Prevention Council

Providing Substance Abuse Education, Information and Referral Services

Saratoga County unveils new tool for substance abuse surveillance

Seen in: MSN.com

Tuesdeay, July 7, 2023

Saratoga County unveils new tool for substance abuse surveillance

Story by Melissa Schuman, The Saratogian, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. • Yesterday 9:47 PM

Feb. 7—BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. — At a press conference at the Saratoga County Public Safety Building, county officials unveiled a new data collection tool that will allow near real-time monitoring of opioid addiction and overdose in the ongoing fight against substance abuse.

The tool, a Substance Use Surveillance Dashboard, takes data input from county services and organizations such as police, EMS, and medical facilities. The data is analyzed using an automated system that looks for markers indicating an uptick in opioid use, “hot spots” of opioid overdoses, and trends from preventative programs. The results, presented in near real-time, allow county services to anticipate potential overdose cases, track illicit drug dealers, and identify areas in need of preventative services.

The technology has the potential to save lives by preventing overdose deaths through faster availability of services and resources.

“Here in Saratoga Count we’ve made fighting the scourge of opioids a top priority,” said Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Theodore T. Kusnierz, Jr. at Tuesday morning’s press conference.

“This is a topic that none of us want to stand here and talk about, but it’s becoming more and more important that we be proactive about it,” commented Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barrett, who is also Chair of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Health and Human Services Committee. “We’ve asked families in this county struggling with the ravages of addiction how can we support them.

“The ideas we received from them are what we’re putting into action.”

In addition to the Surveillance Dashboard, resources are being made available to those affected by addiction such as support groups and people Barrett described as navigators, whose job it is to guide people on their journey to healing. The Dashboard can help determine where those resources are needed most at any given time.

Dr. Daniel Kuhles, Saratoga County Department of Health Commissioner, described the Dashboard’s goal as providing “comprehensive, precise, time-sensitive data.” Data accuracy is established with a baseline of information that was entered by hand from county records over the last several years.

Kuhles explained that when Dashboard data indicates a spike or uptick in opioid activity, there are a number of things that can happen in response. The county can hold free distribution popup events to distribute Narcan (naloxone), a medication used to mitigate the effects opioids. EMS stations can change their staffing patterns to make sure there is extra coverage in case an overdose is reported.

Police departments can adjust their patrols to keep an eye on areas with higher opioid activity, watching out for illicit drug traffickers and making sure an officer who is trained in Narcan use is on shift. All of those responses can happen immediately, providing faster and potentially lifesaving support thanks to the near real-time speed of the data output.

“It’s truly going to save lives,” said Capt. Dan Morley of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s going to make our job easier.”

Trends and patterns indicated by the Dashboard can also help with proactive prevention. It can show school districts in affected areas that will benefit from additional resources and support from The Prevention Council. Executive Director Janine Stuchin described how schools are an important place to raise awareness and extend support, including teaching students the importance of The Good Samaritan Law, which states that anyone who tries to assist in good faith in the event of a medical emergency is protected against legal retaliation.

“The Dashboard will help identify resource and treatment gaps, and communities where we can target education,” Saratoga County Mental Health & Addiction Services Commissioner Dr. Michael Prezioso commented.

“This is one way to be proactive and provide more resources to the people on the front lines,” Barrett said. “When we identify issues, we can immediately respond to them because we’ve got real-time data. In working together, we can make a difference for Saratoga County families.”

To view the Substance Use Surveillance Dashboard at work, visit Savealifeto.day. For more information, visit the Saratoga County website at www.saratogacountyny.gov and click on the Department of Health webpage.

Saratoga County Mental Health & Addiction Services Commissioner Dr. Michael Prezioso describes the use of the surveillance tool. (Melissa Schuman — MediaNews Group)Saratoga County Mental Health & Addiction Services Commissioner Dr. Michael Prezioso describes the use of the surveillance tool. (Melissa Schuman — MediaNews Group)Clifton Park town supervisor and Chair of the Saratoga County Health and Human Services Committee Phil Barrett speaks about services available to people affected by overdose. (Melissa Schuman — MediaNews Group)Clifton Park town supervisor and Chair of the Saratoga County Health and Human Services Committee Phil Barrett speaks about services available to people affected by overdose. (Melissa Schuman — MediaNews Group)Saratoga County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Dan Kuhles speaks about the importance of the data collected with the surveillance tool. (Melissa Schuman — MediaNews Group)Saratoga County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Dan Kuhles speaks about the importance of the data collected with the surveillance tool. (Melissa Schuman — MediaNews Group)

(c)2023 The Saratogian, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Local Organizations Partner to Help End Homelessness in Saratoga County

Seen in:The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

Monday, July 25, 2022

Local Organizations Partner to Help End Homelessness in Saratoga County

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – City of Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim today joined with area business and nonprofit leaders associated with the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness to kick off an effort to distribute Saratoga Cares cards to local downtown businesses.

