Category: Recovery

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What’s the Difference Between Residential Treatment and Transitional Living at The GateHouse?

One of the most frequently asked questions we get here at The GateHouse concerns the distinction between our Residential Treatment programs and our Transitional Living Housing services.

What’s the difference between them? What does “halfway house” mean? What happens at each of these types of services?

While the confusion is understandable, the main difference between the two is that our Residential Treatment program focuses on continuing recovery treatment while re-learning and developing the life-skills necessary to reintegrate into society. Meanwhile, our Transitional Living services focus on putting those skills into practice while continuing to maintain a recovery mindset.

While neither service offers the kind of medically managed treatment that occurs in the first stages of recovery (detox and rehab), those who are on sustained Medical Assisted Treatment (MAT) are welcome in both our residential treatment programs. Those on MAT can coordinate services with any one of the many local medical providers we partner with.

The best way to differentiate between Residential Treatment and Transitional Living is to start at the beginning.

The Recovery Treatment Journey

The first step for an addict entering treatment is to begin with a stay in rehab, where the initial detoxification of addictive substances takes place. This can last anywhere from 28 to 30 days. While there are rehab facilities that have a shortened detox time of only 5 to 10 days, we recommend a longer detox period before entering one of The GateHouse residential programs.

Upon leaving the detox facility, the recovering addict moves into one of our Residential Treatment centers, also known as a “halfway house.” This is where some of the initial confusion occurs. Very often, people unfamiliar with the recovery process will lump residential and transitional living services together as “halfway houses.” This term, however, has been used solely in accordance with Residential Treatment facilities for many years. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the official definition of a halfway house is “a clinically managed, low-intensity residential service.”

Upon meeting the goals laid out at the Residential Treatment program (which we’ll dive into below), the recovering addict then moves into one of our Transitional Recovery Housing facilities. As the name sounds, this is where residents continue practicing the life-skills they learned in Residential Treatment and actively transition back into the community.

What Happens at a Halfway House?

The average stay in one of our Residential Treatment programs is about three to six months and is for people who have undergone primary detox at a rehab facility. During their stay here, residents will start the process of rebuilding their lives in three phases.

In Phase 1, the new resident will meet with his or her counselor on a regular basis, and any medical treatment that’s necessary will be supervised by licensed professionals in coordination with outside medical providers. Residents have access to recreational facilities, but the days are busy with group counseling, one-on-one therapeutic counseling, daily 12-step meetings, life skills training, health and nutrition education, and developing personal goals to help guide the recovery process. During this initial phase, halfway house residents remain at the facility around the clock and are not permitted to leave unless given permission by the staff for very specific reasons.

Phase 2 of Residential Treatment offers a little more freedom—leaving the facility is permitted with a pass, and attending sober groups, finding 12-step meetings, and connecting with sponsors are all encouraged. There is still a lot of work to do in this phase, however. After meeting their goals from Phase 1, residents start working with The GateHouse team to begin developing a healthy daily lifestyle. This includes developing vocational skills and looking for work, preparing for life outside the facility, and identifying and working toward personal goals and priorities.

To get to Phase 3, the resident has to have obtained a job. Residents have a little more freedom than the previous phases, as well. Nevertheless, they must still demonstrate progress, and are asked to continue to meet with peer groups, remain employed, and attend 12-step meetings. One of the most important parts of completing Phase 3 for our halfway house residents is putting together a recovery support system they can access outside of the facility.

The average stay in our Residential Treatment facilities is usually about 90 days due in part to time restrictions put in place by insurance companies. Under certain circumstances, however, longer stays are permitted and may even be covered. The GateHouse team can help with this process.

Transitioning to Transitional Living

Upon leaving Residential Treatment, recovering addicts are typically ready to reside at one of our Transitional Recovery Houses to continue practicing their recovery skills in the community. While it’s ideal for recovering addicts to have first gone through our Residential Treatment program, it is not a requirement. Nevertheless, the benchmarks identified in Phase 3 of Residential Treatment still extend to anyone interested in residing in our Transitional Living Housing.

The most important requirement for Transitional Living is employment and a desire to continue to remain in recovery. You must either have a job upon entering one of our Transitional Recovery Houses or you must have gotten one within two weeks of staying there.

What Happens in Transitional Living?

The first phase of Transitional Living is a two-week orientation period, where your ability to come and go will be restricted. New residents have a 5 o’clock curfew and, as part of the acclimation process, are asked to attend at least one meeting with a housemate.

After the orientation period, The GateHouse team will help you refine the life skills you learned in Residential Treatment. This means putting those life skills into practice, having accountability, and paying rent. This last item is actually very important, because it not only empowers the resident to pay for his or her own recovery process, it also allows them to break free from the insurance safety net. Insurance may still cover other elements of recovery, such as outpatient services, but the goal is to become self-supporting and self-sustaining for the majority of the stay in Transitional Living.

Because insurance is no longer providing financial compensation for recovery housing, Transitional Living residents are encouraged to stay in the program for at least a year. Sometimes residents will earn the privilege of becoming a house manager, and in those cases, they’re allowed to stay in Transitional Recovery Housing for up to 18 months.

Throughout their stay in Transitional Living, residents continue to build a strong foundation for the rest of their lives. They have the time and assistance to work on their recovery support system, and they receive help from staff in developing and working toward short- and long-term goals.

Not only does The GateHouse team help with life skills, coping mechanisms, trigger recognition, and recovery, they also provide assistance with developing a household budget, working through financial challenges and obligations, and rebuilding credit. Residents will set up bank accounts, save money, and even start pursuing a career.

Understanding the Differences

Verlina Velazquez-Millings

Verlina Velazquez-Millings, our Director of Programs here at The GateHouse, says the dynamic between Residential Treatment and Transitional Living is very complementary. Residential Treatment, she says, is highly structured and more intense than Transitional Living, because residents there are under 24-hour care as they work toward rebuilding their mental and emotional outlook and meeting a set of clearly defined character-building benchmarks.

“The requirement for completion is to work with a sponsor, have a job, develop an aftercare plan, and demonstrate the ability to manage all this while still maintaining a focus on recovery,” she says. “Sustaining ongoing recovery is the absolute priority.”

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Lori Fallon

Lori Fallon, who coordinates our Transitional Recovery Housing program, says the goals in Transitional Living are geared toward maintaining a healthy lifestyle and staying focused on recovery, while also living on their own in a structured environment.

“People in Transitional Living have a lot of freedom,” she says. “Some folks don’t take that well; others do. Either way, we’re here to help them through this important transition as they continue to work toward recovery and building a new life for themselves.”

Exiting the Program

One of the most important things to understand about Transitional Living is that clients need to buy into the program and have a stake in their own success. Counselors and case managers may encourage residents to stay or leave the program depending on their level of readiness.

For the most part, however, the time will come to leave our programs, and when that happens it is often bittersweet, but necessary.

If you’re interested in learning more about programs and services offered by The GateHouse, please click here. Or, if you need help now, reach out to us or give us a call at 717-393-3215.

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2019: A Historic Year for The GateHouse

By any measure, 2019 was one of the most eventful years in the 47-year history of The GateHouse.

The GateHouse 2019
Executive Director Jodi Holland

Not only did we open a brand-new transitional living location, with the grand opening of The GateHouse at Riverview Tower in Marietta, we interviewed numerous local and statewide leaders about the status of the opioid crisis and hosted a roundtable discussion with U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, who also toured our Mountville location and announced a $20 million grant to help fight the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania.

