JAY — A move to Maine 27 years ago has helped Mike, a recovering heroin addict, stay clean of the drug and methadone.

Mike shared a tale of life on the streets of New York City, jail sentences, detox centers and methadone use with participants in the first of two community drug forums hosted Monday by the Healthy Community Coalition, working with the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Greater Franklin County.

The first forum, held Monday afternoon at Spruce Mountain Middle School in Jay, was followed by an evening forum at Mt. Abram High School.

“It was a never-ending cycle,” he said of his use of heroin and attempts to stop taking methadone. 

For Mike, a move out of his environment helped but for many in rural Franklin County, a lack of treatment options hinders success, as does fear of the stigma associated with drug use.  

Forum facilitator Carol Kelly, a consultant hired by the Maine Medical Association, asked participants to assess what is happening in the county, what they have seen and things that concern them. 

There have been 29 similar forums held throughout the state, she said. Along with assessing needs, recommendations of the Maine Opiate Collaborative are shared.

The recommendations, released in May 2016, offer a roadmap of actions that can be taken by local communities in areas of drug prevention and harm reduction, treatment and law enforcement, she said.

Time and resources are major factors, she said. 

Parents, law officers, school counselors and a variety of treatment professionals voiced concerns about the difficulty of finding treatment options here, especially for those without insurance. 

Detox beds are miles away in Portland, Bangor or maybe St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, parents said. For those in the northern part of the county, the distance is even greater.

Intensive outpatient beds and programs needed for opiate drug addiction are often not available. 

For the addict trying to maintain employment or live a perceived normal life, fears of the stigma involved can keep addicts from getting help, some parents said.

Support by recovery coaches or from other addicts in programs such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous can be limited due to transportation. 

A new option, Oxford Houses, was discussed. There are about eight Oxford Houses in Maine where addicts live together and provide support, Mike said. They pay rent to split housing costs but must adhere to a no-drug policy or leave, he said. 

Senator Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, voiced hopes of starting an Oxford Home locally. But the program needs the resources for a site coordinator for the homes.

Some raised concerns about family issues that may arise when dealing with dependency.

When an addict drives an hour or two to a methadone clinic with their children in the car and are treated before driving back, it becomes a huge concern for Renee Whitley, executive director of the Franklin County Children’s Task Force, and her staff.

“It is a safety issue but they may have no options,” she said.

Children also have to deal with a parent’s addiction in the home.

Another participant spoke about a grandmother who was fleeced of money for drugs but was trying to help her adult grandchild by letting her sleep off the drug at her home. When she couldn’t wake the young woman, an ambulance was called. The woman refused treatment and the grandmother was expected to care for her.

Local police departments instituted the Operation Hope program, where addicts can come to them and be referred for help instead of judicial action, Jay Police Chief Richard Caton IV said. The program, however, has not had any takers over the past year, he said.  

The Scarborough Police Department has had people come in but there’s no place local to send them, nor is there funding for treatment, Kelly said.

All agreed that education of schoolchildren and the public is needed. Counseling provided by physicians prescribing methadone or suboxone was also suggested.

“Nobody wants to be a drug addict,” one participant said. “We are all only a few poor decisions away from being in that position.”

abryant@sunmediagroup.net