Truth Pharm is calling on Governor Cuomo to revise his proposed regulations to include all provisions written in the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, S. 1623 / A.2500 or to get it passed and sign it into law to end the torture of prolonged solitary confinement in New York State.

Solitary Confinement is considered to be a form of psychological torture, with measureable long-term physical affects, especially when used for a period of over two weeks, or indefinitely.

In fact, the United Nations has gone so far as to ban the practice for use for periods of longer than 15 days. New York State should be no different, and more than that, they should be leading the way in alternative forms of behavior modification.

There are scores of other options available, from revocation of privileges, extra duty, to extension of sentences. Segregation is nothing more than an inhumane practice, used primarily to make things easier for those who work in our jails and prisons. Certainly not for those forced to live in them.

And we know this because another thing being left out of your proposed regulations is mandatory transparency and independent oversight. It begs the question: What’s being hidden here?

The HALT Solitary Confinement Act calls for rectifying that detail as well.

The regulations should adopt all of the provisions of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, including:

Ban all forms of solitary beyond 15 days for all people and prevent cycling in and out of solitary
Ban all solitary for people most harmed by solitary (including young people and people with mental health needs)
Require real program-based alternatives that are more humane and effective, with meaningful out-of-cell human contact and programs
Restrict the criteria that can result in any separation in prisons and jails to the most serious conduct
Provide greater procedural protections, staff training, mandatory reporting, and independent oversight

Take action and sign on to the letter here! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRQ_tXVtQtbyhiT-mfEa3o7psHqGt693q5ZtR7HNm2FzyY6w/viewform

We were so excited when WBDY showed up to record our Trail of Truth event in Binghamton, NY on August 23rd. From that recording, they created and played a FULL HOUR show featuring the event! You can listen to the show here on soundcoud where they conveniently put all their archived shows: WBDY Trail of Truth

But, we had no idea how much more Bundy Radio would do! We were contacted by our friend Andy Pragacz who we work with at JUST (Justice and Unity for the Southern Tier) and offered an opportunity to partner with WBDY! What an amazing thing for them to do! As a struggling nonprofit with a miniscule budget, getting the word out about our work and advertising our events isn’t always easy. And though we think we’re pretty good at community organizing, we sometimes feel we’re simply reaching the same audience all the time. This is an incredible opportunity to reach a greater audience.

More importantly, WBDY is excited that Truth Pharm is a harm reduction organization and they will welcome our messages to reduce harm on the radio! What a great way to show the community some love, save lives and reduce harm! This comes at the perfect time as Truth Pharm was just awarded a grant through the Drug Policy Alliance to help educate the Southern Tier on Harm Reduction!

WBDY will be advertising Truth Pharm events, providing harm reduction information for the general public as PSA’s and hosting Truth Pharm Rainmakers for interviews! We could not be more grateful or excited than we are!

We would love for you all to listen to and follow WBDY! Care to do one better and share some love with them like they shared with us? Become a patron, member or supporter! They have the lowest rates I’ve ever seen for a radio station starting at just $25 per year to show your support! Please consider supporting this incredible community resource.

Find and follow WBDY on Facebook!

On Monday, 1/29/18 NINE Rainmakers headed to Albany to advocate for the #EndOverdoseNY Campaign. We had an AMAZING time!

We attended a legislative briefing in the morning and I was asked to speak there as a family member and upstate NY Advocate, so I shared what was going on in, this is what I had to say:

“In Upstate NY:

– Our treatment centers are a total abstinence based system.

– People are discharged from treatment for ‘noncompliance’ which could even be smoking a cigarette. And I told about our Rainmaker Anna‘s son Tim who was discharged from a facility for smoking and died that night from a heroin overdose.

– There’s an 18 month wait list for the methadone clinic and outpatient clinics have been known to tell young women, that if they get pregnant, they can get a slot much easier.

– To get into some of our upstate NY Suboxone programs people have to prove “they want it badly enough” in some cases even being forced to write essays about why they should be granted access to the program. Could you imagine if someone with diabetes had to write an essay to receive insulin? We cannot tolerate this.

– In Upstate NY, rural communities have very little access to treatment and even less to Harm Reduction and they live in communities where they are at the mercy of the pharmacist to provide them with clean syringes and where the stigma is strong, in many cases, they do not.

– Did you know across all of New York, it is optional for EMS agencies to carry Naloxone? We have brought this to the attention to our lawmakers over and over again and we have YET to see a bill introduced mandating that it be carried. Why does this matter? Because in Upstate NY, in many rural communities, the EMS agencies prefer NOT to save the life of a substance user and therefore still refuse to carry Naloxone, in the middle of a health care crisis. Imagine that?

– Across New York it is OPTIONAL for schools to have Naloxone on premises even with the rise of opioid use among young people. And in Upstate NY, many schools do NOT have it on premises.

– In Upstate NY the war on drugs is alive and thriving! We have rogue DA’s, Sheriffs and small town police agencies out to pad their resumes with the arrest and conviction of those addicted and suffering. We memorialized 89 people in our Trail of Truth walk for those lost to substance use related causes and over 50% of them had served time incarcerated at some point in time. Many of them losing their lives shortly after being released from jail or prison.