If that were all, that would certainly be enough, but there was even more. In early 2019, we launched our brand-new website, and in the fall, we raised more than $35,000 through the Extraordinary Give (thank you for your generous support). We also added Partial Hospitalization Treatment (PHP) to our list of non-residential treatment services and participated in a public service announcement video that was aired locally.

The best part, of course, is that we accomplished all of it while continuing to achieve extraordinary outcomes for the men and women we serve.

Executive Director Jodi Holland said she can’t really recall a year quite like it.

“Not historically, no,” Jodi said. “Not since I’ve been here in my little over three years as executive director. And even before that—I mean, I’ve been around the culture of The GateHouse for many more years than that, and I don’t think we’ve ever had as much movement as we’ve had in 2019. It’s really exciting.”

A Grand Opening with Meaning

The GateHouse at Riverview TowerThe grand opening of Riverview Tower was especially sweet, Jodi said because it was the culmination of many months and even years of hard work, commitment, and unwavering dedication.

“It was exhilarating and exhausting, but also a time of excitement,” she said. “I think it’s also a time of a little bit of uncertainty. We have embarked on a whole new vision and strategic plan for the growth of The GateHouse. The building itself is magnificent, and I really think it’s a notch above anything we’ve had or done in the past.”

With all the progress and momentum that The GateHouse has experienced over the last year, however, there’s bound to be some concerns and uncertainty.

“I think it might have been a little nervewracking for some people at first,” Jodi said. “It’s like, ‘Is The GateHouse changing?’ ‘Is it sticking to its mission?’ But overall, I think all of that has all come to a head, and now the culture is, ‘We’re ready to go! We’re really excited, and we’re on to a new chapter!’ I think now, all of that uncertainty and confusion is behind us, and we’re ready to move forward and see what’s next for us.”

A Healthy Transition Forward

The GateHouse 2019Before an organization starts to grow, people naturally tend to be comfortable with the status quo, Jodi said. So, when new blood comes in and changes start happening, “it can be a lot like a snow globe,” she said.

“Everything is normal, and then you shake everything up, and it gets cloudy and confusing, and people can’t really see clearly, and then it all settles back down to the status quo, and you get to once again see this beautiful picture inside,” she said. “I think that when people see that we can do it and that, while there is a lot of work behind it, the outcome is so tremendous and empowering, people eventually come together, and I think now people are ready to shake that snow globe again.”

For those who might still have concerns or reservations about the direction The GateHouse is headed and what that might mean for the mission, vision, and values of the organization, Jodi offers a reassuring message.

“The GateHouse has been in this community for more than 47 years,” she said. “We have a model that has consistently produced successful people. When you look at that, why would you not replicate a model that has historically worked for decades? We’re very clear about what we do, and we’re committed to maintaining it.”

The leaders of The GateHouse are all on the same page, Jodi said.

“We want to continue to replicate the model, and just provide more of the same services for more people,” she said. “What it really comes down to is the bigger you get, the more processes and procedures you have to have and the better the communication has to be. Those things only make you better as an organization.”

National Recognition

The GateHouse 2019The GateHouse’s banner year reached its crescendo in October with a visit from the U.S. Labor Secretary Scalia. While Jodi said no official reason was given as to why The GateHouse was chosen to host the visit, she said Secretary Scalia’s team told her he “had heard good things about our programs and the really good work we’ve been doing in our community.”

Jodi said she asked Secretary Scalia’s people point-blank how the organization’s name had made it all the way to the U.S. Department of Labor.

“They said typically it comes from people in the upper echelons of government noticing what you’re doing, whether that’s someone working with the White House or in some other high cabinet-level position,” she said. “So somehow or other, our name has moved up and people are noticing.”

Jodi believes that has a lot to do with The GateHouse’s consistency and its immersion in the community.

“Again, we’re 47 years old and operating in an environment that has consistently changed over the years,” she said. “And yet we’re still here doing the same kind of work. That in itself, I think, speaks volumes.”

While government is often accused of moving slowly, Secretary Scalia’s visit came together very quickly, Jodi said.

“I got a call the week prior saying that the Secretary wanted to come for a visit the following Thursday,” she said. “Within 24 hours, we were working with his team and it didn’t stop until the roundtable.”

Jodi said she’s always cautious with these kinds of things, but she has seen more of a commitment from the federal government in recent years to help the recovery community fight the opioid crisis.

“You really can’t say something like this is not exciting and gratifying,” she said. “I just hope that it continues. It’s just nice that addiction, mental health, and recovery are at the top of the list when it comes to conversations with the federal government about money. Typically, we’re always the ones being cut. We’re always at the bottom.”

The Way Forward

With all the changes, achievements, and recognition The GateHouse received in 2019, it might seem like 2020 may be the right time for the organization to take a breather, right?

Nope.

“We’re very excited about the future,” Jodi said. “Many more good things are coming for our organization. We’ve got some amazing things in the works, and we look forward to another year of progress and commitment to the men and women in our community who have chosen to recover.”

So, stay tuned. 2020 looks to be another banner year for The GateHouse.

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Opioid Crisis Q&A with Dr. Rachel Levine, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health

Recently, The GateHouse had the good fortune to sit down with Dr. Rachel Levine, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, for a wide-ranging discussion about the opioid crisis in the Commonwealth. Our goal was to learn more about how Dr. Levine, Gov. Tom Wolf, and the rest of the administration are approaching this crisis and what Pennsylvanians can expect from the future efforts of state government.

TGH: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. To start, can you please tell us the role that the Pennsylvania Department of Health plays in combatting the opioid crisis and how this issue has affected you personally?

Secretary Levine: The opioid crisis really remains the biggest public health crisis that we face in Pennsylvania and the nation. It’s natural for the Department of Health to be very involved in collaboration with all the other departments in terms of this effort. If you actually look across the country, many public health departments—in fact most—have been very involved in this.

I am the president-elect of ASTHO, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and this is one of the issues that we talk about at our meetings all the time. The only thing from a professional point of view is that my field is adolescent and adult medicine, so I trained in pediatrics with a fellowship in adolescent and young adult medicine, and so my whole career has been involved with the intersection of medical issues and behavioral health issues. So, the opioid crisis, from a professional point of view, is right up my alley.

I started and ran the adolescent medicine and eating disorder program at Penn State Hershey, and we saw lots of patients with substance abuse issues even though it wasn’t a substance abuse program.  Again, professionally, that intersection of medical issues and mental health issues has really been the focus of my whole career.

TGH: Not too long ago, Gov. Wolf declared the opioid crisis a disaster emergency. How has that changed the approach the Commonwealth has taken to the opioid crisis?

Secretary Levine: It has changed it completely. Gov. Wolf’s Opioid Disaster Declaration was announced in January 2018, so we’re actually approaching the second anniversary of this. These are 90-day disaster declarations, and actually, this week (Dec. 3, 2019), the governor renewed that declaration for the eighth time. This declaration has allowed us to form the Opioid Command Center, which meets weekly at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Association. It’s this unique collaboration of 16 or 17 different state agencies, including the state Attorney General’s office and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Association, which is through the federal government, all meeting every week to look at the opioid crisis from all of our different perspectives. That includes the health and human service agencies, the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, the Department of Aging, and then you have the perspectives of public safety and law enforcement, including the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, the Pennsylvania Commission for Crime and Delinquency, the AG’s office as I said, and then other agencies—for instance, Education, Military and Veterans affairs, Labor and Industry—who are all looking at the opioid crisis and collaborating our responses. So, I think that that has been a game changer, in terms of the state’s addressing the opioid crisis.

