery services, said the Connections clinic is important to families impacted by addiction. “For the people of Kent and Sussex counties, the new withdrawal management clinic will bring critical services to the community,” he said. “Thanks to the $4.45 million in new funding approved by the General Assembly and the Governor, we expect additional treatment and recovery services to be in place statewide in the coming months.”

In 2014, there were 185 suspected overdose deaths in the state, or about one every other day, with Delaware ranked 10th nationwide for overdose deaths. Through July 2015, the Medical Examiner’s Office reported 110 suspected overdose deaths. In 2014, almost 10,000 Delaware adults sought public treatment, with about one-third indicating heroin as their primary drug at the time of admission.

“We’re happy to be able to provide this facility for residents of Kent and Sussex counties who need it,” Connections President and CEO Cathy McKay said. “People suffering from addiction to alcohol or other drugs deserve a professionally run medical treatment facility at which they can begin their journeys into recovery.”

Connections’ new facility is located at 9 East St. in the Spartan Center Shopping Center in Harrington. To access services at the center when it opens on Monday, call 302-786-7800. Connections provides medication-assisted treatment for people suffering from opioid dependence at its facilities in Millsboro, Dover, Smyrna and Newark.

Barbieri said the next services expected to open in mid-December are residential treatment services, with 47 beds to be moved from a deteriorating building in Delaware City to a remodeled building at the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill in Smyrna. DSAMH also expects to add these treatment and recovery services in the next few months:
• Expand the capacity of residential treatment programs throughout the state. This will be done by reconfiguring the existing program at Delaware City, transferring it to the Prickett Building at the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill, and opening three 16-bed units across the state. Two of those 16-bed units will be in Kent County and will open by the end of this year or early next year, Barbieri said. The third 16-bed unit will open in April 2016 in New Castle County. When the changes are completed, the number of residential treatment beds is expected to increase from 78 to 95. (Total in new state spending will be $800,000.)
• Double the number of residential treatment beds for young people age 18 to 25 who are beginning their recoveries from addiction to heroin or other opiates from 16 to 32. Barbieri said a new residential treatment facility in Ellendale is expected to open in January, and will join a current facility in New Castle County, both of which will be operated by Gaudenzia. (Total in new state spending will be $1.15 million.)
• Double the number of sober living residential beds statewide from 60 to 120, allowing more individuals who are in the early stages of recovery to live in housing that is safe and free from alcohol and drugs, and that includes a treatment component. Many of these residential beds are expected to come online in early 2016, Barbieri said. (Total in new state spending will be $935,000.)
• Start-up costs for residential treatment programs. (One-time total in new state spending will be $815,000.)
To learn more about treatment, recovery and prevention services and supports in Delaware, go to DHSS’ one-stop website: www.HelpIsHereDE.com

For more information, contact Jill Fredel, Director of Communications, (302) 255-9047 (office) or (302) 357-7498 (cell); or Adam Taylor, Public Information Officer for Connections, (302) 304-2626

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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.

Large Donation of Naloxone Auto-Injector Units Will Expand Access to Overdose-Reversing Antidote for High School Nurses, Police Officers and Addiction Treatment Centers

NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

NEW CASTLE – As a new school year starts, nurses in Delaware’s public high schools will have access to the overdose-reversing drug naloxone through a donation to the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) from a company that manufactures naloxone auto-injector units.

After receiving the donation of 2,000 naloxone units, DHSS is distributing the auto-injector kits called Evzio to the Department of Education, addiction treatment centers and participating police departments. The donation was made by kaléo, the Richmond, Va., company that manufactures Evzio. DHSS and AtTAcK addiction, a grassroots advocacy group in Delaware, helped to facilitate the donation in the wake of a growing number of overdose deaths.

In 2014, a total of 185 people died from suspected overdoses in Delaware, or about one person every other day. Many of those overdoses were the result of heroin or prescription painkillers, which can be reversed by administering naloxone. From January through July of this year, there have been 78 suspected overdose deaths.