– In Upstate NY, as public compassion increases, police agencies are DOUBLING down, increasing rhetoric ESPECIALLY as it relates to “drug dealers”. And outrageous things are happening, such as a recent arrest in our area by a guy who is addicted and sold TWO baggies, a street value of $20, who now faces a sentence of THREE years in State Prison.

– In Upstate NY, police are using surveillance around the homes of where overdoses have occurred.

– In Upstate NY, racism is alive and thriving and the numbers of our own county jail prove that. In Broome County, persons of color make up less than 5% of our population, but make up 28% of our jail population. And many police agencies exploit the arrests of persons of color by posting them on social media as bragging rights.

– In Upstate NY, in our county jail, SEVENTY FIVE percent of the population is made up of UNCONVICTED persons. By law, innocent!

– In Upstate NY, you a jail sentence could be a DEATH sentence, in particular in Broome County FIVE people have died in 5 years in our jail, 2 that we know of were from improper detox.

– In Upstate NY and in particular, our county, for years we have watched the budget to the health department, social services, the public defender and mental health get cut… while we have inflated the budgets of the Sheriff’s Department, the DA and even the Coroner.

That is what is going on in Upstate NY and why we must continue to fight!

Have you ever found yourself wishing there were more Suboxone prescribers in our area? Ever wonder why you can’t just go to your regular doctor to obtain addiction treatment? Well, there is a way! You can help us increase the amount of providers we have in our area by contacting your own doctor!

Truth Pharm Board Member, Theresa Baxter, a Nurse Practitioner who is passionate about access to Medical Assisted Treatment has drafted a letter and phone call script for your use in promoting a free waiver training coming up in Broome County open to all New York State physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and medical residents so that they can become part of the SOLUTION to the epidemic by becoming a Suboxone prescriber. Having addiction treatment available at your family physician’s officer will reduce stigma, increase successful outcomes and mainstream treatment and there is no excuse for any doctor to refuse to become certified.

Here is a letter you can copy and paste into a word document or email and personalize from yourself:
Your Name
Street Address
City, ST ZIP Code

Date

[INSERT YOUR CARE PROVIDERS NAME WITH PROPER TITLE]
Title
Organization Name
Street Address
City, ST ZIP Code

Dear [INSERT YOUR CARE PROVIDERS NAME WITH PROPER TITLE]:

As one of your patients, I wanted to be sure you were aware the NYSDOH AIDS Institute is hosting a Free Buprenorphine Waiver Eligibility Training for Clinical Providers (Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Medical Residents) on Saturday, December 9th, 2017 from 8:00AM to 1:00PM at the Broome County Health Dept., 225 Front Street, Conference Room, Binghamton, NY 13905.

As a physician [or Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant] I imagine that you currently care for patients with opioid use disorder/addiction, which nationally is a public health emergency. More than 64,000 people died in this country in 2016 from a drug overdose. You take great care of a wide range of medical conditions, this would be another service for you to offer to your current patients. This would also enable them to receive more of their care with a single provider of whom they already have a relationship with, furthering the opportunity for better health outcomes.

There aren’t enough clinicians who can prescribe buprenorphine, which is shameful since every provider with a DEA license can and likely has prescribed opioid pain medication to their patients. Unfortunately, that’s how many people start their addiction – with prescription opioids.
When patients are able to receive Buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder from their primary care provider it can decrease stigma and increase the chances for sustained recovery.

This is especially important to me because [INSERT PERSONAL STORY IF YOU CARE TO, OR DELETE THIS SECTION].

It’s a very educational course, free of charge, and easily accessible. Please consider this free of charge opportunity to help more people.

Sincerely,

Your loyal patient

After mailing your letter, we suggest you call your provider to follow up. If they are not interested in prescribing and helping with this solution, as their patient, you might want to know why:

Hello Dr. XXX or NP, or PA,

I’m one of your patients, and I wanted to be sure you received the letter I sent that included a flyer announcing a free buprenorphine waiver training course for clinical providers.

Did you have a chance to review it?

Ok, Can I tell you about it real quick? It’s free(!), very educational, and they’re serving refreshments.

Then can read the letter or paraphrase it………

Does this sound like something you and your colleagues can attend? It’s important to your patients, and it’s important to me personally because………..

Thank you so much for considering this. It could mean so much to so many people. Please let me know if you will attend or not. I’ll follow up after the training.

Here is a link to the flyer for the training event: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwbX8JuE_ng1d0RCTjc1bDNCWENlQU9zbmFIdVVZU2RlVkdN

Here is a link to directions: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwbX8JuE_ng1VzNwZ3hXWTdUU2ZSb0Zic1ZLMlcwcm1Oc19j

Here is a link to an email with pertinent information: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1a2xy2RoRsZSw5dGgKyph8Rkla0r1AXi-

We are tired of waiting for the county to take action. It is long past time for them to be responsible in their roles to protect the public. See our letter to County Executive Jason Garnar below. Be sure to click the news links to see what he thought should be done PRIOR to being elected.

We have been calling on the county to track and report overdose deaths and reversals since August of 2015. Here we are, nearly two years later, still waiting.

Call County Executive Garnar today and ask him when he’ll start doing all the things he was demanding of the last administration.

