The opioid and heroin epidemic is still as problematic as ever in Central New York as treatment options continue to expand. That’s according to the Director of Behavioral Health at Crouse Hospitalin Syracuse. Last year, 325 patients were admitted to the medication assistive treatment program and the current census has 700 patients enrolled for treatment services which can span several years or decades. Behavioral Health Director Monika Taylor is anticipating funding from the State Budget and at the Federal level.
“And of course the hope is that we, Crouse and other providers in our community would be able to get additional funding so that we can expand the needed services.”
Taylor adds in 2016, more than 50% of their admissions were due to opioid disorders. According to the Executive Director ACR Health in Syracuse, Wil Murtaugh, a steady stream of clients who use drugs with needles are filling the waiting room.
“We opened up the medical clinic for injected drug users and we’re at capacity with that daily. It’s pretty amazing that people that are coming into us that are using needles are coming to us for help. So it’s a whole other line of business that I never thought we’d be in, but we are.”
Murtaugh says it’s a “culturally-competent” clinic that assists people by removing the stigma of their clients as drug users and they put them at ease. Crouse Hospital’s Taylor says pain meds that doctors’ prescribe can also unknowingly ease undiagnosed mental health issues.
“They may be experiencing mental health issues and the opioid medication that they were on was making them feel better.”
Last July Congressmember John Katko secured a federal package of $181 million to expand drug treatment services for heroin and opioid addiction across the US.
