HUD official praises region’s drug efforts
HUD deputy secretary says commitment to ‘long haul’ evident.
‘I have never seen this type of collaboration done before,’ said Pamela Patenaude, in town for a roundtable discussion.
The Dayton region’s response to the opioid crisis received strong praise from members of the Trump administration, who were in town Thursday to get a view of the deadly epidemic from the ground.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Pamela Patenaude met with local leaders during a roundtable discussion to learn more about the scope of the drug problem and what local organizations are doing to combat it.
Patenaude said she was impressed with the number of community leaders and organizations in the region that have teamed up to tackle the problem.
“They are getting the job done, but are committed for the long haul,” she said, “and I have never seen this type of collaboration done before.”
She added, “but I also heard this is not going away. They are in this for the long run.”
Since forming the Community Overdose Action Team in late 2016, local officials say they have made progress to improve and expand treatment, prevention and intervention.
Hospital leaders and staff talked about how they’ve helped patients manage pain while minimizing the use of opioid medications. They discussed creative problem-solving work, like a program in which trained volunteers help cuddle babies that were born addicted to drugs.
“Montgomery County has been viewed as ground zero of the opioid crisis, and we have lessons that we have learned as the community has responded and the opioid deaths have declined,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton.
Drug addiction can con- tribute to housing instability and homelessness, officials said. People who live on the streets and can’t find a stable environment are more susceptible to substance abuse, and part of achieving permanent recovery is obtain- ing safe, affordable housing, Patenaud said.
Part of reason the region has seen success in its battle against opioids is because health care and housing providers are working together, said Patenaude, who also toured a local shelter for the chronically homeless.
Patenaude and other HUD visitors also heard from law enforcement and Montgomery County officials about gaps in services and what they believe are unmet needs.
Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said the community needs more prevention and treatment dollars and warned that people who are moving to the region to open treatment facilities lack standards of care.
He said there were 56 people going through detox and withdrawal at the Montgomery County Jail on Wednesday.
“That number is climbing,” he said.