The Saratoga Cares cards are part of an ongoing effort to end homelessness in Saratoga County. The cards help to inform people as to the best way they can help those in need of food, clothing, housing, and other services in our community by connecting them with the agencies listed on the card. Individuals are encouraged to join the Saratoga Cares movement by distributing the cards to those who ask for assistance.

The cards will be distributed to local businesses by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Discover Saratoga, the Downtown Business Association, the City Center, AIM Services, and the Mayor’s office.

“We’re proud to partner with the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness and the Mayor’s office on this impactful project,” said Todd Shimkus, president, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. “We believe the best way to help end homelessness in our community is by connecting individuals with the organizations listed on the Saratoga Cares cards that can provide them with the services and items they need.”

The team kicked off distribution Monday morning downtown at City Hall with Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim.

“I’d like to thank the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness on its continuous efforts to end homelessness in Saratoga County,” said Mayor Kim. “The Saratoga Cares cards will be a valuable resource to provide individuals with the tools and services they need. This is a great example of organizations across the public, private, and impact sector coming together to support a common goal. A big thank you to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and AIM Services for their efforts to support this project by designing and printing the cards.”

The Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness is an inclusive collaborative effort committed to ending homelessness in Saratoga County by increasing the level and coordination of housing and support services so that the cycle of homelessness is not perpetuated. The Alliance is currently made up of the following participating agencies: AIM Services; CAPTAIN Community Human Services; CARES of NY, Inc.; Catholic Charities; C.R.E.A.T.E. Community Studios; LifeWorks Community Action; Mechanicville Area Community Service Center; Mercy House of Saratoga; The Prevention Council; RISE Housing and Support Services; The Salvation Army Saratoga; Saratoga Community Health Center; The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce; Saratoga County Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services; Saratoga Springs Office of Planning & Economic Development; Shelters of Saratoga; Southern Adirondack Independent Living; Veterans & Community Housing Coalition, Inc.; and Wellspring.

Lindsey Connors, Associate Executive Director of RISE and Outreach Committee Chair for the Alliance explains, “For some, being approached on the street for assistance can be a difficult situation to navigate. The Saratoga Cares cards make it easy for City residents and visitors to provide those in need with the locations and times they can access various, essential resources from our local service agencies. We are here to help and look forward to the increased awareness the Saratoga Cares cards will bring to our continuum of services.”

“We encourage all downtown Saratoga Springs businesses to consider keeping Saratoga Cares cards on hand for patrons and employees to share with those who might be in need of assistance,” said Shimkus. “We can each do our part to help end homelessness in Saratoga County.”

About the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce: Since 1918, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has been opening doors and closing deals for businesses throughout the Saratoga County community. Guided by a strong and sustainable vision, the Chamber leads the way in maintaining and strengthening a healthy business climate, initiating constructive community action, and creating a community where all can thrive.

About the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness: The Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness (a subset of the Saratoga-North Country Continuum of Care) is an inclusive collaborative effort committed to ending homelessness in Saratoga County by increasing the level and coordination of housing and support services so that the cycle of homelessness is not perpetuated. The Alliance encourages participation by state, county and local government, community leaders, non-profit organizations, housing developers, service providers, and persons with a lived experience of homelessness. www.endhomelessnesssaratoga.org

 

Ballston Spa police, Saratoga County sheriff officials call for action against drug overdoses

Seen in:The Daily Gazette

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Ballston Spa police, Saratoga County sheriff officials call for action against drug overdoses

BALLSTON SPA – An uptick in narcotics overdoses in the area has prompted local law enforcement to take action by teaming with an addiction recovery center to train individuals on how to properly administer naloxone, the medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

Lillian McCarthy, director of the Healing Springs Recovery Community and Outreach Center, will lead a seminar planned for 7 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Christ Episcopal Church, 15 W. High Street, Ballston Spa. Ballston Spa Police Chief David Bush and Captain Daniel Morley of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department invited McCarthy to present.

“It’s a huge, huge service, to be able to come out and just take a free Narcan training. Because the reality is you might not know anybody that’s using an opiate. But I’d rather see people have the Narcan and never use it, then need it and not have it, McCarthy said. “I just want to make sure that anybody and everybody that’s affiliated with Ballston Spa or the surrounding areas, or anyone that is interested in learning a little bit more about addiction, and what is happening to please come out to educate yourself.”