June 25, 2017

Jason Garnar
Broome County Executive
60 Hawley Street
Binghamton, NY 13901

Dear County Executive Jason Garnar,

On June 24, 2017 the Village of Johnson City Police issued a warning about a surge in heroin overdoses, including three fatalities. We thanked them for their proactive approach in alerting their community. Due to their proactive approach, Truth Pharm and STAP worked together to immediately respond by advertising, promoting and handing out life-saving Naloxone kits during a three-hour time-slot on Sunday. Twenty-four people were trained and obtained kits.

This is what the response to a public health emergency looks like.

Also, due to their proactive approach, the news media published stories about the overdoses and the handing out of Naloxone kits, which caused hundreds of people in Broome County to engage in conversations about the opioid epidemic. In addition, hundreds of people were educated about: the dangers of using alone; the need to call 911; a particularly strong or ‘bad’ batch of heroin that was circulating; harm reduction practices they could use to reduce overdoses; and the lifesaving medication Naloxone. Conversations that our community desperately needs. In addition, two people reached out to Truth Pharm and will be placed into inpatient treatment tomorrow.

On February 23, 2017 you attended our in-depth presentation to local elected officials outlining the dire need for both care and harm reduction approaches in Broome County. We also made it clear that tracking of overdose data – both deaths and successful revivals – is the responsibility of our county government and needs to be done accurately, consistently and actively reported to the public.

We have seen zero progress on this front. We have been making requests for this information since August of 2015, we are approaching two years since then, over one hundred deaths and thousands of overdoses with no change to the system.

Prior to being elected as County Executive, you agreed that the community should be notified. We have communications from you to us directly stating so and ridiculing the prior administration for not being responsible in doing so. And you made your opinion public to the media. On August 12, 2016, WICZ started a report about overdoses with this line: “Broome County Executive Candidate Jason Garnar called for a public health warning on heroin overdoses Thursday night.” And later in the article included this as well, “Jason Garnar says it is a health risk when the public isn’t notified.” Garnar Calls for Public Health Warning Garnar Wants Better Accounting by the County

On August 11, 2016, in an article published by the Press & Sun Bulletin: “First and foremost, Broome County needs to declare a public health emergency,” said Garnar, the Democrat challenging Preston in the November election. But “what I’m more concerned about is it seems our county executive is not saying anything about this. We should be doing everything possible to get the word out there that something is out there that is killing people left and right.” The website for that article includes a video of you stating how important it is for the County Executive to release CURRENT information to the public in order to save lives. Garnar calls on Broome to Declare Opioid Emergency

It is nearly one year since you made those strong statements and you’ve been in office for six months. But, where is your action? Why aren’t you releasing notices to the public? You are now the one responsible to ensure the public is notified.

As we have in the past, we could provide multiple examples of other counties in New York State who are actively tracking and releasing overdose data, but we trust you can google and immediately find plenty of results just as easily as we can.

We also know this data already exists for the county. We recently learned that the county is planning to participate in a program to release all overdose data (deaths and reversals) to a mapping program run by the DEA. That mapped data will not be accessible by the public, but is utilized in drug investigations. We are beyond sickened to learn that the county is choosing to participate in an enforcement and further criminalization program as their priority over participating in issuing public health warnings and participating in harm reduction practices with data you ALREADY HAVE.

Your goal must be to save lives.

We are again requesting that the County Health Department immediately begin to take responsibility for counting the deaths of our loved ones due to substance use related causes and issuing that information to the public. This responsibility does not belong to the District Attorney, this is a health issue and belongs to our county health department.

We also want to remind you that funding from the state and federal government depends on accurately reporting both overdose and death data to state officials. We are being bypassed for funding, new programs and attention because our issues are not accurately reported.

Though it seems much of what was written in our letter of February 23, 2017, including working together cooperatively, has been ignored, we’ll attach the letter as a reminder of what we called for four months ago, please be sure to review request #3 which we’ll include below. The optimism we expressed in our letter is waning, but we as an organization continue to do the work necessary to save lives. You, as the County Executive, declared this opioid crisis a Public Health Emergency. With that declaration comes serious responsibility on your part.

County Departments that responsibly track and publicize data in a timely manner including:

Naloxone uses by all departments and the number of doses required
Overdose deaths
Deaths by other causes, but linked to substance use
Criminal acts related to substance use disorders
Incarceration rates related to substance use disorders
Success rates of various forms of treatment
A public calendar of all events offered by providers, support groups and grassroots organizations
A comprehensive list of treatment options, modalities and services within our region, allowing individual organizations to add their information and website links

Sincerely,

Alexis Pleus
Founder and Executive Director

cc: Governor Andrew Cuomo, NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, NYS Commissioner of Health Howard Zucker

Southern Tier:

We just had a request to let someone know what support groups are available in our area, so here you go:

MUTUAL AID SUPPORT GROUPS:

Smart Recovery:
SMART Recovery is the leading self-empowering addiction recovery support group. Our participants learn tools for addiction recovery based on the latest scientific research and participate in a world-wide community which includes free, self-empowering, science-based mutual help groups.

The SMART Recovery 4-Point Program® helps people recover from all types of addiction and addictive behaviors, including: drug abuse, drug addiction, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, gambling addiction, cocaine addiction, prescription drug abuse, sexual addiction, and problem addiction to other substances and activities. SMART Recovery sponsors face-to-face meetings around the world, and daily online meetings. In addition, our online message board and 24/7 chat room are excellent forums to learn about SMART Recovery and obtain addiction recovery support.