TGH: As early as 2016, when you were the Commonwealth’s Physician General, you had called for an “all-hands-on-deck” response from state government to combatting the opioid crisis. How do you think the government—both the Wolf Administration and the state Legislature—has responded since then in your opinion?

Secretary Levine: This has been a priority of Gov. Wolf’s since the beginning of his first term. Our term started in 2015. The inauguration was on a Tuesday and that Wednesday was the first meeting at the Governor’s policy office on the opioid crisis. This has always been a priority for Gov. Wolf, and his leadership has been absolutely key. The Department of Health has been collaborating with other agencies since the very beginning, but it focused on health and human service agencies. The disaster declaration broadened this to help foster collaboration with public safety, law enforcement and other agencies. The “all-hands-on-deck” approach has absolutely been key.

We also collaborate with the Legislature. This a completely non-partisan issue and the Governor has always been working with the Legislature. We also collaborate with counties and communities, with other states, as I mentioned ASTHO, and then of course, the federal government. We might have many disagreements in terms of federal policy, but actually in terms of the opioid crisis, we have had very good collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, particularly SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), and of course the Centers for Disease Contro (CDC), and then robust funding from the federal government as well.

TGH: Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman recently told us that he believes one of the answers to the opioid crisis isn’t just recovery, but long-term recovery. He told us, “Short-term recovery just doesn’t give the brain of a heavy heroin user the time it needs to recover from acute addiction.” Do you agree with him, and if so, are there any initiatives or legislative proposals that would make the path to long-term recovery clearer for opioid addicts?

Secretary Levine: I like the comments in terms of the issues with the brain. The Surgeon General of the United States has called addiction “a chronic relapsing neurological disorder.” I think that that is a very good description. As you know, there are particular brain changes, circuit changes that occur with substance use. I think that, from my perspective, we need to view addiction as a medical condition, and certainly not as a moral failing, and even more so as a chronic medical condition, and particularly as a chronic, potentially, relapsing medical condition. Long term recovery needs to be viewed in that context.

We’re certainly in favor of all forms of treatment, and the treatment needs to be individualized to the specific patient.  For many, if not most patients with opioid use disorder, we’ve been devoting our resources—and this is in full agreement with the federal government, SAMHSA and the CDC—on emphasizing medication-assisted treatment. Those medications can include methadone or buprenorphine medications, such as Suboxone, although there are other brands. And then, long-acting Naltrexone or Vivitrol, which works in a different way. I think you’ll find that most patients with opioid use disorder are going to do best with medication-assisted treatment, and we have expanded that availability through the Centers of Excellence, through the department of Human Services for patients predominantly on Medicaid, as well as through another program the Department of Health has sponsored called PAC-MAT, which stands for Pennsylvania Coordinated Medication Assisted Treatment. And so, I think the idea is that the medication allows the brain the time it needs to heal and to try to prevent that type of relapse.

There are a lot of unanswered questions in terms of medication-assisted treatment. One of them, of course, is how long should the medication be continued. There are a lot of different responses to that. Unfortunately, we don’t really know. There aren’t biological markers about which patients can be weaned off the medication and which patients can’t. So, that’s a decision between the patient and his or her physician.

TGH: Do you think enough is being done by the General Assembly to combat the opioid crisis? What more could be done by Pennsylvania lawmakers, in your opinion, to combat opioid use disorder?

Secretary Levine: We have been in very close collaboration with the Legislature on this issue. In 2014, the Legislature enacted Act 139, which authorized third-party prescriptions for Naloxone. Then, at the Department of Health, first as Physician General, and then as Secretary of Health, I wrote two standing order prescriptions. One was for first responders to have access to Naloxone, and the other is for the general public to have access to Naloxone. So, we have pushed out thousands and thousands of doses of Naloxone, which has resulted in saving thousands of lives. That was a collaboration with the Legislature that began even before the Wolf administration started. Another bill in 2014 was the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). That program started in August 2016, and over the last three years, through many measures, including the PDMP, we have effectively decreased the rate of opioid prescriptions by 30%. As a prevention method, I think that that has been key. One bill that we worked on with the Legislature was requiring continuing medical education for physicians. So, there has been lots of different collaboration with the Legislature on the opioid crisis.

TGH: What would you like to see done in the short-term to alleviate some of the bigger problems that are still outstanding with the opioid crisis?

Secretary Levine: Legislation that we’re going to be pushing in 2020 is the Syringe Service Program (SSP) and traditional harm reduction. Now, I want to draw a distinction between the Syringe Service Program and what Philadelphia was recently discussing, which is safe injection sites. That’s a whole other thing. SSPs have been available in the United States for decades. In fact, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have had theirs for almost 30 years. Technically, however, SSPs are illegal under Pennsylvania law, and so they’re not able to be formed legally in other parts of the state. So, as strongly supported by the Department of Health and Human Services federally, as well as the CDC, we want to legalize SSPs and traditional harm reduction in Pennsylvania so that syringe service programs can start in other local areas. SSPs have been shown through many studies to be helpful in preventing HIV, preventing hepatitis, as well as serving as an access point to treatment, to getting Naloxone, and as an access point to referring people for treatment, and particularly medication assisted treatment. Our new initiative will be the legalization of syringe service programs.

Editor’s note: According to the CDC, “Syringe services programs … are community-based prevention programs that can provide a range of services, including linkage to substance use disorder treatment; access to and disposal of sterile syringes and injection equipment; and vaccination, testing, and linkage to care and treatment for infectious diseases.”

TGH: What about long-term aftercare programs like those offered by The GateHouse? Where do they fit in?

Secretary Levine: There are three pillars to our response under the disaster declaration. The first is Prevention. That includes school-based prevention, that includes community-based prevention, and then the work that I have done with the medical community, which I call “opioid stewardship.” The second pillar is Rescue. And that, of course, involves the medication Naloxone. And then the third pillar is Treatment and specifically, treatment leading to recovery. Our emphasis with opioid use disorder has been with either what you call “medication assisted treatment,” or “medications for opioid use disorder (or MOUD).” That is obviously where our emphasis has been.

There are other drugs, however, which are threats on the horizon—particularly methamphetamines and cocaine—which require adjustments to our response. It’s an ever-changing landscape in the Opioid Command Center, but under the leadership of Gov. Wolf, we’re going to be right there helping the state address this crisis.

***

Dr. Levine graduated from Harvard College and the Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed her training in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City. She joined the Wolf Administration in 2015 as Physician General, and in 2017 was named Acting Secretary of Health, before being confirmed as Secretary of Health in 2018. She is currently a Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and the Academy for Eating Disorders. You can learn more about her here.

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3 Reasons You Should Give to The GateHouse

Make Your Donation Count!

Addiction plays a role in every community, and while we can’t take the pain away from those struggling with addiction, we can help them work through their recovery to ultimately live their best lives. Here are just a few of the reasons we need your support to help us help the men, women, and children in our community who are suffering from addiction.

We Treat the Whole Person, Not Just the Addiction

At The GateHouse, we believe that people entering recovery are not–and should not be–defined by their addiction. We recognize the need for individualized treatment plans. We know from experience that what’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for someone else. We also recognize that the consequences and effects of substance use disorder can manifest differently from person to person. Because of this, we take great care to focus on the unique needs of each individual and work to develop a treatment plan that speaks to those needs.

