By Lea Ann Butcher / Story published Feb. 28, 2020 / v07e04p05

MIDDLEBOURNE – Who can you contact when you or someone you know needs help dealing with a drug problem?

In Tyler County, it’s the recently established Quick Response Team, which has partnered with the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office in an effort to save lives.

A Quick Response Team (QRT) consists of a law enforcement officer, a recovery coach, a paramedic and a member of the faith community. This group will visit individuals who have been administered NARCAN or have overdosed. In Tyler County, the team is managed by Westbrook Health Services in Parkersburg.

Crystal Caudill, peer recovery support specialist for QRT and LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion), recently gave the commissioners an overview on QRT.

QRT overview

“What we do is if somebody in the community is given NARCAN or they overdose or there is a need and somebody reaches out to us, we will respond to the individual within 24 to 72 hours. Our response generally takes us to their home. Instead of having them come to us we will actually go to them and try to engage the individual in treatment. Sometimes it takes us to drug houses. Sometimes it takes us to their grandma’s house. We’re not sure where we’ll end up when we get the call but that is why we take an officer and someone from the ambulance service,” Caudill explained.

“I think sometimes it is easier when we take the option of treatment to them instead of having to wait for them to come to us. I think one of the barriers of treatment is not knowing how to get there or not having the motivation to get there. I think sometimes when it’s presented to them it’s easier for people to find their way,” she continued.

LEAD program

Caudill also explained the LEAD program, another source for help. An individual who has been presented with a drug-related charge can be referred to this program. If the person agrees and goes through the recommended treatment program, usually at least a detox and residential stay, then the charge can be dropped. She did note, however, that a charge is not necessary.

“It can be what we call a social referral. We’ve gotten social referrals from here as well. Just somebody they (law enforcement) encounter that they know has ties to the drug community or is an active user,” she said.

“Both of our programs are a form of harm reduction. We offer follow up services with Westbrook as well. We have a lot of different programs we offer there and we have outpatient and inpatient services. We have a Medication Assisted Treatment program, which would be a suboxone program. Some feel like it’s not ideal for suboxone but it is a form of harm reduction and we do see a decline in criminal behavior and other things with the use of suboxone,” she added.

Caudill and her coworker, Jason Ferrebee, are both peer recovery support specialists. Caudill noted both are in long-term recovery.

“Jason and I, we do peer support. We are both persons in long-term recovery. Jason has celebrated nine years in recovery and I’ve celebrated seven,” she said.

Caudill said that even if a referred individual didn’t need to “go” to treatment, their group would help that person and go to meetings with them. She also said that they offer a program called SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training).

“It is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous but is not spiritually based. Instead it’s based on cognitive behavioral therapy. You still work through a workbook but it’s helping you identify triggers and giving you coping skills and various things you can do to try not to engage in drug activity,” she explained.

Providing support

Westbrook’s QRT team has recently hired an individual who will be based at Sistersville General Hospital. Caudill said the new employee can help with anything from obtaining a driver’s license and getting a birth certificate to finding housing.

“One of the barriers, too, is having support. People want to get clean and want to stay clean but sometimes without the support and that hopeless feeling, they’ll turn back to using. We’re hoping that by providing support we’ll be able to help them stay clean,” she said.

Ferrebee is based at Camden Clark Medical Center emergency room in Parkersburg. He said that since he was recently cleared to be there that they have answered three calls and have cleared beds for those people in an hour or so.

“Two people we got into treatment and one we found temporary housing for. It’s been a really successful program there, because doctors and nurses don’t know what to do with them. It’s beneficial for us to be there because we know the system and we understand what they’re going through,” he said.

Caudill said the group is now getting 55 percent of those they make contact with into some kind of treatment program. Ferrebee pointed out there are still a lot of people they do not come into contact with because of false or wrong information and even homelessness. Some also just do not want to see them there, Caudill said.

“Not everyone is agreeable to what would be a good cause for them because they just haven’t reached that point yet. But 55 percent of the people we reach, those are pretty good numbers and that starts them in the treatment process and gets them connected with primary care physicians and a lot of things that will improve their situation. It also cuts down on law enforcement returning to these same places and same people all the time. It is another option,” Ferrebee said.

“Parkersburg is a mess. The homeless and drug issues are bad and we’re starting to see a little of that decline just because there are other options there and because of the treatment centers we’re able to utilize. We’re connecting the dots on the people and the resources that are helping the community deal with what has been a crisis,” he continued.

Tyler County Commission President John Stender asked Sheriff Brian Weigle what he thought the group’s effect would be in the county.