Grant funding allows for the free naloxone and training.

“From what I understand, the number of overdoses has increased in Ballston Spa and in the surrounding areas,” said McCarthy, whose center is flooded with requests to help about 1,000 people a month, both in person and over the phone. Local data on the spike in overdoses was not immediately available.

“So this is just a way that they are trying to be a little bit more proactive, to be able to assist the community and share some information with them and find out from the community what else we might be able to do to assist as well,” she said.

“You’ve got to be alive if we’re going to help you get into recovery,” McCarthy said.

The center director attributed the local spike in overdoses to the availability of fentanyl and cocaine. Some addicts’ bodies cannot handle the combination, and they overdose, she said.

The nationwide and statewide problem is not unique to the Ballston Spa area, she said.

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, the opioid epidemic is a public health emergency, with an average of 136 deaths per day and climbing.

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, chairman of the American Medical Association’s Board of Trustees wrote an article last week that – in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic – the country cannot ignore that illicit fentanyl is fueling the nation’s drug overdose epidemic and is primarily responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 people last year alone.

Mukkamala, who also chairs the AMA’s Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, cited the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seizing nearly 10 million fake pills last year, many laced with counterfeit fentanyl.

The doctor called for action with evidence-based public health interventions to limit the risks and harms of overdose.

Local statistics on the spike in overdoses were not immediately available. Bush did not return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday, while Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said he was out of the office at a conference.

 

Woman in recovery makes it her mission to give back | WRGB

Seen on:WRBG Channel 6

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Woman in recovery makes it her mission to give back

CAPITAL REGION, NY (WRGB) — “Right now, I’m currently in the Saratoga County Correctional Facility.”

Heather Crola’s visit to the jail today was for work, but that hasn’t always been the case.

“I’ve been in jail. I’ve been homeless. I’ve been in treatment. I’ve been at the very bottom. I’ve been all of those things, so because of those things is the only reason that I feel like I have anything to speak on.”

Now 11 years into her recovery, the Galway native is working with a familiar face – Ben Deeb, who specializes in peer services for the incarcerated. She remembers meeting him while volunteering at a halfway house.

“I would see the peers come back to the halfway house after their time spent with Ben and Martina, his wife Martina and some of the other staff there and they would just be, it was the only time I would see them with smiles on their face.”

In addition to working with Ben, she’s also the street outreach specialist, for Healing Springs Recovery Center in Saratoga – connecting the homeless with services.

“What people don’t realize is that by the time somebody is on the street the mental health and the addiction pieces are so severe. These individuals have been neglected by a system that is set up for failure for so long that if they could get a job and just get themselves housed they would.”

It’s no easy task, but one made slightly easier, because Heather is living proof of success.

“One really powerful piece for me has been in being able to work at a professional level with some of the people who were my treatment providers so there’s this really powerful, like ‘hey look I listened to you!’”

Officials: Boating and alcohol don’t mix

Seen in: The Post Star

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Officials: Boating and alcohol don’t mix

By Maggie Reynolds | 
Amber Danaher, outreach coordinator for The Prevention Council of Saratoga County, speaks about boating safety on Thursday at Brown’s Beach in Saratoga Springs.

SARATOGA COUNTY – Alcohol was the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in 2020, causing over 100 deaths and 18% of total fatalities, according to the U.S. Coast Guard 2020 Boating Safety Statistics Report.

Ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend, the Prevention Council of Saratoga County and local police departments alerted visitors to Saratoga Lake of the dangers of boating under the influence.

Thursday morning at Brown’s Beach in Saratoga Springs, members of the Stillwater Police Department, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department, and the Prevention Council gathered to discuss water safety for the upcoming holiday weekend.

“[We] urge boaters to adhere this boating season, and help everyone stay safe by not drinking on the water or operating a boat after you have consumed alcohol,” said Amber Danaher, youth outreach coordinator for the Prevention Council.

Boaters can keep safe by designating a sober boat operator, ensuring the vessel contains enough personal flotation devices and completing a boater safety course before heading out on the water, according to Capt. Patrick Maswich of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department.

The Prevention Council, a nonprofit organization focused on preventing alcohol and other substance abuse, has put up lawn signs around the Brown’s Beach Marina describing to passersby the legal consequences of boating under the influence.

“Operating a recreational vessel with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher is against NYS law. Legal consequences: extensive fines, revocation of your license, and jail time,” the signs read.