“We know the availability of naloxone in emergency rooms, ambulances and police cars leads to hundreds of lives being saved and we are grateful to kaléo for their generous donation,” Gov. Jack Markell. “With this donation, we will be able to reverse more overdoses and work with individuals to get them the treatment they need in order to live full, healthy lives.”

“We are pleased to be making this donation as a part of our commitment to widen access to naloxone,” said Spencer Williamson, CEO of kaléo. “Even people who take their opioid pain medications as prescribed can be at risk for an opioid emergency, such as an overdose. On average, 44 people die each day from prescription opioid overdose alone, and more than 80 percent of those are unintentional. We are honored to support the State of Delaware’s efforts to equip citizens with naloxone and help save the lives of those who are experiencing an opioid emergency.”

In 2014, Gov. Markell signed two pieces of legislation expanding the use of naloxone. One allows for wider use in the community, and the other allows for voluntary use among law enforcement departments. About 300 community members have been trained to use naloxone. And three police departments – New Castle County, Middletown and Ocean View – all have saved people who overdosed because officers are carrying the antidote. In April, a Senate resolution allowing for the expanded use of naloxone among school nurses passed both houses of the General Assembly. The resolution, sponsored by Sen. Bethany Hall-Long, provides for the expanded use beginning this fall.

Dr. Linda C. Wolfe, director of School Support Services in the Department of Education, said providing naloxone to school nurses in Delaware’s high schools is a proactive approach. “I am unaware of any deaths occurring in a school due to overdose – anywhere in the nation,” Wolfe said. “However, given the rate of overdose and death in Delaware, we are supporting Public Health’s proactive outreach to community partners who work with vulnerable populations.” Naloxone is considered a safe medication and will not cause further harm to an individual who receives it.

In June, the National Association of School Nurses adopted a position paper supporting the use of naloxone in schools, citing the 2013 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study in which almost one in four American teens (23 percent) reported abusing or misusing a prescription drug at least once in their lifetimes, and one in six (16 percent) reported doing so within the past year.

AtTAcK addiction, which helped to facilitate the donation, said the focus needs to be on saving lives.

“AtTAcK addiction is extremely grateful to kaléo, Inc., and DHSS for working together to receive a substantial donation of this life-saving medication,” said David Humes, a founding member of atTAcK addiction. “Our hope is that the availability of Evzio and its ease of administering will break down perceived obstacles to departments of peace officers carrying the medication. As a state, we need to continue to put the focus on saving lives and ending the epidemic of substance use disorder.”

In addition to expanded use among police officers, community members and school nurses, Delaware paramedics also administer naloxone in overdose situations. In 2014, they administered it 1,244 times, reviving 668 people, according to the Division of Public Health. The antidote also is used in emergency rooms.

DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf, who has been trained to use naloxone and carries a kit, thanked kaléo for the donation.

“In any public health epidemic, our first goal is to save as many lives as possible,” Secretary Landgraf said. “We are extremely grateful to kaléo for this generous donation that will allow us to extend the reach of this life-saving medication.”

The Evzio donation is a short-term boost to naloxone supplies across the state because the units have an expiration date of February 2016. By then, Secretary Landgraf said, she hopes other options to expand the availability of naloxone will be successful.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Photos of the Evzio unit are available for download at DHSS’ flickr account:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/deldhss/albums/72157657715501406

For more information, contact Jill Fredel, Director of Communications, (302) 255-9047 (office) or (302) 357-7498 (cell).

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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.

Wilmington – In his weekly message, Governor Markell discusses how state and federal funding will support ongoing efforts to address the addiction epidemic in Delaware.

