The OMNI Institute, a nonprofit social science consultancy, is leading a series of meetings with local leaders, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and recovery specialists to determine the best use of funds from the Opioid settlement agreement. The goal is to reduce drug use in both the county and city. While these discussions have been productive, some participants believe that an essential voice is missing – those who have experience with substance use disorder (SUD).
Courtney Downs, a Virginia Harm Reduction patient navigator and a former addict, expressed her concern that not enough people with direct experience of the opioid crisis were included in the discussions. “I personally don’t think there were enough people with lived experience that were affected by the opioid epidemic,” Downs said. She emphasized the importance of including individuals who have successfully recovered from substance use disorders in the conversation, believing that their insights could be crucial to developing effective strategies.
“I am certainly open to that. Sometimes, the best people to get this information are people who have that type of life experience,” Henry County Sheriff Wayne Davis said. He noted that those who have lived through substance use might offer valuable perspectives on what strategies have been effective or ineffective in combating addiction.
“I think what you would need to do is find people in the community who have successfully recovered from substance use disorders,” Davis said, adding the goal is to “help them recover.”
One of the main challenges in recovery, according to Downs, is the stigma surrounding drug use. She said that more resources like medical detox and rehabilitation are needed in the community. Downs pointed out that many success stories go unheard because individuals often leave their communities to recover and do not return. This lack of a local recovery ecosystem negatively impacts the morale of those still struggling, as they are only exposed to the “mess” and not the potential for recovery.
The meeting also touched on the importance of prevention, particularly in schools. Downs raised concerns about the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program, which has been reinstated in schools by the Henry County School Board and Davis. Downs said she felt the original D.A.R.E. program did not protect her
“They’re two vastly different programs,” Davis said, adding the new program is backed by research, whereas the older programs weren’t as effective.
According to the official D.A.R.E website, the program has evolved from its earlier counterpart “That curriculum, the “old” D.A.R.E., is no longer used. It should be noted that through the years, unlike other programs, D.A.R.E. has not only participated in independent evaluations but actively encouraged such scrutiny.”
While acknowledging the challenge of reversing the epidemic, Davis said, “there is a wealth of knowledge in these meetings.”
Throughout the meetings, OMNI has compiled and presented local statistics on the opioid crisis, including overdose data segmented by zip code. The data, sourced from various agencies, is being used to guide decisions on how the settlement money can be utilized within the strict guidelines provided.
Davis emphasized the importance of both enforcement and recovery efforts in addressing the opioid crisis. He stressed the need to remove drug dealers from the community to address the problem at its source.
“Our involvement in the opioid crisis would be the enforcement aspect along with any recovery efforts for those who are incarcerated,” he said.