The council has also put up four billboards around Saratoga County, which juxtaposes the image of an impaired boat operator with that of an impaired truck driver.

According to Danaher, these boater safety initiatives from the Prevention Council began last summer, when the organization adopted the national Operation Dry Water campaign of reducing alcohol and drug-related boating fatalities. The initiatives came at an important time, Danaher said, as data from the U.S. Coast Guard reported a 26.3% increase in boating accidents from 2019 to 2020, largely due to more boating activity during the pandemic.

Multiple Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department vessels will be patrolling the lake all weekend, focusing on busy no-wake zones, such as around the marina, and at the northern end of the lake, Deputy Sheriff Matt Ball said.

Though law enforcement will focus in part on checking boaters’ registrations, ensuring that boats are legal, and checking that boats have a sufficient supply of personal location devices or life preservers, some of the more difficult work will be identifying intoxicated boat drivers, Ball said.

“When you’re on the water, you can’t find that one boat that is not staying between the lines. The cues are a little bit different there. We’ll typically observe another boating infraction that brings us [to the boater],” he said.

There are some inconsistencies between the consequences of driving under the influence and boating under the influence, Ball added. Though the blood alcohol concentration limit is the same, 0.08, boaters do not automatically get their license revoked the way drivers do.

“Boating intoxication we go through the same process as a driving intoxication. The problem is the penalty is not the same, which it should be,” Ball said.

In addition to the partnership between the Prevention Council and the local police forces, DeCrescente Distributing Company, a beverage wholesale distributor based in Mechanicville, is contributing to the boater safety efforts. The company will provide free water, juice, and other nonalcoholic beverages to the designated sober boat operators for the weekend.

“It’s an opportunity for us as a wholesaler of non-alcoholic beverages to get involved. We thought it would be beneficial to reward the boaters that are doing the safe practices,” said Carmine DeCrescente, vice president of the company.

According to DeCrescente, designated drivers can tell the marina supervisor, Bob Morris, that they will be operating as a sober driver, and they will be given a handful of free nonalcoholic beverages.

As is typical for holiday weekends, the city of Saratoga Springs and local police department anticipate that visitors to Saratoga Lake will increase exponentially this upcoming weekend.  “The lake is going to explode this weekend,” said Sergeant Ray Cordani of the Stillwater Police.

“We encourage visitors to come and enjoy [the lake],” Cordani said, “but we want you to do it responsibly.”

Recovery resource fair aims to break down stigma of substance abuse

Seen in: The Post Star

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Recovery resource fair aims to break down stigma of substance abuse

SOUTH GLENS FALLS — Brendan Norton was three years into his recovery before he told those closest to him he was having substance-use issues.

When he finally came clean, Norton said he was overcome with a sense of relief and received an outpouring of love and support from everyone around him. It’s a response that set him down a new path in life, he said.

“It was kind of nerve-wracking at first because I have never done anything like that before, but the more I talked about it and the more I shared — I say now that I recover loudly so people don’t die silently,” he said.

Norton, now a family counselor for Healing Springs — a Saratoga Springs-based recovery network that provides support services to those in recovery and their families throughout Saratoga County — was one of around two dozen people representing 18 organizations during a recovery resource fair hosted at the Moreau Community Center on Saturday.

The fair comes amid a surge in overdose deaths nationwide over the past year.

More than 81,000 overdose deaths were reported in the U.S. in the year preceding May 2020, the most in a 12-month period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Overdoses are continuing to trend upward both locally and on the national level, according to Judy Moffitt, a recovery coach for families and co-chair of Friends of Recovery — Warren and Washington.

“We have lost a lot of friends,” she said.

Moffitt, who lost a son to an overdose, said there’s still a stigma attached to what she referred to as substance-use disorder (words like “addiction” and “addict” add to the stigma, she said). The stigma can only be overcome by education that starts on the grassroots level.

“We know education is so needed. This isn’t people go to treatment and then they’re done. This is a lifelong struggle that many people have,” she said.

But the pandemic has pushed recovery resources to the brink, said Katherine Chambers, director of restorative practices at Hope & Healing, a Hudson Falls-based recovery network that services Warren and Washington counties.

The recovery community, she said, often relies on those in recovery who have firsthand experience in battling substance issues and navigating the recovery process.

But with a growing number of stressors triggered by the pandemic, Chambers said many in the community are struggling to maintain their own recovery, which has made it difficult for others seeking to begin their own journey in finding help.

“These are individuals that are trying to maintain their own recovery in a really strong healthy way and being sort of bombarded in this vicarious way with this trauma of other experiences,” Chambers said.