More information: http://www.smartrecovery.org/

Tuesdays 6:15pm
The HOPE 607 Project, Inc.
Broome County Urban League, 43-45 Carroll St
45 Carroll Street
13901 Binghamton New York
Main Contact:
Tim Giordani
Facilitator
+60 7-723 7303
EXT. 105
tgiordani@hope607.org

AA – Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous is a program of a new way of life without alcohol, a program that is working successfully for millions of men and women throughout the world, and in all walks of life. The experience of A.A. members is that alcoholism is a progressive disease that cannot be cured, but which can be arrested — by staying away from the first drink, one day at a time.

For more information and a list of meetings in the Southern Tier: https://aabinghamton.org/meetings.html

Email Us Anytime: sitemanager@aabinghamton.org
Email schedule changes to: schedule@aabinghamton.org
Email aa related events to post to: events@aabinghamton.org

Binghamton 607-722-5983
Cortland 607-753-1344
Ithaca 607-273-1541
Tioga County 800-307-4285

NA – Narcotics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous is a global, community-based organization with a multi-lingual and multicultural membership. NA was founded in 1953, and our membership growth was minimal during our initial twenty years as an organization. Since the publication of our Basic Text in 1983, the number of members and meetings has increased dramatically. Today, NA members hold nearly 67,000 meetings weekly in 139 countries. We offer recovery from the effects of addiction through working a twelve-step program, including regular attendance at group meetings. The group atmosphere provides help from peers and offers an ongoing support network for addicts who wish to pursue and maintain a drug-free lifestyle. Our name, Narcotics Anonymous, is not meant to imply a focus on any particular drug; NA’s approach makes no distinction between drugs including alcohol. Membership is free, and we have no affiliation with any organizations outside of NA including governments, religions, law enforcement groups, or medical and psychiatric associations.

For more information: http://www.na.org/

Local NA Chapter website with meeting list: http://www.tcana.net/

Triple Cities Area of Narcotics Anonymous ( TCANA )
PO Box 422, Binghamton, NY 13902-0422
(607)762-9116

Local Meeting list: http://www.tcana.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/TCANA22717.pdf

Brand New

A place to get clean and stay clean. Brand New meets every Tuesdays at 7pm at 1701 Riverview Dr, Endicott NY, Thursdays at 7 pm 90 Clinton St Binghamton NY. Groups for people battling drugs and alcohol or in recovery. Also a support group for the friends and family of the addict. We see real results and true freedom from addiction. We believe a life without drugs and alcohol should be exciting so we create positive outlets to have fun. Join us and Thrive in your recovery!

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583552225231860/

Celebrate Recovery

Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. It is based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory.

Thursday 6:30 PM – Windsor Bible Baptist Church, 157 Depot Street, Windsor, New York 13865

Contact Person – Bob Klock

Phone – 607-343-5112

E-Mail – Bobk4cr@gmail.com

Another way to search for support meetings: http://meetings.intherooms.com/meetings/search?latitude=42.098687&longitude=-75.917974&proximity=100

FAMILY SUPPORT

Truth Pharm – Garden of Hope

We have a monthly meeting called Garden of Hope which offers an educational component and then a time to share or ask questions. Special guest speakers included. A different topic each month. The 3rd Monday of every month at 6:30pm at Tabernacle Methodist Church, 83 Main St, Binghamton, NY – Enter through back. Watch our facebook page and website for details: www.truthpharm.org

Families Anonymous

Families Anonymous celebrated our 40th Anniversary in 2011. We were formed in 1971 by a group of concerned parents in California who were seeking ways of dealing with the problem of substance abuse and addiction in their children. Our members include parents, grandparents, siblings, spouses, significant others, other family members and friends of those with a current, suspected or former drug problem. We have been one of the best kept secrets in the recovery community, even though we have groups throughout the world.

For more information: http://www.familiesanonymous.org/

Meetings: http://www.familiesanonymous.org/image/data/WSOF-07-USDir2017.pdf

Al-Anon

In Al-Anon/Alateen, members do not give direction or advice to other members. Instead, they share their personal experiences and stories, and invite other members to “take what they like and leave the rest”—that is, to determine for themselves what lesson they could apply to their own lives.

For more information: http://al-anon.org/

Tuesday 06:30 PM	11 Brandywine Ave Binghamton NY 13901 Map	use back door. also open to professionals / students Beginners
Wednesday 07:45 PM	Christ Episcopal Church 10 Henry St Binghamton NY 13901 Map	also open to professionals / students Beginners
Thursday 07:00 PM	Christ Episcopal Church 10 Henry Street Binghamton NY 13901 Map	also open to professionals / students Adult Children

Alateen

Alateen is part of Al‑Anon Family Groups. Alateen is a fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. Alateen groups are sponsored by Al-Anon members who help the group to stay on track. Alateens come together to:

share experiences, strength, and hope with each other
discuss difficulties
learn effective ways to cope with problems
encourage one another
help each other understand the principles of the Al-Anon program

For more information: http://al-anon.org/how-will-alateen-help-me

NO MEETINGS IN OUR AREA

CoDA (Co-Dependents Anonymous)

Welcome to Co-Dependents Anonymous, a fellowship of men and women whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for membership is a desire for healthy and loving relationships.

http://locator.coda.org/

Local meetings— St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 200 Jefferson Ave. Endicott, NY, Sat 1:00 PM

GRIEF SUPPORT

The Compassionate Friends:

The mission of The Compassionate Friends: When a child dies, at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family.

