04/03/19 – 8:19 P.M.

Hancock County is following a national trend of opioid deaths and overdoses are declining. ADAMHS Board consultant Dr. Michael Flaherty said that it’s good news but may be short-lived.

Flaherty said that there are programs and services being implemented that should show longterm results. He predicts that there will be a sustainable decline by 2025.

ADAMHS Executive Director Precia Stuby added that Hancock County ADAMHS has implemented a new categorization of people suffering from addiction. Stuby explained that their new “floor” system works like stages of cancer where the higher someone is on the scale, the more help they need.

This allows treatment providers to better assess the level of care a person needs. Interventions for the first floor include things like community education, peer support, and a continuum of care. Third-floor interventions include arrests, needle exchanges, and involuntary admission to a treatment center.