Accredited and Credentialed

The GateHouse is both licensed by the State of Pennsylvania and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). All of our counselors are certified by the Pennsylvania Certification Board. Our staff includes counselors, master’s level social workers, certified addictions counselors, and certified advanced addictions counselors. We want to reassure our residents and their families that they are getting the most effective help possible, which is why we stay active with our accreditation, licensing, and professional staff.

Effective Treatment

Through our intensive and long-term treatment services, our residents are able to participate fully in aided recovery until they feel comfortable living independently again. We offer residential extended care, partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment, case management, and transitional living to all of our clients.

By providing a wide range of after-detox services, many of which are long-term, our clients can determine what the best course of action is for their individual recovery. It’s also been shown that long-term treatment has higher success rates, which is why we urge our clients to stay active in their lifelong recovery journey by taking advantage of our long-term treatment options.

The GateHouse has been a pillar in the Lancaster County community since 1972. We pride ourselves on the care, attention, and professionalism we serve to each of our clients.

Considering recovery is a lifelong effort, we need all the help we can get to help support our residents to the best of our abilities. Please consider making a donation today.

The GateHouse… Restoring the Human Spirit Through Recovery.

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Help Us Transform and Encourage Lives of Recovery by Participating in the Extraordinary Give

It’s been an exciting year for The GateHouse.

Not only did we open a brand-new facility in Marietta, we hosted the U.S. Labor Secretary for a roundtable discussion on the opioid crisis, and we launched a new, user-friendly website!

As exciting as all of this is, none of it would have been possible without your help and support and the help and support of the recovery community and the community at large. We want to encourage you to continue supporting us by using Friday, Nov. 22 as the day to show your appreciation for the people who work at The GateHouse and the lives that have been transformed. That’s the date of the Extarordinary Give, an annual day of giving sponsored by the Lancaster County Community Foundation.

The ExtraGive is a day where people across Lancaster County come together to financially support the causes they care about. It’s a day when nonprofits of every stripe encourage their supporters to open their hearts and help them raise money for the important work they do.

Last year, The GateHouse raised more than $34,000—crushing the previous year’s fund-raising effort by a wide margin. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our community, and this wonderful show of support solidified our resolve and validated the work our team is doing to restore the human spirit through recovery.

This year, we hope to build on that success and raise even more money to help those afflicted by the disease of addiction. And we’ll have some help! Every dollar you donate to The GateHouse will be STRETCHED by more than $500,000 thanks to the generosity of Rodgers & Associates, the High Foundation, and numerous other community sponsors.

Please take a moment to check out our donation page at ExtraGive.org. The best part about giving to The GateHouse this year is you get something back for your contribution.

Not only is your Extraordinary Give donation tax-deductible, you will also have your name or the name of a loved one etched into the history of our organization at Riverview Tower, our newest location.

While we appreciate contributions of any size, by becoming a Memorial Donor, your gift to The GateHouse comes with an enduring permanence. Please take a look at our Memorial Donor levels for more information and to see which one appeals to you.

Can you tell our Finance Director is excited about the the Extraordinary Give?

You might be wondering how we’ll be using your contributions to The GateHouse and what purpose our fund-raising efforts will serve. We’re happy to say that money raised through the Extraordinary Give will go towards the efforts to one day offer residential recovery services to women who live with their children. It’s a big step for us and we hope you’ll help us realize this vision.

JOIN US!

The GateHouse is also taking part in The Extraordinary Experience event on Nov. 22 at the Holiday Inn of Lancaster. This event will feature our organization along with about 20 other nonprofits from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each organization will offer their own “experience” to those in attendance. Our Experience will be to “spend 5 to 10 minutes in private with a drug and alcohol professional to ask anything you wish!”

Other experiences include repelling down the side of the Holiday Inn, show-tune karaoke, music and entertainment, food, fun, and more!

Please join us for this extraordinary event!

Remember, when giving through ExtraGive website, be sure to include your email so we can follow-up and collect information for the donor memorial.

As always, thank you for your support!

 

[button link=”https://www.extragive.org/organizations/the-gatehouse” type=”icon” color=”#045B66″ newwindow=”yes”]SEE OUR #EXTRAGIVE PAGE[/button]

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The GateHouse at Riverview Tower: A History

When The GateHouse at Riverview Tower opens its doors at the end of this year, the majestic limestone mansion that sits on seven sprawling acres in Marietta will be transformed into a new home for women in recovery who are working to rebuild their lives.

The women living there will be the latest in a long line of residents who have occupied the tower since its final construction in 1876. From the son of an ironmaster, lawyer, and ambassador to a colonel, a dentist, and a family with a deep love of architectural history, the occupants of Riverview Tower have engaged in a tradition of service that stretches back for generations.

Riverview Tower by Thomas Hermansader
Artist Thomas Hermansader memorialized Riverview Tower in one of his paintings.

A Mansion Forged from Iron

Construction of Riverview Tower commenced in 1873 and was completed in 1876—the year of the U.S. Centennial. The estate was  built by lawyer and industrialist Henry Miller Watts as a wedding gift for his son, Ethelbert.

Henry, whose grandfathers both served as Revolutionary War generals, was a founding member of the Union League of Philadelphia, which was established to support the Union and the policies of President Abraham Lincoln.

After graduating from Dickinson University in 1824, Henry began a career in law, before moving up the ranks of the U.S. government and ultimately serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the Austrian Empire in 1868. After being recalled from duty by President Harrison in 1869, Henry returned home to Pennsylvania, where he pursued pre-existing business interests in iron and coal. He found his way to Marietta, PA through his company, Henry M. Watts & Sons, which had previously taken ownership of two Marietta iron furnaces bordering the Susquehanna River in 1867.

Nestled into a corner at the crossroad between routes 23 and 441, the hill upon which Riverview Tower sits is known to this day as “Ironmaster’s Hill.”

Throughout his lifetime, Henry traveled extensively with his wife and nine children, living in different areas of Pennsylvania as well as in France and Germany. It was Henry’s time in Austria that most influenced the design of Riverview Tower.

From the ornate Mansard roof tower and Italianate design all the way down to the decorative medallions that adorn the ceilings, Riverview Tower blends the best of Italian, French, and Victorian architecture. Measuring more than 9,000 square feet in total, the mansion features 15 rooms and a three-story tower with panoramic views of surrounding mountains that can be seen through stunning glass walls.

Riverview Tower Under Construction
Riverview Tower under construction (year unknown).

Ethelbert and his wife, Emily, took possession of the mansion five years after they were married in 1871 and lived there with their four children. Emily died in 1885, and when Ethelbert remarried 10 years later, the estate was sold to Colonel James Duffey, the son of a local industrialist. Riverview remained with the Duffey family until the 1940s, when Dr. William S. Simons, a local dentist, and his wife, Catherine, took ownership of the property. After they passed away, Catherine’s sisters lived in the mansion from the 1960s to the early 1970s.

In 1974, the house was sold to Andrew Staubach, a York County resident who never actually lived in the home. Over time, the vacant, once-glorious mansion deteriorated.

A Return to Victorian Splendor

Fortunately, Riverview Tower was restored to its original grandeur when Joyce and Donald Hershey purchased the property in 1981. The Hersheys kept many original features during the rigorous remodeling process, including carved wooden door knobs, gas chandeliers, copper and silver door knob plates, wooden shutters, and oak and walnut patterned floors. The limestone exterior required re-pointing and the roof was re-slated under Joyce and Donald’s supervision.