For more information: https://www.compassionatefriends.org/

The local chapter: http://tcfbc.homestead.com/Welcome.html

Broome County Chapter

918 East Front Street
Owego New York 13827
United States

Email: JTL7899@yahoo.com
Phone Contact: Pam: (607)-239-4222

Group meetings are held on the first Monday of the month (if that day is a holiday, the meeting will meet on the second Monday). Monday’s meeting time is from 7 PM ~ 9 PM.

Group meetings are also held on the third or fourth Saturday of the month. Check the calendar below to be sure about the day. Saturday’s meeting time is 10 AM ~ 12 PM.

All group meetings are held at the Nimmonsburg United Methodist Church, 918 Upper Front Street (across from BCC) Binghamton, NY 13901

Online, Facebook and Phone Group Meetings

Parents who have lost a child: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1515193738693712/

Siblings who have lost a sibling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1516508415263760/

Parents who have lost a child: https://www.facebook.com/groups/grasphelp/

http://www.naranon.com/board/viewforum.php?f=1

http://www.al-anon.org/electronic-meetings

http://www.phonemeetings.org

http://stepchat.com/alanon.htm

http://www.familiesanonymous.org/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=32

http://www.intherooms.com— In The Rooms is the premier online social network for the Recovery community worldwide. Our mantra is H.I.T.C.H and our mission is to Help, Inform, Touch, Connect, and Heal those in Recovery, seeking Recovery and support for their family and friends.

HOPE OVER DOPE – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1528325370809326/

Hope vs Dope – https://www.facebook.com/groups/hopevsdope/

Addicts Fighting Addiction – https://www.facebook.com/groups/AddictsFightingAddiction/

Addiction Really – https://www.facebook.com/groups/addictionreally/

Al Anon Speaker Recordings:

http://www.xa-speakers.org/pafiledb…?

http://storiesofrecovery.org/AAnony…

http://recoveryspeakers.com/categor…

So, “what,” you ask “does a Rainmaker do?”

What does Truth Pharm do?

Well, Rainmakers are change-makers, game-changers, powerhouses, people who refuse to accept no for an answer. They are optimistic, driven and produce results. Despite current negative conditions, they work to overcome. When a challenging problem exists with no apparent or clear solution – a Rainmaker will find and create solutions! They will take action.

That’s a Rainmaker – and that is what Truth Pharm is made up of. People who will create change and WILL have an impact on this epidemic.

Per our mission: Truth Pharm works to raise awareness, reduce the stigma, educate the public and advocate for policy and law changes surrounding substance use and treatment.

And here is a summary of how we went about creating change in 2016!

Awareness and Outreach Events:

Hosts for Hancock Awareness Event – 2/11/16 – 70 attendees
Guest Speaker for Bainbridge Guilford Afton Awareness event hosted by Lourdes and Senator Akshar 3/9/16 – 350 attendees
Tabled at Children’s Wyoming Conference Home Event Binghamton NY – 3/10/16
Mind and Magic 3/11/16 – 40 attendees
Tabled at The Forks 15 Run Chenango Forks NY – 3/20/16
Hosted Walton Awareness Event – 4/13/16 – 140 attendees
1^st Annual Jamison Turkow Memorial Walk – 5/7/16 – 300 attendees
Hosted Awareness Event Sherburne Earlville – 5/23/16 – 150 attendees
Free Hugs Event – 8/5/16 – contact with over 300 people
Trail of Truth – International Overdose Awareness Day Walk – 8/31/16 – 350 attendees
Illuminating Truth – First Friday Art Walk – street painting, recovery awareness, community resources, recovery celebration, building projection during LUMA – 9/2/16 – 400 attendees
Trail of Truth Redo due to county removing our memorial – 9/7/16 – 80 attendees
Tabled at Clinton Street Business Fair Binghamton NY – 9/10/16
Tabled at Apple Fest Endicott NY – 9/17/16
Tabled at Mural Fest Binghamton NY – 9/17/17
Presented to Jenny F. Snapp PATS committee regarding parent education Truth Pharm could provide – 10/4/16 – 25 attendees
Trunk or Treat – family trick or treating and Awareness event – 10/15/16 – 150 attendees
Tabled at 5^th Annual Chocolate Festival by Addictions Center of Broome County – 11/6/16
Alexis Pleus served on panel of speakers for Roosevelt Institute at Binghamton University to unveil the Binghamton Blueprint – 11/14/16
Tabled at the Thankful Jam – 11/22/16
Alexis Pleus spoke at New York State SEFA Luncheon about Truth Pharm and the Epidemic – 12/1/16 – 35 attendees
Total 2390 attendees reached through awareness events + countless individuals at tabling events

Education:

