When former nurse and Save the Michaels volunteer Maureen Corolus asked a panel of county officials Tuesday how the hole in services left behind by the closure of Save the Michaels would be filled, they sighed.
No one on the panel gathered for “A Community Conversation on Substance Use, Recovery Support and Pathways to Care” at city hall spoke. Moderator Laura Kelemen, director of the Niagara County Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, immediately beckoned for a comment from another community member.
When asked later for a response to Corolus’ question, Kelemen replied, “Tonight wasn’t for us to answer the question of what is needed.”
Held to seek community input, organizers of the forum said in a May 21 release on the forum that questions and concerns were encouraged.
During the forum, Kelemen said, “It’s hard to quantify who is needing services,” referring to clients dispersing after the closure of the Save the Michaels location on Main Street.
When asked if the county couldn’t have obtained client data from Save the Michaels before its last day of services, Kelemen said, “You’d have to go to OASAS (state Office of Addiction Services and Supports) for that.”
While Fauzia Khan, director of the Niagara County Public Health Department, reported that the agency trained 600 people in administering Narcan, an antidote for opiate overdoses, and distributed 2,500 Narcan kits, no other data was provided on the county’s substance abuse numbers. The county’s Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services is the state-designated authority for overseeing the local services system.
Save the Michaels was an addiction services organization providing recovery services under contract with OASAS.
Last year, Emily Buteyn, former clinical supervisor at Save the Michaels’ Lockport location, said the organization offered 50 to 60 coaching and support groups each month, for families, women, those suffering grief and loss, and Narcotics Anonymous. The organization provided 1,000 visits monthly and operated a drop-in center for the public weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. that offered computers, wifi, TV, bagels, and coffee.
In March, it announced that it would close amid financial troubles.
At Tuesday’s forum, the 30 people who attended, mostly representing human services non-profits and treatment organizations, did speak about the fragmentation of services, high turnover among workers, and the need for transportation for clients.
Resident Gary Bowman, who said he has been living in recovery for 30 years, said he originally received services from the Veterans’ Administration. Brown said there is no longer a one-stop center in the area where an individual can address multiple needs.
“We need it back,” he said.
Judge William Watson spoke about how the county’s treatment court brings representatives from job services, social services, and other essential needs together to create a plan for criminal offenders with substance abuse issues to get their needs met.
“Most of the people that come to me aren’t good at doing what they’re told to do,” Watson said. “We can mandate self-help.”
Debbie Hamilton, behavioral health compliance officer for Northpointe Council, said it was difficult for staff to know all the providers and services available in the county.
Kelemen said the county’s WellNiagara app has a comprehensive list of substance abuse services and providers of essential needs like food pantries.
“I want all our organizations to work as well as treatment court,” Hamilton said.