An Early Photo or Riverview Tower
An early photo of Riverview Tower in Marietta, PA

The Hersheys also transformed dirt floors into luxurious amenities such as a second kitchen, a game room, a fitness room with a sauna, and a canning cellar.

The first floor, with magnificent 12-foot ceilings, includes a front hall, six fireplaces, a butler’s pantry, and a parlor. The library includes a macabre holdover from the Victorian era—a coffin door that was used to remove people who died in the house.

The third floor features a ballroom and a sitting room with a stairway leading to the tower.

Once the Hersheys bought Riverview, locals often referred to it as “the old Hershey Mansion.” But for the couple, living in the historic estate was about more than just filling it with beautiful objects. They carried on the tradition of service by converting the garage into the very first venue for the Lives Changed by Christ Church (LCBC), which the couple co-founded with several others. After years of joyfully listening to their grandchildren’s laughter filling the great mansion, the couple sold the estate in 2008, after making the difficult decision to downsize.

A New Era, A New Start

Since it was purchased by The GateHouse in 2018, the inside of Riverview Tower has undergone a number of renovations to accommodate its incoming residents. The changes will not, however, adversely impac

Riverview Tower Office Building
Riverview Tower’s newly renovated office building, where residents will meet with their counselors.

t the spirit of the Victorian era the estate represents. The GateHouse recognizes the historical significance of the property, and is committed to preserving its many notable features, including its limestone façade with the daisy motif as well as its arched windows, slate rooftops, and tranquil gardens.

In fact, it’s fitting that Riverview Tower will soon be home to The GateHouse for Women. Once a present from a father to his son and daughter-in-law and later inhabited by many who served their country and community, the mansion now offers a different kind of gift—a new start for women fighting hard to overcome addiction and who ultimately desire to give back to the community themselves.

At the end of 2019, The GateHouse at Riverview Tower will officially open its doors to women eager to start the next phase of their lives. In the meantime, come take a tour of this important piece of Pennsylvania’s past and future at our Grand Opening Celebration on Oct. 24. Together, we will begin to write the next exciting chapter in the history of Riverview Tower.

Interested in sponsoring the Grand Opening event on Oct. 24, 2019?

Download out sponsorship flyer to learn more!

Interested in making a memorial donation to The GateHouse at Riverview Tower?

Download our memorial donor flyer to learn more! 

Open post managing success in recovery

Seven Tips to Managing Success in Recovery

Managing success in recovery isn’t easy.

The times when we’re most vulnerable to our addictive nature isn’t necessarily when times are tough. Very often, it’s when we’re at the top of our game—when money is flowing, when you’re feeling the love of your colleagues or friends, or when you’ve been given a new level of influence or power over others.

Drug and alcohol addictions are frequently associated with failure, but very often they are companions to success. Whether it’s our pop culture icons, our athletic heroes, famous historical figures, or the politicians who represent us, society is rife with examples of brilliant people who’ve battled addiction. Sometimes, as in the case of Oprah Winfrey, they’ve been successful in overcoming their addictive tendencies. For others, however, failure to manage success as an addict has ended in jail, humiliation, or in some cases, death.

So, how do you manage success while in addiction recovery? It’s never easy, but following these seven tips can help:

  1. Take extra precautions as a newly sober addict.
    The most dangerous time for a recovering addict is in the first few months or even the first few years after they’ve become clean and sober. Your emotions are still running high and low, you’re exhilarated by your successful transition out of active addiction, and you may not have completely come to terms with the triggers that sent you spiraling downward in the first place. Remember, working on yourself takes time, and it requires plenty of guided introspection and self-awareness. Be conscious of your vulnerability in the first few years of your sobriety.

  2. Surround yourself with positive people and positive influences.
    “People, places and things” may sound like the lyrics to a broken record, but the reason they’re repeated so often is because they’re vitally important. You simply cannot be successful in recovery if you’re surrounded by the people and influences that supported and enabled you while you were in active addiction. The transition to healthy living doesn’t always require new surroundings, new influences, and new faces, but a change of scenery certainly doesn’t hurt. Recognize the toxic relationships that helped to perpetuate your cycle of addiction and do your best to limit or compartmentalize them. You may not always be able to completely eliminate these negative forces (especially if they’re colleagues or family members), but you control when and how you choose to interact with them.

  3. Stay honest with yourself at all times.
    While people, places, and things have a lot to do with whether we’ll be successful in sobriety, true recovery requires complete and total honesty with yourself and the people who support your efforts. Deceit, lies, and dishonesty are the underpinnings of addiction—it’s how we maintained our addictive lifestyle for so long! Utter, brutal honesty with yourself, your sponsor, your 12-step group, your therapists, your doctors, and your supportive loved ones gives you a safety net that can keep you from the people places and things that have brought you down in the past.

  4. Avoid “Pink Cloud” Syndrome.
    Entering recovery is a joyous time for many people. They feel better, they look better, they think more clearly, and they have a well-earned feeling of accomplishment. When they’re also having success in life or work, the euphoria they feel is understandable, especially after having been through the protracted torment of active addiction. Don’t be lulled into this “Pink Cloud,” however. While it’s often a short-lived phenomenon, the Pink Cloud can lead to a dangerous overconfidence that can provide unrealistic expectations, delusions, and ultimately, a disappointment that can end in relapse. Every Pink Cloud has a dark lining, and in recovery it’s important to remember to focus on your journey when the highs get high and the lows get low.

  5. Maintain ties to others in recovery.
    Whether you’ve been substance-free for a few weeks or a few years, you must always stay focused on your recovery. Joining a 12-step group or a anonymous meeting is one way to maintain your connection to other recovering addicts; another way is to enter into an aftercare recovery program like those offered at The GateHouse. We also encouraged “alumni” of The GateHouse to join our Alumni Association. If you’ve been through any of our programs—even if it was just once—you’re eligible to join. It’s a great way to stay connected and keep your recovery top of mind.

  6. Help others.
    Giving back to your community or others in recovery is not only good for the soul, it fosters emotional maturity. By learning to feel good about others’ success, you become less self-absorbed and more other-oriented. This helps you maintain your humility, a vital tool to staying grounded as you become increasingly successful in life, work, and recovery.

  7. Practice mindfulness meditation.
    If you’ve gone through active addiction and lived to tell about it, then you know the emotional rollercoaster recovery can be. Mindfulness meditation is the practice of focusing on your thoughts, feelings, and emotions in the present moment. It can significantly reduce stress and help you come to grips with your emotions so you can maintain balance in your life.

It’s also important to remember that drug and alcohol addictions are chronic, incurable diseases and keeping their symptoms at bay takes hard work, dedication, and positivity. No one in recovery is immune to relapses, but the good news is that with the help of an aftercare recovery program, they become increasingly rare the longer you remain abstinent from your drug or alcohol of choice.

If you’re concerned about your recovery habits or those of a loved one, and you want to speak with an expert who can recommend ways to stay the course, contact us today or give us a call at 717-393-3215.

Our aftercare recovery specialists are here to meet both your immediate and long-term needs!

Open post PA House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler

PA House Leader Bryan Cutler on Government’s Role in the Opioid Crisis: ‘Focus on the Results’

When it comes to the opioid epidemic ravaging Pennsylvania and the rest of the nation, state Rep. Bryan Cutler has a unique perspective.

Not only is he the Majority Leader of the state House of Representatives, Cutler is also a former medical professional who has a keen understanding of health care law.

