Group effort launches Protect Recovery Program

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PIQUA — As the heroin epidemic continues to worsen with one of its most fatal years yet, the city of Piqua is doubling down on its response.

Piqua Chief of Police Bruce Jamison announced the beginning of the Protect Recovery Program during the Piqua City Commission meeting Tuesday evening. With the Piqua being near the epicenter of the epidemic, Jamison said, this program is working with the PROTECT Piqua Board, the Miami County Recovery Council (MCRC), and other organizations to try to remove barriers to treatment and recovery for drug-addicted residents.

Addicts are given the opportunity to have a HEART — Heroin Education and Addiction Recovery Team — meeting. HEART is composed of police officers, Piqua Fire and EMS personnel, recovery specialists, a chaplain for a faith-based perspective if desired, and a pharmacist. This team also has contact with overdose victims after every reported overdose to offer them help and access to resources.

“We have access to a treatment center in Florida,” Jamison said, noting the importance of removing addicts from the environment that may have contributed to their addiction problem.

Addicts can also have a recovery mentor assigned to them, of which the Protect Recovery Program is seeking more. They are looking for addicts who are in a successful recovery.

City Manager Gary Huff commended Jamison and the police department for how they “stepped up to try and address the addiction problems.” Earlier, Jamison said that the police department is committed to getting drug dealers off the streets in addition to this new team to help drug-addicted people.

By Sam Wildow

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Reach Sam Wildow at [email protected] or (937) 451-3336

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