“Earlier this month, I announced priorities for $4 million in new state resources to fight the addiction epidemic,” said Governor Markell. “This past week, I joined Director Michael Botticelli of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for another announcement. Both announcements will provide support to Delawareans and their families impacted by addiction. We must convince people in the throes of this disease that treatment is available, that it works, and that they can recover – and that will keep Delaware moving forward.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: youtu.be/wV_rTR7Zp7w
Delaware.Gov: governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
By email: Please contact our press team to subscribe to our press list
Facebook: www.facebook.com/governormarkell
Twitter: www.twitter.com/governormarkell

Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Increasing Funding Support to Address Addiction Epidemic

Details $4.45M in Spending Priorities for FY16

Harrington, DE – Responding to the need for increased addiction treatment and recovery services statewide in the face of an epidemic that claims a life from overdose every other day, Governor Markell joined Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf and other leaders today to detail the state’s priorities for the $4.45 million in new resources provided by the Fiscal Year 2016 budget.

Speaking at the construction site for a new withdrawal management clinic in Harrington, Governor Markell said that facility exemplifies the state’s commitment to serve the thousands of Delawareans and their families affected by the state’s addiction epidemic. In 2014, there were 185 suspected overdose deaths in Delaware, or about one every other day. Across the country, Delaware ranked 10^th for overdose deaths. Almost 10,000 Delaware adults sought public treatment in 2014, with about one-third of those adults indicating heroin as their primary drug at the time of admission.

“The addiction epidemic is straining our public system beyond its capacity, with many people turned away for services when they are ready for treatment, or being forced to wait for services or supports to open up for them,” said Governor Markell, who proposed additional resources to treat substance use disorders in his State of the State address and FY2016 budget proposal. “I am grateful these new resources to increase treatment capacity remained in the budget, and I applaud members of General Assembly for holding steadfast to a commitment to increase treatment and recovery services, especially in a challenging fiscal environment.”

The withdrawal management clinic, operated for the Department of Health and Social Services by Connections Community Support Programs, Inc., is expected to open within a month to serve people in need, especially those in Kent and Sussex counties. The state’s other withdrawal management clinic is in New Castle County. With $750,000 in funding, both clinics will match withdrawal services to the individual’s needs, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Both programs will have:

• 16 beds for clinically managed and medically monitored detoxification;
• 12 23-hour slots to allow for stabilization and observation of an individual who might not need a medically or clinically monitored withdrawal program; and
• Ambulatory withdrawal management services, which can serve 30 to 100 individuals for 30 days in an intensive outpatient setting.

Secretary Landgraf detailed the state’s efforts to fight addiction on three fronts: prevention and education; treatment and recovery; and criminal justice. She cited the training and increased use of the overdose-reversing medication naloxone among members of the community and law enforcement, the use of the Good Samaritan/911 Law to allow people to call in overdoses without risking arrest for minor drug offenses, and an ongoing underage and binge drinking prevention campaign.

“We know all too well that addiction is indeed a disease of epidemic proportion, one that does not discriminate and that takes a toll every day on Delaware families,” Secretary Landgraf said. “With the help of these new state resources, we will continue to embrace communities of recovery such as the one being built in Harrington.”

Department of Correction Commissioner Robert Coupe noted additional state spending in community treatment services will have a positive impact on the criminal justice system.

“For far too many individuals across our state, their addiction is a primary driver of destructive behavior that puts them into contact with the criminal justice system,” Commissioner Coupe said. “Increasing the number of treatment facilities in the community will ensure those who return to the community from a period of supervision by our department will have an opportunity to continue to participate in the addiction-related treatment they need to stay clean and sober, break their cycle of criminal behavior, and support their successful reentry to society.”

Mike Barbieri, the new director of DHSS’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), detailed the priorities for the remainder of the $4.45 million in new funding. It would allow DSAMH to:

• Expand the capacity of residential treatment programs throughout the state by opening new programs statewide. This will be done by reconfiguring the existing program at Delaware City and opening three 16-bed units across the state. When the changes are completed, the number of residential treatment beds is expected to increase from 78 to 95. ($800,000)
• Double the number of sober living residential beds statewide from 60 to 120, allowing more individuals who are in the early stages of recovery to live in safe and secure housing that is free from drugs and alcohol. ($935,000)
• Double the number of residential treatment beds across the state from 16 to 32 for young people age 18 to 25 who are beginning their recoveries from addiction to heroin or other opiates. ($1.15 million)
• Fund start-up costs for residential treatment programs. ($815,000 in one-time funds)

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NEW CASTLE (April 23, 2015) – As part of its coordinated strategy to reduce the impact of addiction, the Department of Health and Social Services on Thursday kicked off a statewide campaign for prevention of underage and binge drinking with events at high schools in each of Delaware’s three counties.

