Cover 2 Resources

Greg interviews Allyse Adams, a Clinical Administrator and Certified Counselor at the Oriana House of Akron, Ohio.

Greg interviews Erin Helms, the Executive Director of the Woodrow Project located in Parma, Ohio. The mission of the Woodrow Project is to provide a safe, stable and supportive environment for women in recovery.

In this episode of the Cover2 Resources podcast, Greg interviews Mayor Dan Horrigan of Akron, Ohio. Greg explains Colerain’s revolutionary approach. Mayor Horrigan says, “I love the idea, the compassionate approach… I’ve talked to Donna Skoda and to our Chief of Public Safety. I’ve said, let’s try and put something like this together. If we have the social work experts, the available medical staff—even if we don’t, we have to do something. I’m looking for best practices. How do we implement it up here? It’s a well-worn path. If they’re doing something right, and it’s working, let’s not reinvent the wheel. Let’s try the same thing.”

Mayor Horrigan talks about how easy it is to mimic legislation from other cities. He discusses plans to put something together in this area. He also talks about the seismic shift in drug addiction treatment which is sweeping the nation. He advocates a compassionate approach. “We can’t arrest our way out of these problems,” he says.

Greg interviews Donna Skoda, the Public Health Commissioner of Summit County. Donna has been with the Department of Public Health since 2000. She has been working as the Public Health Commissioner of Summit County for a little over a year. The mission of Summit County Public Health is to protect and advance the health of the entire community through its policies, programs and activities that protect the safety, health and well-being of the people in Summit County.

Greg interviews Nicole Argenio, a former opioid addict. Nicole is an addiction recovery coach at the Oriana House in Akron, OH. The Oriana House is dedicated to assisting people in overcoming their substance dependencies and providing multi-step rehabilitation.

Greg interviews Captain Michael Shearer, Captain of the Akron Police Department Narcotics Division. Captain Shearer has spent 25 years on the police force, in various roles. He has been Captain of the Police Department since 2005. Akron has experienced a tragic spike in heroin overdoses this summer. In July, first responder calls went from 2 a day to 11 a day. Greg asks Captain Shearer how the department has dealt with this influx of overdoses and what the department is doing to make a difference.

Greg interviews Nicole Walmsley, State Representative of the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative. Through her efforts, the initiative is now active in the city of Lodi’s police department. The initiative works to support the Gloucester Police addiction initiative, to aid other police departments, and to foster a dialogue for police departments to take direct action against the disease of drug addiction in their communities.

Travis discusses the stigma of addiction and how we can break it through unity and love. He is the founder of Breaking Barriers – Hope is Alive, located in Uniontown, OH. Breaking Barriers – Hope is Alive is a resource for people and families who are struggling with the disease of addiction. Through training, education and bringing awareness both locally and nationally, Breaking Barriers – Hope is Alive helps addicts get the resources and support they deserve.

The Good Samaritan Law goes into effect on September 13, 2016. Greg asks Representative Sprague about the law and what exactly it entails. “The law is addressing the issue of addiction in the state of Ohio. 8 out of 10 people that use narcotics, prescription pain pills or heroin, use with somebody else. While 8 out of 10 people that overdose, die alone,” says Rep. Sprague. “Overdosing takes time. Whoever is there with that person when they are using, if they don’t call 911, they are running. They don’t want to get in trouble. The Good Samaritan Law provides safety for individuals, so they won’t be prosecuted for minor drug possession. So they can call 911 and save somebody else’s life.”

Dr. Christina Reyes discusses how she got into the field of psychiatry and addiction, as well as the severity of opioid addiction from a medical perspective. She is the Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction at University Hospital’s Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. As an academic medical center, the hospital is dedicated to educating and training physicians and conducting clinical research.