“Then you compile that with COVID and isolation and mental health stressors … and you have sort of a snowball effect.”

Chambers added resources are still available locally, and she urged anyone dealing with substance-use disorder to reach out.

Lillian McCarthy, director of Healing Springs, agreed, adding it’s important for people to be open about their struggles.

Not only will the honesty be beneficial to a person’s own health, but it will help eliminate the stigma associated with substance-use disorder, which keeps so many from seeking help, she said.

“The way we’re going to break down that stigma is by being open and honest. Sharing experiences and not being afraid to,” McCarthy said. “The more we’re afraid and the more we keep it to ourselves, the more it is an issue.”

Letter to the editor: Allowing underage drinking is a big mistake

Seen in: The Post Star

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Editor:

This has been an unprecedented time of uncertainty as parents struggle to maintain family stability through the pandemic. While COVID-19 can overshadow many issues, please do not let underage drinking be one of them. Remember that hosting underage drinking parties is never acceptable and is illegal.

Some parents wonder if allowing their kids to drink at home can help them develop “an appropriate relationship with alcohol.” The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that some parents take this even further and start enabling underage drinking for other teens in their home, thinking they are providing a controlled environment.

One or two parents attempting to control a dozen or more teens who are drinking alcohol is not a controlled environment. There are long and short term consequences for teens. Those teens are at risk of harming the development of their brains, adverse reactions to the medication they take, sexual assault at the party or elsewhere, and injury to themselves or others. Far more effective than allowing drinking at home is to model good drinking behavior and to have strict rules about underage drinking, the NIAAA found.

Giving kids alcohol doesn’t help them learn to drink responsibly. It teaches them that their parents are OK with them drinking, which only encourages them to push those boundaries further and to experiment more.

The Community Coalition for Family Wellness in South Glens Falls, The Prevention Council of Saratoga County and the Council for Prevention in Warren/Washington Counties are here as a resource and an ally to parents and community members in keeping our kids safe. Reach out to us for resources at ccfwsgf.org, preventioncouncil.org and councilforprevention.org or on social media.

Kelly Stevens, South Glens Falls

Coalition Coordinator, Community Coalition for Family Wellness

Saratoga County deputies get help in preventing boating while intoxicated

Seen on: WNYT Channel 13

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

SARATOGA SPRINGS – By all accounts, Saratoga Lake is busier than ever and police and prevention types are partnering to make it as safe as ever.

“Hey guys, you’re not in any trouble,” Deputy John Becker yelled to a family from Corning riding on a pontoon boat Tuesday.

Becker was riding on a SeaDoo personal watercraft. He was one of four deputies stopping boats on Saratoga Lake to hand out paper.

They weren’t writing tickets. People were getting brochures about the dangers of boating under the influence.

“I’m from the Prevention Council,”  Amber Danaher told the family.  “We have these flyers here that explain boating safety and boating under the influence.”

The brochures are part of a campaign called Operation Dry Water — the Prevention Council partnering with police to spread the word about the dangers of boating while intoxicated.

There are also billboards, lawn signs and radio PSAs.

“We just want to prevent people from going to jail, having fines, injuring others or themselves,” said Danaher.

Sgt. Guy Gurney says it’s his understanding boat sales are up as much as 75% this summer.

“With the pandemic, a lot of families have canceled their vacations, and they’re looking for something to do with their families and boating seems to be that number one choice,” Gurney said.

Which means more boats and personal watercraft on the lakes.

But Gurney says arrests of intoxicated boaters have stayed about the same and education is working.

“Accidents and BWIs have been consistently going down and that is due to education,” said Gurney.

Operation Dry Water also aims to spread the word about life jackets, saying 84% of the people who drown in a boating accident aren’t wearing them.

Dose of Reality: Saratoga Recovery Center adapts to new technology

Seen on: WRGB Channel 6

Thursday, September 5, 2019

As the Coronavirus pandemic continues, recovery and treatment centers all over the country have had to change the way they serve their communities.

“Zoom was the noise a car made when it went down the road,” Lillian McCarthy joked with us. She works as the Assosciate Director of the Prevention Council and Healing Springs in Saratoga Springs.

Now, zoom and other services like it are a part of her staff’s daily routine. McCarthy says she’s proud of how her team reacted to the changes, implementing a full schedule of meetings, counseling sessions and programs in just a few days.

Like everyone in the recovery community, McCarthy recognizes this is a difficult time. “This is a population that is in crisis right now especially with one of the largest pieces of addiction being isolation,” she said. Despite the difficulties, McCarthy says the phones are still ringing and they are always there to help.