The 4Community Collaboration members represent treatment, drug task force, sheriff's department, police department, probation department, hospital, school corporations, judicial system and social services. The financial support was a matching grant from the Indiana Association of United Ways. The local match was provided by United Way of Kosciusko County, Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation, Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Kosciusko REMC Operation Round-up, Mutual Federal Savings Bank Foundation, Maple Leaf Farms, RR Donnelley, Biomet Foundation, Medtronic Sofamor Danek Foundation, Kosciusko Community Hospital, National City Bank, Lake City Bank and Jerry Beasly.
To enhance the Drug Task Force and the Meth Watch Group, we purchased locks for the 200+ portable anhydrous ammonia tanks in the county. This will help prohibit the stealing of one of the main ingredients for the making of methamphetamine.
To help address substance abuse issues with middle school students, a brochure describing the warning signs of drug use and where to seek help was provided to their parents. Parents may obtain a free drug test for their child, done in the privacy of their homes, at the middle school nurse's office or the county health department. We are providing educational programs to the students: county jail tours, presentations from drug task force members about the hazards of drugs to their bodies and a "Straight Talk" convocation utilizing offenders who are serving sentences for offenses that are alcohol and/or drug-related. A video is being developed as an educational and awareness tool for service organizations, churches, businesses, etc.
The Serenity House has opened serving men who are rehabilitating from drug and alcohol addition. Men are required to work and pay rent to reside there. They are required to do the "Back to Basics" and "The 12 Step Program"; seven meetings each week. The six- to nine-month recovery process isn't easy and Serenity House has tough rules and a zero-tolerance policy. Residents are given random drug and alcohol tests.
Treatment is also being addressed with the Bowen Center and the Addiction Recovery Center. The collaboration is providing financial assistance for qualifying individuals that successfully complete designated stages of a total substance abuse treatment program. The standard 23-week Intensive Out Patient program was enhanced to include an additional six months with monthly individual and group counseling sessions. Additionally, multiple support options (life skills, mediation conflict, family counseling, parenting program, employment counseling and credit/money management) are available.
We acknowledge the drug issue will never go away, but we are proactively addressing the condition of substance abuse by:
1) Decreasing the availability of the key ingredient in making the methamphetamine drug.
2) To improve the recidivism rate associated with substance abuse.
3) To enhance community information and awareness of illegal drugs and substance abuse issues.
4) To increase the accessibility of substance abuse treatment services to assist individuals.
