State task force on opioids holds session in Schenectady

PHOTOGRAPHER: Marc Schultz

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, center, and Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, co-chair of the Heroin and Opioid Abuse Task Force, convene a session on Tuesday afternoon at Proctors in Schenectady. State Health Commisoiner Dr. Howard A. Zucker is pictured left.

Individuals suffering from heroin addiction need quicker access to care, better access to the medications that will help them succeed and better support when they run into trouble, speakers at a stateside heroin task force meeting in Schenectady said Tuesday.

The task force, appointed recently by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is seeking input from providers and individuals statewide to help the state respond to the increasing heroin and opioid crisis. It’s holding listening sessions in several cities.

The task force is being led by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. She led Tuesday’s meeting at Proctors’ GE Theatre.

Hochul told those gathered that the task force wants to build on reforms already taking place and the body is focused on finding solutions.

“We can’t even get our arms around this other than to know that this is an explosive situation going on in the state of New York,” Hochul said. “We’re going to approach it very aggressively.”

The state task force is made up of representatives of multiple state agencies and service providers, including the commissioner of the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Healthcare providers, advocates, educators, parents, and individuals in recovery are also among those on the task force, according to the state.

The task force is to produce recommendations intended to improve safety and save lives, Cuomo has said.

On Tuesday, the task force heard from representatives of three Capital Region providers, New Choices Recovery Center, Hope House and the operator of Conifer Park.

Gay Hartigan, president of Conifer Park’s Liberty Behavioral Health, called for a shorter approval process for inpatient care, something that can take hours. The delays, she said, are caused by an overwhelming number of patients coming into the system.

Patients sometimes leave before the process is complete, missing an opportunity to start their recovery, Hartigan said.

“You can’t stall treatment. You can’t have them wait,” Hartigan said. “They’re in a critical position in their health care.”

Kevin Connally, executive director of Hope House in Albany, called for streamlining the admission process for addicts seeking inpatient treatment, better access to medications and better patience with non-compliant clients.

Connally said providers must find ways to better work with clients that relapse.

“People that use heroin are clearly playing a dangerous game of Russian Roulette, but the stakes are even higher for people who reuse heroin after a period of absence,” he said.