“I started out as an X-ray tech right out of high school and then got into hospital administration,” Cutler said recently. “All my degrees and certificates are focused in the medical field. My certificate and X-ray license were first. My bachelor’s degree is in health care administration, and even my law degree is focused on health care law.”

Cutler, who represents Southern Lancaster County’s 100th Legislative District, is one of only a handful of state lawmakers who can draw on their medical backgrounds when it comes to making policy in Harrisburg. It’s particularly relevant when it comes to the current opioid crisis.

“When I worked in hospitals, we would use Naloxone all the time to counteract narcotics, so it was something I was familiar with even before we had the recent opioid epidemic,” Cutler said. “A medical background certainly does help inform your perspective on this issue, and it certainly helps you understand it better.”

From Managing Pain to Eliminating It

Just as they are in the Senate, Cutler says lawmakers in the House are equally committed to reducing overdoses and stemming the high tide of opioid addiction. His previous work in hospital administration helps him shape the legislative discussions around opioids so policies can be developed that actually makes an impact.

“To go back to the roots of this crisis, you need to understand what helped drive it,” Cutler said. “What a lot of folks don’t realize is that the issue of pain management used to be a federally scoreable event for hospitals. Their scores were affected by patient satisfaction, which, in turn, affected their reimbursement rates.”

In other words, Medicare reimbursement incentives for most hospitals were dependent in part upon the amount of pain their patients were experiencing. Naturally, the more pain they experienced, the less satisfied they were with the care they were being given.

“We went from managing pain to having no pain,” Cutler said. “I think that, in large part, contributed to the rise and increased use of opioids.”

The Path Forward

Now that the Commonwealth, like the rest of the country, is in the throes of the opioid epidemic, Cutler said the issue has become a legislative priority for everyone—representatives, senators, and even the governor. Cutler fully expects action on the subject this fall. And he should know. In his capacity as Majority Leader, Cutler is the one who sets the legislative agenda for the House.

“Heading into the budget this spring, we passed some addiction-related support measures as part of our ‘Strengthening Communities and Supporting Families’ initiative,” Cutler said. “Opioid abuse specifically will become part of a wider plan for addressing a number of health issues as we head into the fall session.”

The Senate also introduced a package of bills in June that are still working their way through the General Assembly.

“We just got the Senate package as we wrapped up the budget [in late June],” Cutler said. “There have been a number of ongoing hearings, and some of the House staff, as well as some Senators, were at a round table in York County in early July. There’s still a lot of information gathering and direct impact verification that’s going on. I see that being a continued high priority into the fall and beyond.”

While the House has passed some bills related to safe disposal practices and parental consent, Cutler firmly believes that there is general acknowledgement that more needs to be done in the long term, especially in the recovery world. He said he has nothing but admiration for organizations like The GateHouse, which are on the front lines of the battle against opioid abuse and substance use disorder in general.

“These are the organizations that are currently trying to figure out ways to help transition individuals from being addicted to getting back into society again and being fully healed,” he said. “That, by its very nature, is a very long process, and unfortunately, our health system is not always set up for that, so that presents another very unique challenge.”

State Government’s Role in the Crisis

Lawmakers can only do so much from a policy perspective, Cutler said.

“What it really comes down to is the state’s role,” he said. “And that is to provide funding for treatment and enable access to treatment.”

While the state’s previous budgets have consistently increased funding for opioid abuse and treatment as well as Naloxone for immediate rescue, Cutler sees organizations like The GateHouse playing the primary role in long-term recovery, with state government providing support in the form of funding and new policies.

“Quite frankly, government can’t address everything,” he said. “Individual needs set up a different path for each person in terms of what will work. That’s why we, as policymakers, need to stay focused on the results.”

A Troubling Evolution

With the general public becoming more aware and more alarmed by the crisis, more money has been freed up to combat it. This has allowed law enforcement to give it greater attention and has put increased pressure on street-level dealers. This increased awareness, attention, and pressure has been welcomed by the recovery community, but the evolution of the crisis isn’t what most have hoped for.

While dealers are starting to pivot away from heroin and black-market prescription opioids, they’re switching to methamphetamines instead. Cutler said this is a natural progression, which isn’t all that surprising.

“This transition or evolution in terms of alternate drugs—we’ve already been through this once already,” he said. “In many cases, addicts have gone from opiates to heroin. As those things change and access changes, it’s only natural that yet another alternative will be given. It’s a natural evolution, and that brings me back to why we have to focus on the outcomes, not necessarily on a particular path.”

Organizations like The GateHouse should be charting the course for patient recovery, not lawmakers, Cutler said.

“They’re the ones best situated to deal with the actual addiction problem,” he said, “and not on one drug or another. As lawmakers, we look to them to help us shape policies that can aid them in their efforts.”

‘Pervasive’ and ‘Personal’

Like many of the people we’ve interviewed for this series, the subject of addiction is a personal one for Cutler.

“I’ve had friends and family members, unfortunately, who have been affected by this,” Cutler said. “In fact, a good friend of mine, who I used to work with at the hospital back in the early 2000s, committed suicide because of it. Another friend, who I went to church with, actually overdosed. I don’t know if that was intentional or unintentional, but the results were the same unfortunately. So, yes. It’s been very real for me.”

After being elected Majority Leader late last year by the House Republican Caucus in Harrisburg, Cutler addressed the General Assembly, Governor Tom Wolf, and other high-ranking officials on New Year’s Day. He told his fellow lawmakers that they need to do more than just debate issues.

“We need to know one another…learn one another’s life stories in a personal and meaningful way,” he told his colleagues. “I think it’s incredibly helpful to know and understand each other’s stories.”

Speaking recently, Cutler expanded on those comments.

“My point was that it’s important for us to share our stories and explain why we are here and what has impacted us,” he said. “That helps us to inform each other about what drives our decision-making process. The opioid situation is no different. This one just happens to be much more pervasive and much more personal. I literally don’t know anybody who hasn’t been directly impacted.”

Open post Ryan Aument

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 working to address it.

Senator Ryan Aument, who serves northern Lancaster County’s 36th state Senatorial District, said many of his colleagues in the Pennsylvania Senate have both publicly and privately shared stories about how the opioid epidemic has hit home for them.

“It’s very rare that you engage a family now that doesn’t have a loved one or someone they know touched in some way by the disease of addiction, whether it’s heroin, prescription drug abuse, or something else,” he said. “In my own family, I have a brother-in-law who has struggled for the past number of years with addiction. For him, it started with an opiate prescription for a shoulder surgery. He’s struggled with prescription drug addiction ever since. The sad fact is that nearly every family is impacted by this crisis on some level.”

 

The Frustration for First Responders

 

Even before his brother-in-law’s battles, however, Sen. Aument was hearing about the scourge of addiction and the impact the opioid epidemic was having on Central Pennsylvania.

“About halfway through my first term in the Senate, I did ride-alongs with each of the police departments in the 36th District—at least the ones that had ride-along programs at that time,” he said. “I think I went out with about eight police departments. I typically did a night shift. I would go out on a Friday night from about eight o’clock to about two in the morning. I didn’t do a full shift, but I did a good portion of it.”

Without fail, he said, each and every police officer he talked to cited opioid addiction as their top concern and the top issue that their communities were facing.

“They could even point to certain houses where they had monitored dealing, or where folks had overdosed, or places where they had brought someone back through the administration of Narcan,” he said. “It was eye-opening.”