The new campaign is an extension of DHSS’ existing “Underage? Understand. Don’t Drink!” campaign. It features separate messaging for underage drinking prevention aimed at young people age 12 to 20, the adults who influence them, and binge drinking prevention for young people up to age 25.

“One of the most important messages we can share with young people is about the dangers associated with underage and binge drinking,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “We must convince young people that underage and binge drinking can do serious physical or emotional harm to them or to others.”

The campaign, in English and Spanish, will include billboard, bus, print, TV, radio, online, movie theater and social media marketing, plus messages in schools and stores. The campaign is divided into three distinct messages:

• The theme of the underage drinking prevention campaign is “Drinking Hurts Thinking,” with a unique website address – DrinkingHurtsThinking.com – that links to HelpIsHereDE.com, DHSS’ site for information and resources on addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. On DrinkingHurtsThinking.com, young people will find information about the physical, emotional and legal problems they could face if they drink alcohol before age 21.
• In the campaign aimed at adults who influence young people, parents and other adults are encouraged to talk with their kids about underage drinking, to “Open up – before they do.” The website for that part of the campaign is www.HelpIsHereDE.com/underage and includes warning signs and resources for parents who are concerned that their underage children might be drinking.
• In the campaign to prevent binge drinking, young people will learn what constitutes binge drinking, be warned about its dangers, and be able to assess their risks in an online quiz at a unique website address – AmIABingeDrinker.com. That address also links to the HelpIsHereDE website. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in two hours (for men) and four or more in two hours (for women) in one sitting.

“This aggressive campaign is critical to our overall strategy of reducing the toll that the addiction epidemic is taking in our state,” DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf said. “Our young people need to know that using and abusing alcohol can be harmful to their immediate health and can be the first step down a path that eventually leads to addiction. Education and prevention are important to helping them understand those risks.”

The Center for Drug & Alcohol Studies at the University of Delaware found that 31 percent of 11th-graders in Delaware reported using alcohol at least once in the past month in 2014, with 57 percent saying they had used it in the past year and 65 percent saying they had used it in their lifetimes. Among eighth-graders, 13 percent reported at least monthly use of alcohol, with 26 percent saying they had used it within the past year and 34 percent in their lifetimes.

In a 2014 study of binge drinking by the UD Center for Drug & Alcohol Studies, 61 percent of UD students surveyed said they had drunk five or more drinks in a single sitting in the past month. Males (65 percent) were more likely to engage in binge drinking than were females (58 percent).

For 2007-2011, 18 percent of all unintentional deaths in Delaware among young people age 15-24 were alcohol-related.

DHSS launched the prevention campaign with events at three schools: Concord High School near Wilmington; Smyrna High School; and Sussex Central High School near Georgetown. Speakers included Gov. Markell, First Lady Carla Markell, DHSS Secretary Landgraf, Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay, Robert Kracyla, deputy director of the Delaware Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement, and Clint Ferrazo, a young person in recovery from Caravel Academy. At the events, students were quizzed about underage drinking, tried on Fatal Vision goggles that simulate the vision of someone who is impaired from drinking, and were able to ask questions of the speakers. At Smyrna High School, students walked through an inflatable brain to see the parts of the brain damaged by drinking.

The campaign is funded by money left from a previous Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The funds must be used to target underage and binge drinking in young people age 12-25.

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 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.

For more information, contact Jill Fredel, Director of Communications, (302) 255-9047 (office) or (302) 357-7498 (cell).