Recovery from substance use disorder doesn’t occur once treatment ends. It’s a lifelong journey, and the road can get bumpy – especially without the support of other men and women who understand where you’ve been. That’s where Steph Prete and The GateHouse Alumni & Friends Association come in. Today, Steph–a former client at The GateHouse–helps...
Category: Interviews
Resilience and Strength as We Begin a New Year at The GateHouse
Few years compared to 2020. The past year forced everyone, including all of us at The GateHouse, to face new hurdles – many of which seemed insurmountable at the time. Yet, despite its struggles, 2020 showed us how resilient we truly are. The flip to a new calendar year certainly doesn’t mean that the challenges...
Fighting the Opioid Crisis and a Pandemic: State Rep. Mike Sturla Weighs In
The state of Pennsylvania, along with the entire country, is actively and very visibly fighting the COVID-19 pandemic on a variety of fronts—medically, politically, and economically. While the effects of the coronavirus have consumed the news cycle and are consistently top-of-mind for Pennsylvanians, the state is still in the thick of a deadly battle against...
Finding Hope in the Opioid Crisis: An Interview with Pennsylvania Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs Jen Smith
In today’s highly polarized political climate, it might seem as though there are no subjects upon which lawmakers from the Left and Right can agree. Even here in Pennsylvania, legislators clash over taxes, health care, spending, and more. Believe it or not, though, there is at least one critically important issue upon which Pennsylvania Republicans...
Opioid Crisis Q&A with Dr. Rachel Levine, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health
The GateHouse recently sat down for a wide-ranging discussion with Department of Health Secretary Rachel Levine on the opioid crisis.
PA House Leader Bryan Cutler on Government’s Role in the Opioid Crisis: ‘Focus on the Results’
PA House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler brings a medical background to the opioid addiction policy discussion and believes state government should stay focused on treatment outcomes.
The Opioid Crisis as a Public Policy Issue: The Perspective of Sen. Ryan Aument
Across the country and around the state of Pennsylvania, there are very few lives that are untouched by the effects of the national opioid crisis. It’s true in our small towns, it’s true in our big cities, and it’s true right here in Lancaster County. In the halls of state government, Pennsylvania lawmakers are actively...
Where Drugs and Crime Intersect: District Attorney Craig Stedman’s Perspective
When Craig Stedman began his career as an assistant district attorney 28 years ago, the drug epidemic facing the country was crack cocaine. Heroin or opioids weren’t even a close second. “You could count on one hand how many heroin cases we had,” he said recently. “Even at the beginning of my term as DA...
Drug Court: A Beacon of Hope for the Hopelessly Addicted
When Lancaster County’s drug court first opened its doors in 2005, no one knew whether the pilot program would meet its many goals or head to the scrap heap of well-intentioned, but unworkable initiatives. Expectations were high. Drug court promised to improve public safety, save taxpayer dollars, and reduce drug and alcohol recidivism among repeat...
Addiction Through the Eyes of the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission
Over the next few months, The GateHouse will be taking a look at the opioid crisis from the perspective of the public officials who are working to eradicate it through funding, public awareness, and education. We kick the series off with an interview with Rick Kastner, executive director of the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol...