At a press conference held in Clarkson on April 7, Huther Doyle’s President and CEO, Kelly Reed, announced the Grand Opening of its new Mobile Treatment Unit, which will premier its Substance Use Disorder Services on the westside of Monroe County. It is set to hit the road this month.
Huther Doyle has been awarded two grants through the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) that are supporting this initiative. The intent is to bring mobile unit services to remote areas to support individuals who would not normally enter a treatment program due to stigma or who are unable to travel to areas where treatment is more readily available. The targeted areas of this grant include the western portion of Monroe County, as well as portions of neighboring counties to the west. Eventually, Huther Doyle will explore using the van to support Monroe County Treatment Courts and other areas throughout the county.
“Substance Use Disorder has long been considered an epidemic in our community and across the nation. But it has most certainly become a bigger concern since COVID-19 started. In fact, the national drug testing labs Millennium and Quest have both reported a vast increase in drug use and abuse since the start of the pandemic,” Reed said. “Consider this, in the period beginning March 13th through the end of May 2020, Millennium found when compared to the period January 1 through March 13th, there was a 32% increase in nonprescribed fentanyl, a 12.5% increase in heroin use and a 10% increase in cocaine use. This was accompanied by an 18% increase in the number of suspected drug overdoses. Quest tracked and compared drug positivity rates for the same periods and found a 35% increase in nonprescribed fentanyl and a 44% increase in heroin use. This has only gotten worse over the course of the past 12 months. While the nation continues its important focus on the COVID pandemic, we must also maintain a laser focus on the drug and alcohol misuse epidemic which continues to kill nearly 70,000 Americans every year.”
OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said, “This new mobile treatment unit will allow us to expand our lifesaving services to previously underserved areas and help us continue to meet people where they are when it comes to their addiction treatment needs. Mobile treatment offerings have added a critical component to our continuum of care and have allowed us to reach more people who may not otherwise have been connected to the help and support that they need. We look forward to the benefits that this will bring to Monroe County and the nearby area.”
The Mobile Unit will be staffed with counselors, peers, and medical providers offering state of the art treatment services to community members in need of intervention. The unit will follow a daily schedule that includes locations in various westside towns and villages. Services provided will include treatment evaluations, counseling, peer supports, and Medication Assisted Treatment. Huther Doyle has been working with local agencies and organizations to spread the word about this unit, which will be placed in low traffic, discreet areas and is unmarked to allow help while also ensuring the protected privacy of those who seek treatment.
Monroe County Legislator Jackie Smith said, “The opioid epidemic continues to be an issue throughout communities. Many people are unable to receive the assistance and support that they need because of stigma and inaccessibility of services. I am so grateful to Huther Doyle for identifying the need for these services in Western Monroe County and to OASAS for providing the financial support to make sure that necessary services are reaching individuals in more remote locations.”
For information about Huther Doyle or help with Substance Use Disorder, visit hutherdoyle.com or call 585-325-5100.
Provided information
Photos by Suzette Coleman
Monroe County Legislature