Provided 4 hour PAARI Angel Training Oxford, NY – 2/27/16 – 45 attendees
Hancock NY – Understanding Signs, Symptoms and Behaviors of Substance Use Disorders – 3/10/16 – 45 attendees
Alexis Pleus Keynote speaker at Genesee County Victims Week Conference 4/12/16 – 200 attendees
Developing empathy and understanding for people suffering from Substance Use Disorders, Otego, NY – 4/19/16 – 15 attendees
Walton NY – Roundtable event – 5/25/16 – 30 attendees
Sherburne Earlville NY – Roundtable event – 6/21/16 – 25 attendees
Garden of Hope – Monthly education meetings for families – May-Dec. 2016 – 20-50 attendees each event
Alexis Pleus speaker for District Attorney’s SAFE Families Program – 8/11/16 – 50 attendees
Alexis Pleus speaker for Oxford Community Conversations on Drugs and Use in the Community – 10/20/16 – 50 attendees
Hosted John Barry of Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) to discuss Safe Injection Sites – 11/17/16 – 35 attendees
Total 640 attendees provided in-depth education.

Naloxone Training:

Hancock NY (STAP) – 2/17/16 – 45 attendees
Otego NY (STAP) – 4/19/16 – 15 attendees
Walton NY (STAP) – 4/20/16 – 35 attendees
Turkow Walk (STAP) – 5/7/16 – 15 referrals to training
Binghamton NY (STAP) – 5/26/16 – 25 attendees
Walton NY (STAP) – 6/1/16 – 20 attendees
Sherburne Earlville NY (STAP) 6/16/16 – 20 attendees
20 families referred directly to STAP for training
Total 200 people trained on Naloxone use
9 overdose reversals, 9 lives have been saved using Naloxone kits obtained through sessions hosted by Truth Pharm

School Events:

High school assembly in Hancock NY 8^th – 12^th graders – 5/13/16 – 150 students
High school assembly in Oxford NY 9^th – 12^th graders – 5/18/16 – 150 students
High School Assembly in Oxford NY 9^th-12^th graders – 12/23/16 – 80 students
Total 380 school students educated

Community Response Action Plans:

Hancock NY – Results: 3 events hosted, a open recreation time for youth created, counselling offered by local pastor – January – March 2016
Walton NY – Results: 4 events hosted, a family support group formed, police carrying Naloxone, Police Chief and Mayor developing programs for the county for Substance Use Recovery Supports – March – May 2016
Sherburne Earlville NY – Results: 3 events hosted, local company to host corporate education, a family support group created, a lasting branch of Truth Pharm created, Mayor writes letter of support to County for PAARI Program, Police support addition of prescription drop box and sharps disposal in the village – April–June 2016
Delhi NY – Results: 2 community events hosted – July–Oct. 2016
Total of 4 communities in 3 counties empowered, educated and with long-lasting impacts

National/Federal Involvement:

Teleconference with Michael Boticelli – 2/2/16
Placed on Facing Addiction Action Committee – (monthly meetings) Feb 2016
Attended Hill Day June 2016
Alexis Pleus attended “Addiction, a White House Discussion”, White House, DC – 6/7/16
Alexis Pleus invited to SAMHSA to provide input on materials to be produced for families who have lost a loved one – 10/27/16

Police & Criminal Justice Outreach:

Laid the ground work for Broome County Sheriff’s Office to start a local PAARI Program – 2015
Provided program outline for treatment and Vivitrol program at Broome County Jail – 2015
Collaborated with Oxford Police to create Oxford Road to Recovery Program, provided volunteer training, host Facebook page, assist with placements, rides and troubleshooting program – Feb.-Dec. 2016 – Placed 28 people in treatment in 2016
Assisted District Attorney Cornwell’s SAFE Program Feb.-April 2016
Meet with Chenango County to discuss Oxford, NY program – 3/17/16
Met with Walton NY Police to discuss carrying naloxone and reducing stigma – 4/5/17
Met with Sherburne Earlville Village Police to discuss naloxone and reducing stigma – 7/7/16
Met with Binghamton Drug Court, Judge Pellela – 7/22/16
Presentation for Penn Yan Heroin Task force on PAARI programs and how to create one in their community – 10/26/16
Met with Chenango County Sheriff’s Office to explore options to institute a PAARI Program – 11/15/16

Jail/Incarceration Outreach:

Visited two people in Broome County jail to discuss their future and desire to obtain treatment.
Assisted three families in advocating for their loved ones while incarcerated at Broome County Jail to be evaluated and then transferred directly to treatment at Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services.
Assisted three people and their families to seek and obtain placement in Drug Court to reduce incarceration.
Assisted several families to successfully advocate or their loved ones to be place in treatment instead of jail.

Obtaining Treatment, System Navigation, Family Awareness and Education:

Assisted more than 50 people in navigating the treatment system and to obtain treatment. Paid for many flights, months of sober living, treatment fees, bus tickets, etc.
Assisted more than 200 families through direct contact in understanding their loved ones’ substance use disorder, how to communicate with them and now to navigate the system to obtain help or treatment.

