Pubdate: Thu, 05 Feb 2015
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2015 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Bernard J. McBride
Note: Bernard J. McBride is the president and CEO for Behavioral 
Health System Baltimore, the nonprofit organization that oversees 
Baltimore City's behavioral health system - the system of care that 
addresses emotional health and well-being and provides service

CITY TASK FORCE GAUGING HEROIN PROBLEM

All around us, people struggle daily with problems brought on by 
substance use disorders - in rural, suburban and urban communities, 
including in Baltimore. The human, financial and emotional costs are enormous.

Fortunately, there is growing attention to the issue in Baltimore, 
with a concentrated focus on heroin use. A key effort in this is the 
task force created last fall by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie 
Rawlings-Blake to develop a strategy for strengthening the city's 
behavioral health system to ensure that treatment is both effective 
and available to those in need.

The task force began by calculating the scope of Baltimore's heroin 
problem and estimating the number of people who use the drug. Using 
the best available data, the task force has estimated that about 
18,900 people use heroin in a year. As we continue to examine the 
data and scope of the challenge, that number may stay the same or change.

We already know a lot about what it takes to address addiction, but 
we are looking carefully at our existing treatment system to make 
sure the right options and processes are in place consistently across 
Baltimore.

For instance, although it is a scientifically demonstrated fact that 
certain kinds of treatment (including medication-assisted treatment 
with methadone and buprenorphine) are effective for many people when 
properly provided, we are examining whether all individuals receiving 
such treatment are being cared for appropriately. We suspect that 
some are receiving the wrong treatment, incomplete treatment or 
treatment for longer than is needed.

We know that there are many individuals in treatment in our city, and 
we suspect that there are many more who need treatment but aren't 
getting it. The task force will work to better understand the scope 
of the unmet treatment need. Our recommendations will include clear 
ideas about how we can achieve our goal of ensuring access to 
treatment for those who need it.

Aside from the urgent need to strengthen and expand our treatment 
system, we must also do a better job of combating prejudice against 
people struggling with substance use. Similarly, we know that some 
organizations in the community that serve substance users have less 
than positive relationships with their residential and business neighbors.

These negative perceptions and relationships hinder our systemic 
effort to provide effective treatment that can help people end their 
use of addictive substances, and the task force hopes to develop 
recommendations for improving public understanding and decreasing 
prejudice against those with substance use disorders. We will also 
consider ways to improve relationships between treatment providers, 
patients and the surrounding community.

Substance use is a daunting public health challenge. Addressing it 
will require a concerted, comprehensive and coordinated approach. We 
believe the task force will help bring the city together to 
understand the nature and scope of the problem, help put aside our 
differences and prejudices, make available the treatments that work 
and be willing to identify and discard those that do not.

We look forward to the day when our goodwill, comprehensive planning, 
cooperation and hard work will lead us to an ever better Baltimore 
City, where few citizens look to substance use for relief and those 
who do can get effective assistance quickly.

Our goal is to help Baltimore be a place where resources go to 
treatments and support services that work and where neighbors respect 
each other and find ways to support those struggling to escape from 
the problems brought on by substance use.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom