SHARON, Pa. – Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones continued the agency’s statewide stakeholder engagement tour on Friday in Mercer County to hear top issues and concerns surrounding the opioid and overdose crises.
DDAP’s goal is to gather feedback that will help craft the agency’s plan for increased community and treatment provider engagement while also gaining stakeholder insight to assist the agency’s work on regulatory reform.
“Today’s roundtable discussions and stops at local providers of recovery supports are a look into how Mercer County is addressing the needs of residents and priority populations at the local level and about hearing firsthand from direct services providers how the state can be the best possible partner in their efforts,” said Secretary Davis-Jones.
As part of this stop, Secretary Davis-Jones visited Resolutions Recovery Center which provides recovery support including art and equine programming, cognitive behavioral therapy, one-on-one therapy, group counseling, and 12-step programming. In addition, Secretary Davis-Jones participated in a holiday-focused activity at Removing Obstacles to Assist with Recovery – a safe, supportive drop-in center for individuals in recovery.
Secretary Davis-Jones was joined by the Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment providers, recovery organizations, and other stakeholders for a roundtable discussion on efforts to manage the overdose crisis in Mercer County.
The county’s drug and alcohol office is the Single County Authority (SCA) for drug and alcohol services in Mercer County. The SCA’s mission is to serve those affected by SUD by providing high-quality prevention, intervention, treatment services, and recovery support in Mercer County.
DDAP is prioritizing gaining stakeholder insight to assist the agency with its regulatory reform initiative. Specifically, the agency’s objectives for the regulatory reform initiative include:
· Organizing regulations in a way that makes sense for both providers and patients reading them;
· Updating terminology to use current and consistent terms using plain language while avoiding stigmatizing language; and
· Ensuring regulations are specifically focused and designed to promote client safety, quality care, and positive outcomes and elevate the person’s treatment/service experience.
The goals of DDAP’s engagement tour align with Governor Josh Shapiro’s Executive Order to establish the Pennsylvania Behavioral Health Council, which will bring together state leaders, local governments, and community providers to develop and recommend to the Governor the implementation of a statewide action plan that addresses how to deliver timely and quality mental health and addiction care services, in a culturally relevant, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented manner, through an evidence-based behavioral delivery system.
Stakeholders of the tour include individuals in recovery and those with lived experience, service providers, active service recipients, community leaders, schools, corrections units, and more. The tour seeks to reach communities and voices less frequently heard.
Learn more about the Shapiro Administration’s efforts in combating the overdose crisis at pa.gov/opioids.
