Behind every addiction, he said, "There's a story."
DOVER Some 50 ministers and other leaders in faith communities got a short course recently in the realities of addiction.
"It's not a moral failing. It's actually something going on in the brain," said Andrea Dominick, director of the alcohol and addiction program of the Tuscarawas County Health Department.
She told those assembled in an auditorium at Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital that most people will eventually witness an overdose.
Dominick offered to provide training in using the opiate overdose antidote Narcan at churches or other locations.
Once overdose victims recover, they are visited within a week by the Tuscarawas County Quick Response Team, which offers information about treatment.
"We can get them in detox right at that moment," said team member Jon Coventry, manager of adult outpatient, substance abuse and psychological services at Community Mental Healthcare.
When a speaker asked for a show of hands from the assembled, asking how many knew about the Quick Response Team, there were very few positive responses.
Among them was the Rev. Lyle Warren, who has most recently pastored United Methodist congregations in Midvale and Newport. He served as a member of the Tuscarawas County Anti-Drug Coalition. He has had an Addiction 101 program at his church. He recalled a methamphetamine bust that occurred near the Midvale church. He recalled a man whose death was attributed to suicide, although his grieving mother believed the loss was drug-related.
As a teen, Warren himself became addicted to the codeine prescribed for his migraine headaches. He had to be weaned off the narcotic, which he had taken in ever-increasing doses as his tolerance increased.
Experiences like that gave Warren the awareness of the problem that led to his involvement with the anti-drug coalition.
"A lot of churches are just waking up to the fact that there is a problem," Warren said after the May 18 information session.
In addition to informing clergy about the problem, representatives of the local mental health and addiction treatment agencies shared information about available help.
Coventry said Community Mental Healthcare offers a holistic program for mind, body and spirit. In addition to the services implied by its name, the Dover campus has a family medical health center and a dental clinic for those with Medicaid insurance or no insurance. Translators and interpreters are available.
When working on the Quick Response Team, he said, his approach is to ask addicts, "What happened to you?" instead of "What's wrong with you?" The first question helps patients go further in treatment at a faster pace. Behind every addiction, he said, "There's a story."
New and more effective treatments are available to help opiate addicts recover.
Seana Fortune, a former counselor who now works for a pharmaceutical company, explained how medication can help. She said Vivitrol, injected every 28 days, blocks the craving for heroin and other opiates in the brain, providing time for healing.
"We are seeing people getting better," Coventry told the faith leaders. "We are seeing people get engaged with treatment."
Churches can play a role in counteracting addiction, according to Jodi Salvo, director of the Tuscarawas County Anti-Drug Coalition, which sponsored the gathering. That could mean praying, hosting a recovery group, encouraging those in recovery, sharing information about treatment, or holding an educational program.
"Please help us," said Dominick, of the health department. "We need you — very much so."
Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.
On Twitter: @nmolnarTR