Corporate Education:

Provided Employee sensitivity and awareness training for VOA Men’s home – 3/2/16
Provided employee sensitivity and awareness training for Sidney Federal Credit Union – 5/17/16
Met with Frontier Communications to educate them on the epidemic and what they can do as an employer – 9/21/16

Collaboration Projects:

Assisted District Attorney Cornwell’s SAFE Program Feb.-April 2016
Seat on Tioga County Community Task Force for Addiction Epidemic (monthly meetings)– 2016
Senator Akshar’s Heroin Task Force (quarterly meetings) – 2016
Joined JUST – Justice and Unity in the Southern Tier (monthly meetings) – May-Dec. 2016
Participated in forum hosted by Assemblyman Al Stirpe to discuss resources to address Substance Use Disorders in NY – 9/22/16

Media:

Interview on WIX Radio – 2/3/16
Interview with WICZ 2/4/16, 2/22/16, 3/21/16, 8/9/16
Participated in WSKG Community Conversation on Opioid Epidemic 2/9/16
Kingfisher Project Radio Interview 2/15/16
Press & Sun Bulletin Interview 2/16/16, 3/30/16, 7/19/16, 7/28/16
WNBF with Roger Neal 3/3/16
The Guardian, Chris Arnade – 3/13/16
Alexis Pleus has article published in The Fix 2/17/16
Kingfisher Project 4/5/16, 5/2/16, 5/9/16, 5/16/16
WNBF with Bob Joseph – 8/12/16

Advocacy:

Invited to speak at NY Senate Heroin Task Force in Penn Yan – 2/23/16 – 150 attendees
Advocated in Albany, met with over 60 Assemblypersons and Senators on a total of 13 visits between February and June 2016
Spoke at Governor Cuomo’s Heroin Task Force event at Binghamton University – 5/31/16 – 60 attendees
Attended Broome County Legislature meetings to advocate for appropriate spending for opioid epidemic – 10/13/16
Met with City of Binghamton to explore ways they can help with the epidemic – 11/9/16

Training:

Attended Rotary Luncheon with Jill Halford-Hammit as speaker 2/23/16
How communities can work together Webinar – 3/23/16
NYCON Board member training Webinar – 3/24/16
8 hour training course – Core Principles Substance Use Treatment – Broome County – 3/30/16
NYCON marketing Webinar – 4/21/16
All about AA support – ATTC Webinar – 4/21/16
Obtained Certification as Naloxone Trainer NY Health Dept. at Tioga County – 4/25/16
SAMHSA Chronic Pain Management Webinar – 4/26/16
SAMHSA webinar – 4/27/16
NYCON Webinar – 4/28/16
Attended SAMHSA Hill Day – 6/6-6/7/16
Attended Medical Assisted Treatment Training – Broome Co. Drug Court – 8/10/16
Mental Health First Aid training – MHAST – 9/20/16
Attended Media Summit training for nonprofits by RVSA – 9/23/16
Attended NYCON Camp Finance on scholarship – 10/6-10/7/16
Attended the Harm Reduction Conference on scholarship 11/2-11/6/16
Attended the unveiling of the Surgeon General’s Report on Addiction hosted by Facing Addiction 11/17/16
Attended Integrative Harm Reduction Therapy – 24 hour training by Andrew Tatarsky – 12/2-12/4/16

Grants & Fundraising:

Applied for $5k for Constitution Pipeline Grant for Naloxone outreach to EMS agencies – awarded $2k for purchase of kits only
Applied for $5k for Community Foundation of South Central NY Grant for Tioga County Community Response Action Plans – awarded $2,500
A total of $31,910 raised through fundraising events and individual donations
Total Year Budget = $36,410.

*2016 was the first year of our 501c3. Since we did not have nonprofit status in 2015, no fundraisers were hosted, no donations were accepted or EVER collected. ALL efforts in 2015 were financially supported and provided by Founder and Director Alexis Pleus.

Greetings all!

I wonder if you’ll bear with me to hear a personal story.

Last fall, I attended the FedUp Rally, Facing Addiction and Hill Day which were all back to back in D.C. All incredibly powerful events where I learned so much and was inspired by speaker after speaker.

But, believe it or not, the most inspiring 3 hours of the entire 5 days I was in Washington D.C. was spent in a room with 20 people pulled together by Nancy Carter Williams. Who were they? They were people hand selected by Nancy that she felt have accomplished incredible feats, have developed unique ways to raise awareness and were having a powerful impact on the opioid epidemic and BOY was she right! I was invited to speak and present for Truth Pharm and by the time it was my turn to speak, I felt minuscule in comparison to what I had heard from the people who went before me.

Two of the most inspiring people we heard from that day were two women from Kentucky. They told of a story about several bills being up for vote in Kentucky that everyone was sure would pass. They said they did the thing we all do – the shared the information on facebook, they made phone calls, sent emails and it seemed these bills would pass, after all, the state was facing an epidemic and these bills were SO important. When it came time for the bills to be voted on, they did not pass and the group was devastated. A group of moms decided the next session of the legislature, they would be at the capitol every day the legislature was in session and they would NOT leave until the bills passed. And they did just that.

I know many of us have different opinions about what can or should be done. There is a LOT Truth Pharm wants from our state government, but one thing I THINK we would all agree on is that currently, insurers are controlling how much treatment our loved ones get, and the amount of time is woefully low. We are seeing an average of 9 days being approved by insurance, which sets our loved ones up for a 90% relapse rate.