Several years later, he still hears the frustration from law enforcement. The concern now centers around seeing the same individuals time and time again.

“These officers often feel helpless to get these people the help they need,” Sen. Aument said. “They can hand them off to EMS personnel, but there’s no requirement that they go into treatment. So, of course, this is where you begin to see the bridge to a public policy discussion.”

 

An Issue to Rally Around

 

Sen. Aument said there are a number of people who continue to advocate for involuntary commitments.

“After so many instances of overdose and the administration of Narcan or Naloxone, the question that keeps coming up is, ‘Should there be some sort of rule about when involuntary commitment is required?’” he said. “More importantly, would that even be effective? If somebody is being forced into treatment, that means they’re unwilling to go into treatment, so is it really effective? That’s one issue that the Legislature is still debating.”

And debates in Harrisburg aren’t typically easy. In such a politically polarized environment, even the most rudimentary of discussions can quickly devolve into contentious legislative battles. But when it comes to the opioid crisis, Sen. Aument said Republicans and Democrats seem to have found common ground.

In January 2018, when Gov. Wolf declared the opioid crisis a statewide disaster emergency to, in part, encourage lawmakers to take action, both sides of the aisle rallied around the decision.

“I certainly think he was right to do so, because I think it helps elevate the conversation and shine attention on the issue,” Sen. Aument said. “This is one of those areas where there has been tremendous bipartisan support and agreement. Sen. Gene Yaw, a Republican in our caucus, has been a real leader on these issues and has conducted a number of hearings and has worked closely with the governor. In fact, last year in his budget address, the governor specifically highlighted the work of Sen. Yaw on these issues. It has been good to see such a bipartisan effort, and I do give the governor a lot of credit for bringing attention to these issues and for looking for ways to drive funding out.”

However, Sen. Aument says he doesn’t have a good handle on whether the Commonwealth is being diligent enough in its efforts to follow through on existing policy and program funding.

“We want to make sure that we’re actually taking a look at the return on our investments and measuring outcomes to make sure we’re driving funding to the communities that need it most,” he said. “We also must make sure that those communities are, in turn, using that funding for programs like those at The GateHouse, which are having a real impact, both from an educational standpoint as well as from a treatment and recovery standpoint.”

 

Proposals for Progress

 

This past February, Sen. Aument said, members of the state Senate Republican Caucus held a retreat to discuss legislative priorities.

“The issue of combating the opioid crisis ranked very high among our members,” he said. “It fell just behind economic issues and workforce development, which are always at the top of the list. That should illustrate just how big of a deal this is to lawmakers.”

In mid-June, just as the General Assembly was working to finalize a budget plan for the new fiscal year that began on July 1, Senate Republicans introduced a package of bills aimed at curtailing the opioid crisis through changes in public policy. One of those bills was Sen. Aument’s Opioid Patient Treatment Agreement, Senate Bill 572. The Senator’s cosponsorship memo can be found here.

“One of the areas I believe we need to address is when someone is going to be prescribed an opiate for a protracted length of time,” Sen. Aument said. “In those circumstances, my bill would require an opiate prescription plan that would be agreed to between the physician and the patient. The plan would provide for baseline drug testing to be done, so we know what’s in the patient’s system and we know that that person is not already abusing substances. Then, there would be random drug testing to make sure the plan is being followed.”

Other bills in the package call for limiting opioid prescriptions to seven days unless there is a medical emergency that puts a patient’s health or safety at risk, stiffer penalties for drug dealers, the establishment of a recovery-to-work program to help recovering addicts find occupations through local workforce development boards, and more.

“And these are just some of the specific policy discussions that we’re having,” Sen. Aument said. “There’s no member who’s not hearing from their constituents about this problem and isn’t very much engaged in this issue. We’re looking to provide as much assistance as we can to the folks doing the great work at places like The GateHouse. Legislatively, we want to do as much as we can to give them the tools that they need to help the greatest number of people.”

 

A Problem with Many Perspectives

 

Just about everywhere he goes, Sen. Aument said he hears from people on all sides of the opioid discussion.

“Whether I’m out in the community talking to families or whether I’m talking to law enforcement or taking tours of facilities, it’s on everybody’s minds,” he said. “We are also receiving calls in our offices in Lititz and Harrisburg, as well. In many cases it’s a family member who’s very, very concerned for a loved one and is looking for resources and ultimately an answer. In some cases, the individual may be interested in treatment and we can make a referral or direct them to a resource like The GateHouse.”

In other cases, however, it may be a family member who’s concerned and is trying to get help for a loved one who has yet to show an interest in treatment.

“Obviously, that’s a far more difficult conversation,” Sen. Aument said. “And it once again brings up this discussion of whether you can or should force someone into treatment who doesn’t want to be there. I hear from folks on all sides of this aspect of the issue.”

There are no easy answers, he said.

“I’ve talked to folks—really smart people who know these issues and know the industry really well—and even they have different perspectives and opinions about it,” Sen. Aument said. “And then you have medical personnel and law enforcement officials who are just looking to get some help to stop the repeated overdoses. It’s incredibly demoralizing for EMS and police. They continue to express to me their tremendous frustration just about every time I speak with them.”

Narcan and Naloxone are both effective treatments for overdoses, but they’re also very expensive and can drain public resources. That’s where lawmakers have to draw clear lines and decide when enough is enough.

“It’s a tough one,” Sen. Aument said. “If you back me into a corner, I think there almost has to be a trigger at some point when you’re dealing with the same individual four and five times, over and over. I don’t know what the magic number is, but I do believe there ought to be some sort of requirement to seek treatment when you’ve been revived numerous times. While I recognize that for some of those folks it may not be effective, maybe for one or two it will.”

Open post District Attorney Craig Stedman

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 in 2008, we didn’t have as many opioid problems as we do today. In the past five years, we’ve just had an absolute explosion in heroin cases and heroin-related deaths.”

From his position as the county’s top law enforcement official, Stedman sees the impact arrests and convictions are having on the local illicit drug market. Unfortunately, he said, the problem isn’t going away—it’s just going in a different direction.

Just recently, for example, the Lancaster County Drug Task Force captured a long-time heroin dealer who was selling cocaine and methamphetamines. He had no heroin on him.

“We asked him, ‘You’re a heroin dealer! What are you doing with this stuff?’ He said, ‘Look, dude, I’m not catching a body in Lancaster County.’”

Stedman said dealers aren’t giving up, they’re just adapting to changing conditions. Fentanyl-laced heroin is killing people in high numbers, and drug dealers know that if what they sell kills someone, they’re going to jail for a long time.

“And they’re not willing to take that risk,” he said. “So, while we’re definitely making a difference from an enforcement perspective, I’ll be the first to tell you—and I’ve said this a million times—we are not going to arrest our way out of this problem.”

The Bigger Picture

The long-term answer isn’t enforcement, Stedman said. The long-term answer is education, prevention, and treatment.

“And not just treatment—long-term treatment,” he said. “Short-term rehab just doesn’t give the brain of a heavy heroin abuser the time it needs to recover from acute addiction.”

Aftercare is critical, Stedman said.

“As a country and as a county, we need to invest in long-term treatment,” he said. “As a heroin addict, you don’t go into a 15-day rehab and expect everything to be just fine. Heroin addicts are going to struggle with this the rest of their lives. Thankfully, organizations like The GateHouse understand that. They treat the whole person, not just the symptoms of the addiction.”

To truly address the problem, Stedman believes local, state, and national leaders need to make treatment a priority with proper funding.