“Their effect has been excellent with us,” the sheriff replied. “Just this year, we’ve referred two to them. Within 24 hours they’ve responded. We do have a female who is in the program and she’s accepted them to help her.”

Caudill said that lady has already been scheduled for intake services and will be taking courses the group offers in Parkersburg via Polycom instead of having to drive there.

Can call directly

“What we’re trying to do is to promote this and let people be aware that these are out here for families. It doesn’t take law enforcement to call these people. If they see these flyers, they can call them directly,” Weigle said, noting that bringing awareness to the program would hopefully prevent law enforcement from having to “put them in the system.

“Some people just make a mistake and we don’t want to ruin their lives. It takes so long to get them out of the system and this could be an alternative for first offenders and even somebody that’s begging for help. It’s really amazing the times when we stop people and they’re begging for help. There was just nowhere that we knew. With these people on board it’s been a blessing,” he said.

“This is an alternative route we can take. Everybody in the county needs to step up and recognize this program. If we can get one of 100, that’s one,” Weigle added.

“What is the recitative rate of that 55 percent?” Stender asked.

“Generally people that go into a rehab situation or a recovery situation that relapse, they’ll go back because they know what they’re getting then. A lot of people when you say the word ‘rehab’ dont know what to picture. They don’t even know what it is. Once we get them started in that direction then they know it’s there. Some people we meet have been in rehab 10 times and it just hasn’t taken hold of them yet, but this might be the time,” Ferrebee answered.

'We keep trying'

“So you don’t just give up on them?” Stender said.

“We are not in the business of throwing people away. A lot of people we encounter have been so chewed up already by everybody else around them. I got hugged by a grandfather just because we were there and the family had done everything they knew how to do and the situation hadn’t gotten any better. We’ll stay at it. We get cursed. They’re not all success stories but we keep trying,” Ferrebee said.

Tyler County Assessor Lisa Jackson asked if those who have consistently relapsed but have nowhere else to turn can reach out to the group.

“There’s not a lot of help for them. They can’t get a lot of help to stay clean. They want to stay clean and they’re trying, but they don’t have anybody to reach out to, they can reach out to you as well?” Jackson asked.

“Our peer at SGH will be able to do the things I said as far as helping with housing or jobs or just to talk. We just want people to know that there is hope because we have it. I mean, all four of us are peers and we all, at one point, were where they are all at. We know there is light at the end of it and we just want to be able to express to them that there is hope,” Caudill answered.

“Our community is affected by this. We’re hurting and the prosecutors office is overwhelmed. This could be our alternative route but it’s not going to stop the problem,” Weigle said.

Ferrebee said the biggest way to support the program is to give them referrals. He asked for local EMTs to carry consent forms that can be given to a patient after they’ve overdosed.

“We’ll meet people wherever they are but generally we need some kind of permission from them to realize we’re coming. We will and have basically cold-knocked doors but people that aren’t asking or don’t know that we’re coming generally are not receptive and it might burn that bridge for another time when they will be,” he said.

Stender and Commission Vice-President Mike Smith agreed that by using the QRT the county is being proactive in dealing with the drug issues.

“Yes, that is basically what I want – for the papers to put it out, for you guys to go home and talk to people that ‘Hey, we’re being very proactive for the drug situation we have and here is an alternate route’ before we deal with them,” Weigle said.

Although the group did not come to ask for monetary support, Caudill did explain the group does face some financial barriers. She said the crisis team in Wood County gives money for the group to utilize.

More approachable

“We do utilize the money – sometimes to pay for psychiatric medications for some of our clients. We won’t pay for an antibiotic. We won’t pay for other medications unless they’re life-saving but we will use it for psychiatric medications. We use the money sometimes to give people gas cards, if your uncle is going to drive you to the treatment program in Clarksburg and you have zero money, we’ll give people gas cards or put gas in vehicles for people,” she said.

“We find ourselves buying hygiene products for people because nobody wants to go anywhere with no toothpaste or toothbrush or deodorant. Those are the things we would purchase. If somebody is in the MAT program and can’t afford their medication, sometimes we will pay for that. We don’t regularly pay for medication month to month to month. If it’s a barrier that’s going to help them maintain their clean time or sobriety, sometimes we will step up financially and help them,” she added.

Ferrebee pointed out uniformed law enforcement can be an immediate turn-off to someone who needs help.

“They don’t want to see it. They’ll shut the blinds and everything. We’re much more approachable, much more relatable and we’ve all been in their shoes, so they tend to open up to us a little more. When we take law enforcement with us it’s for our own safety. We just need support and referrals, back us up and get people to us,” he concluded.

If you or someone you know could benefit from these services, call the Quick Response Team at 304-485-1721 extension 260.