Grant money to spark new Howard Co. program targeting recidivism, recovery

Feb. 19--State grant money is slated to jumpstart a program in Howard County that will assist people upon their release from incarceration or treatment -- a plan local officials hope will lessen recidivism and relapse.

The funds, totaling $75,000, were announced Monday by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. A one-year grant, it is effective March 1 and will allow Howard County's Systems of Care program, Turning Point, to implement its newest effort within the next 30 to 60 days, said Commissioner Paul Wyman.

The program, titled Pick Yourself Up, is expected to help people in the midst of what is often an aggressively difficult transition away from drugs and into a new, sober existence.

In general, Turning Point is a collaborative effort between the medical, mental health and faith-based communities, and connects people struggling with mental health issues, substance abuse and addiction to those who can help them.

But Pick Yourself Up will target a specific audience.

"The grant is intended to fill one of the gaps that we have identified over the last year in the work we've been doing at Turning Point," noted Wyman, who said the money will allow the hiring of a coordinator for the new program.

"And that gap is, when people come out of jail or they come out of a long-term treatment, a lot of times people go back to their old ways. A lot of their old friends, the old places they lived, and those sorts of things, and then they get right back into the same trouble they were in to begin with."

Wyman said Pick Yourself Up is designed to "put a net under those people" by installing resources meant to keep people on track toward recovery and connected to resources "that will better their lives."

"We believe we can help reduce recidivism and keep people in recovery through this program," he noted.

One example Wyman gave was a partnership with the nonprofit organization Advantage Housing that will allow the Pick Yourself Up coordinator to connect people to fresh housing opportunities.

A new home is meant to give people in recovery a clean break from their previous living arrangement, which likely held its own temptations and negative influences.

"Everything from connecting people to ongoing treatment, group therapies, housing, all of the things that people would need to make a new start in life, we'll be in a position to make those connections," said Wyman.

And it's important, he explained, to put those in recovery "around other people who are on the same journey."

"People who are in recovery and coming out of treatment and coming out of jail, we'll be able to connect people in social environments in monthly and weekly get-togethers where they can be around people that are focused on long-term recovery," remarked Wyman.

"And then that will create a positive environment for these folks, as opposed to going back and hanging out with people who maybe were not positive in their lives. ... If all of a sudden they resort back to their old ways, bad things continue to happen."

Matt Oliver, a Turning Point board member and executive director of operations for Community Howard Regional Health's outpatient behavioral health services, echoed many of Wyman's points, saying the program "will no doubt be lifesaving."

"The program doesn't cost money, it simply requires individuals to commit to four core values: respect, responsiveness, reliability and readiness," he said. "Individuals are supported and challenged by trained coaches to reach healthy living goals and to pick themselves up and move forward towards a better, drug free future."

Oliver noted that Pick Yourself Up was developed in collaboration with Kokomo Urban Outreach and its ManUP program, which teaches life and career skills to boys from 10 to 18 that are attending school.

In addition, he said, the new Turning Point program stemmed from conversations with law enforcement officials and judges about recidivism.

"The stakeholder wisdom was clear," explained Oliver. "It's often because people who leave jail are still struggling with addiction and typically are socially alienated and return to relationships that often contributed to going to jail in the first place.

"Pick Yourself Up focuses on building a recovery community, responsible and healthy relationships, getting appropriate and effective health treatment, and building a mindset that allows for individuals to see a brighter and healthier future through job development and further education."

The local grant was part of a $750,000 pot distributed evenly between coalitions in 10 counties that are focused on combating the drug crisis.

The funds are meant to reduce barriers to treatment by funding services, including transportation, housing and child care, along with identifying gaps in existing services, according to a media release from the Governor's office.

"As we continue to attack the drug crisis, effective local coalitions are our partners on the front lines," said Holcomb. "These grants will help empower them to come alongside more Hoosiers who are in need of care."

Jim McClelland, Indiana's executive director for drug prevention, treatment and enforcement, added: "The grants will help local coalitions develop stronger alliances and bolster initiatives to help more people recover from substance abuse disorder.

Howard County officials started 2019 with a cautiously optimistic outlook toward the drug epidemic. The county ended last year with 33 overdose deaths, marking a 25 percent decrease over the record amount of fatal overdoses recorded in Howard County in 2017.

It's still to be seen, however, whether the drop indicates a lasting improvement in Howard County caused by increased addiction services or whether drug fatality numbers will maintain in coming years as a pressing local concern.

Last year's total, despite the decline, is the third-highest in county history.

Wyman, after overdose data was released in January, told the Tribune one reason for the sharp drop in overdose cases can be traced to Turning Point following its opening in late April 2018.

Since the initiative launched, it has connected more than 300 clients to counselors, service providers and community outreaches to get them treatment and support for their issues.

George Myers can be reached at 765-454-8585, by email at george.myers@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter @gmyerskt.

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