There is a bill in our State Senate AND Assembly this year that we have been calling “The 90 Day Bill”. Remarkably, the bill that was written in the Senate, was written by a Republican and our Senate is Republican led and the bill written in the Assembly was written by a Democrat and our Assembly is Democrat led.

This means, two things. 1. a shorter span of time to move the bill forward and 2. the bill has a fantastic chance of passing.

But, it will NOT pass this session unless we can get the bill to move forward. And to get it to move forward, we need face to face time with our political leaders asking them to please sign on as cosponsors and to urge their colleagues to move the bill forward.

Truth Pharm has taken 4 trips to Albany and we have several more dates coming up: May 10, 11, 24 and June 2 and 24th and we may add more days. You could go with us, meet us there, plan your own trip, go separately, whatever you like, but we should all work together to make this happen. We can only do this with everyone’s help.

People were telling us yesterday we had a good chance of getting this passed ‘next session’… let’s make it happen THIS SESSION!

If you’d like to be involved, please fill out this survey: Click Here for Survey.

To see Truth Pharm’s Advocacy Agenda for 2016, click here.

Heroin: Who pays the ultimate cost? By John Christensen

Pleus felt compelled to start an awareness and advocacy organization, Truth Pharm, which has made its way to the national front. They work to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and advocate for programs and policy changes. They have enrolled four police agencies to date in the Gloucester Angel Program, have gotten many people into treatment, and are providing Community Response Action Plans across upstate New York.

“We, like many others, believe the solution to this epidemic is multi-faceted. However, we believe the time for action is now… It isn’t time for a band aid. It’s time for a tourniquet,” she says.

Pleus says what is needed from our lawmakers now is:

1. Humane, medically assisted detox.

2. Same day evaluations.

3. Immediate access to treatment.

4. To require insurers to pay for the type and length of treatment known to be effective.

5. To increase insurance reimbursement rates so that treatment centers can afford to open and operate in New York.

“Everything else is ancillary and can wait. But, we cannot wait for these things,” she adds.

Read entire article here: http://www.chronicle-express.com/article/20160401/NEWS/160339992/?Start=1

Penny emailed me and said, I met this guy, he’s the real deal. His name is Chris Arnade, he writes for The Guardian and he wants to know what’s happening in our area.

I was having a particularly rough and down week emotionally. I know the scale of The Guardian and I was familiar of Chris’ work, but I wondered if I could muster the energy to leave the house for yet one more meeting that week. He contacted me before I had a chance to reach out to him and asked about getting together to talk over the weekend. We decided to meet for coffee on a Saturday morning.

I did my typical, got up and had coffee at home. Got on the computer and got lost. Before I knew it, it was past time to go see him and I hadn’t even showered. I threw on a headband and clothes, half washed my face, put on some moisturizer and deodorant and raced to Binghamton. On my way there, I attempted to text him to let him know I was running late and realized I failed to pay my cell phone bill and my phone was shut off. I almost turned around and went home.

Here I was, leaving the house when I didn’t want to, a phone not working because I didn’t pay the bill, unshowered – all evidence of the depression I had sunk into heading to meet a nationally known writer to talk about a topic that I am passionate about and yet, adds to my sadness.

I hoped as I always do, that we would be talking about Truth Pharm. Talking about the problem at large. Talking about the thousands lost, the millions struggling.

I got there and found him quickly. I was beyond ‘fashionably late’ and he was immediately forgiving. He appeared to be as far behind in showering as I was and I settled down.

He immediately started his interview – all about my personal life. Right from the beginning of my life and I felt uneasy. Why about me? I even asked him. I have so little to do with this. But, he was so genuine, I got the impression that he is like me, he simply loves to know every element of a person – and their entire life’s story. So, there I sat, telling him my story from the time of being a child to the point of losing my own child. He took a few notes. He picked up on my depression and asked about it. He loved that I was an engineer said I should get back to building bridges. A couple hours later, he said he was going for a walk and I was heading home. All the way home, I wished I had stayed. There was just something about him. I could have hung out with him for days, I’m certain.

As I waited the weeks following for his story to come out, I became increasingly anxious. We talked about so much over the course of those two hours, I wondered in the end, what the story would be about. We stayed in contact via twitter and when the story came out, he asked, “Was I fair?” Yes, Chris, you were fair. Thank you.

Read Penny’s and my story here in Chris’ article.

I am honored to be in a story alongside Penny Stringfield and honored our boys, Jeff Dugon and Johny Stringfield share their stories on a page.

Photos by Chris Arnade.

Tag Archives: Truth Pharm

Solitary Confinement is Torture. #HALTSolitary

Truth Pharm Supports the End Overdose NY Campaign in Albany on 1/29/18

Southern Tier – Contact your Family Physician to Become a Suboxone Prescriber!

Our June 25, 2017 Letter to Broome County Executive Jason Garnar

Broome County Support Groups

Southern Tier:

MUTUAL AID SUPPORT GROUPS:

FAMILY SUPPORT

GRIEF SUPPORT

Online, Facebook and Phone Group Meetings

Calling All New York State Coalitions, Support Groups, Awareness Groups, Advocacy Groups

Heroin: Who pays the ultimate cost?

Heroin: Who pays the ultimate cost? By John Christensen

Alexis Pleus and Penny Stringfield of Truth Pharm featured in The Guardian Article by Chris Arnade