“So far, unfortunately, I haven’t seen a willingness to do that, so you’re getting this revolving door,” he said. “These people think they’re fine because they’ve been told they’re fine, but they’re not fine. They’re heroin addicts, and their brains are wired that way. It’s science. They need the right tools.”

The Paths to Addiction

Although his focus is on the adjudication of crimes, Stedman said he’s learned a lot about addiction during his time as a prosecutor. He said he sees two typical paths to opioid addiction.

The first is through prescription medication.

“We’re learning that some people are more biologically prone to addiction than others,” he said. “After a surgery, two people might go and get an opioid prescription. One of them might say, ‘I never want to use that stuff ever again.’ The other might say, ‘This is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had. I never want to stop.’ At that point, it’s no longer a choice. It’s an addiction.”

The second path is the “gateway path.”

“That’s the more traditional one, and unfortunately, it’s the one a lot of heroin users take,” he said. “They start with alcohol, or marijuana. They’ve got the biology, they love the high, so they start using or drinking more and more, and they find out they can’t recreate that high they crave. So, they switch to cocaine, and the same thing happens. At first, they’re like, ‘Oh, this is awesome,’ but then they become tolerant to it. Now they’re using cocaine all the time to recreate that high, and it doesn’t work. That’s when they switch to heroin.”

Had they never been exposed to the drug, they would probably be fine living their entire lives never having a concern about it, Stedman said. Once they’re exposed, either through experimentation or prescription, it takes over their lives—and the lives of those around them.

“It doesn’t just damage the person who’s using,” he said. “It destroys everyone who cares about them. It’s this huge wake. The family keeps trying, and they can’t get them to get help. We actually did a public service announcement with a couple of mothers who lost their kids. It’s gut-wrenching stuff. It’s horrible.”

Beyond Arrests and Convictions

Stories like these are why he’s tried to find new and innovative ways to address drug crimes before they start. A few years ago, Stedman hired community outreach coordinator, Sarah Fritz. It was the first hire of its kind in the history of the Lancaster County DA’s office.

“She’s not a lawyer, and she’s not a police officer,” he said. “She’s a civilian. Her whole focus is on building relationships within the county and within the school systems to further the goals of outreach, prevention, and education.”

While she has addressed bullying, pornography, and other social ills affecting the county’s youth, Stedman said Fritz’s primary outreach efforts have centered around drugs.

“Again, we’re not going to enforce our way out of this,” he said. “We need to be much more proactive, and that’s why we’ve really tried to think outside the box—beyond arrests and convictions.”

Speaking of boxes, Stedman’s office also introduced a lock-box initiative using drug money seized from dealers.

“Since one of the key pathways to opioid addiction is prescription drugs, we’ve taken forfeiture money and bought little lock boxes to hand out,” he said. “They have little combinations on them, and they’re designed to encourage people to lock up their prescription medications.”

While the lock boxes aren’t meant to withstand overwhelming force, Stedman said, they’re just sturdy enough to keep dangerous prescriptions out of the wrong hands.

“A lot of people who have surgeries and are prescribed controlled substances don’t even think about it,” he said. “They take them home and put them on the top shelf of their medicine cabinet and forget how dangerous they are.”

The lock boxes are a way for people to make sure these medications are secured.

“This is a tangible way to do something proactive,” Stedman said. “If it saves one life, it’s worth it.”

Diversionary Programs

One of the big issues facing law enforcement is what to do with offenders once they’ve been caught. In Lancaster County, whether to prosecute a case or refer it to a diversionary program is determined on case by case basis, Stedman said.  Sometimes it’s an easy decision, sometimes it’s not.

“The guy who sells heroin for money to people he doesn’t know, and someone dies, he’s going to be treated a whole lot worse than two heroin addicts who were friends and users together and one gives it to the other and that person dies,” Stedman said. “They’re just completely different situations.”

Lancaster County law enforcement reserves its harshest penalties for what Stedman calls “predator dealers.” But not everybody falls into that category. About 22% of the DA’s cases are sent to some sort of diversion or treatment program, whether it’s ARD or a treatment court like drug court, mental health court, or veteran’s court.

“We’ll try to find the right court for the right person,” he said. “Obviously, depending on what the crime is, we have to find the right balance. If a heroin addict broke into someone’s home, for example, there has to be accountability for that.”

It’s tough, because not every case is easily sorted out.

“Many of these people are not bad people,” Stedman said. “They don’t have evil intentions. They’re just addicts. It’s no different than any other disease.”

While Stedman has ultimate authority over how a case is handled in Lancaster County, he doesn’t make the decision himself, he said. Whether a case involving substance abuse is prosecuted or sent to a diversionary program depends on a variety of factors and a variety of input.

“All the programs have teams, so I’ll listen to what the team recommends,” he said. “We also have to talk to the victims. That’s very important. If it’s a victim crime—DUI, personal injury, or something else—we’re going to want to get their input. We also rely a lot on input from the police officers who have often dealt with these people before.”

It is unlikely, for example, that a predator drug dealer would find his way into a treatment court. On the other hand, someone with ties to the community who has slowly descended into criminal behavior as the result of a substance dependence might have the opportunity to enter a diversionary program.

“We’re looking for people who have a chance of success,” Stedman said. “We also look at the drug. Obviously, the marijuana dealer is going to have a better chance of getting more lenient treatment than somebody who’s out there selling fentanyl. With the people selling fentanyl, you know somebody’s probably going to die.”

People who commit sexual offenses are statutorily prohibited from entering diversionary programs, so they’re not even considered, he said.

“We also have a modified track,” Stedman said. “It’s not necessarily a diversionary program, but it’s not a straight guilty plea, either. If you complete the appropriate program, we’ll drop the felony and you’ll just have a misdemeanor on your record. For some of the cases that are in the gray area, a modified track usually works well for everybody involved.”

The Pursuit of Justice

When it comes down to the final decision, however, Stedman said he and the team are asking themselves one very important question: “What should happen here?”

“It’s a complicated question in one way, but in another way, it’s a really simple question,” he said. “What’s the right thing to do? Does this person need to be in jail? Does this person need a second chance? Will this person benefit from a modified track? What is the best thing?”

Stedman said it’s important to treat everyone as an individual.

“They’re not just numbers in a case file,” he said. “The victims are people and the defendants are, too. We’re just tasked with the job of determining what’s going to be the best long-term outcome for the community. If the team can sell me on a case, and they want to take a chance, then I’m not afraid to do that. Sometimes it backfires. Sometimes it doesn’t work.  Unfortunately, nobody gives you a crystal ball.”

While the DA’s drug task force is bringing in more drug-related criminals than ever before, Stedman said more work needs to be done. Drug-related deaths are everywhere—even in places you’d least expect them.

“We just had a case a couple months ago, where we had a death in prison and made arrests,” he said. “A couple of guys who were picking up trash on work release arranged to have someone put heroin out for them. They brought it back to the prison, and one guy died. Another guy almost died.”

Tragedies like these often leave Stedman shaking his head.

“I think we need a stronger word than ‘addiction,’” he said. “I don’t think that word captures it enough. If you put an axe and some heroin on the table in front of some of these addicts and say, ‘If you take the heroin, we’ll chop your hand off,’ they’re not even going to think about it. They’re going to tell you to chop their hand off. They can’t even think straight. It’s just completely taken over their brains. That’s why I really appreciate the work that organizations like The GateHouse are doing to try to help people.”

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