The Courier | El Paso County Newsletter - October 2023

COURIER EDITORIAL BOARD

This month, our focus sharpens on a pressing issue: the widespread opioid and particularly, fentanyl crisis. These aren't just names they're urgent threats that jeopardize the health and safety of our community members. Our mission is two-pronged: to spread crucial awareness about the dangers and realities of these drugs, and to facilitate access to resources for prevention, support, and recovery. By collaborating with local organizations and launching targeted educational initiatives, we're committed to transforming a narrative of crisis into one of hope.

In this month’s issue you will read about some of these initiatives. Your active involvement and insights are indispensable in this battle. Let's collectively rise against the challenges posed by opioids and fentanyl, fostering a safer, more informed county. Your partnership is invaluable, and together, we can navigate a brighter path ahead.

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Four years old.

That’s the age of the youngest El Paso County resident to die from fentanyl last year. Just 1 of 117 fentanyl-related deaths in 2022, according to the annual Coroner’s Report.

“I think it’s important to understand that the use of substances is nothing new. It’s been going on since people discovered that if you put something in your body it can make you feel different,” said El Paso County Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly. “What’s different is the time in which we live. Those substances are so incredibly powerful that they carry with them a level of risk that hasn’t ever been seen before.”

The troubling data related to fentanyl deaths continued its upward trend this past year, increasing 16% from 2021. While most of these incidents involve adults, the average age of fentanyl-related deaths is 36 years old, the youth of our region are not immune. Drug use and experimentation in young people continues to be a concern.

“There was an opportunity for a very long time for youth to make those mistakes and learn and grow from them,” Dr. Kelly said.

“Now, if bad choices are made, because the substances are so incredibly powerful, just one bad choice can lead to their death.”

Fentanyl, along with methamphetamines, account for the majority of the County’s 216 total drug-related accidental deaths from 2022. Other compelling statistics from the report include:

F67% of accidental drug deaths were male

9% had no known drug use prior to death

92% of drug-related deaths occurred prior to transport to the hospital

While reading statistics like these can be a kick to the soul, there’s another statistic that offers a ray of hope. Overall drug-related accidental deaths are on a downward trend, decreasing by 5% this past year.

It’s hard to know exactly what to attribute the positive step to, but Dr. Kelly says that building connections is one of the biggest preventative measures

“Be involved with the people in your life. Know when they’re struggling, know when they’re at risk, particularly young adults. Know them as people. Talk to them about how they’re coping. Surround them with outlets that are positive and healthy. Build connections that are critical in weathering those storms, so that those at risk don’t feel the need to turn to drug use.”

It’s also no surprise that adults play a massive role in the safety of youth, whether you are a parent, guardian, mentor, or teacher. The impact one can have on someone who is struggling can make all the difference.

“Kids should already know what to say to someone who offers them drugs,” Dr. Kelly added. “Adults in young people’s lives need to provide youth the tools needed to grow into adulthood and make good decisions. Be brutally honest if you need to. Today’s youth need to know what to do when, not if, the situation presents itself.”

El Paso County is fortunate to have a robust support system in place for those struggling with addiction and recovery. From non-profit organizations to government-sponsored programs, there are myriad ways for those seeking help to receive it.

For those who struggle with mental health issues, NAMI, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is a great resource. If substance abuse is the main concern, Serenity Recovery Connection is one of several organizations that can help.

Despite these many boons that exist, the chasm between an individual that needs help and a place that can help them can often seem vast – nearly insurmountable. According to Dr. Kelly, this is a problem that stems from the chief reason someone needs help in the first place.

“Mental health, substance abuse, these are core issues that lead people to the coroner’s office, and they’re defined as an inability to navigate the world successfully because of something in the brain that is causing the issue. We’re taking the very diseases that make identifying help difficult and saying, ‘hey, go find help’. It should be on us to make those things as accessible as possible.”

This issue of the Courier showcases how El Paso County makes help accessible and the lengths its employees, and all residents, are going to continually make this region a great place to live

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This month El Paso County is highlighting the various ways that departments are helping to provide treatment, prevent, and educate the public regarding the opioid crisis. We have entries from Public Health, Parks and Community Services, Human Services, and Justice Services to help anyone who may be struggling.

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Justice Services

Pretrial Services can now provide sober living assistance for defendants on a PR Bond. This program assistance was made possible through a collaboration with the 4th Judicial District Probation and a grant award from the Colorado State Correctional Treatment Board.

Defendants who have been granted a personal recognizance bond with a condition for sobriety monitoring and need stable housing while working to obtain and maintain recovery from drug and alcohol use will benefit from this grant program.

The Correctional Treatment Board grant is expected to serve approximately 75 defendants with up to two months of sober living assistance. Stability, court appearance, and public safety are the desired outcomes.

Public Health/Parks and Community Services

El Paso County Nature Centers hosted a Youth Mental Health First Aid class in partnership with El Paso County Public Health on September 8, 2023, at Bear Creek Nature Center. Twenty-seven individuals participated in the class, providing the opportunity to receive Youth Mental Health First Aid certification through the National Council for Mental Well-being.

Many of El Paso County’s community partners attended the class, including the City of Colorado Springs Parks & Recreation Department, City of Manitou Springs Parks & Recreation Department, Catamount Institute, Generation Wild, Colorado Springs Fire Department, Garden of the Gods staff, and TESSA case managers

"The youth we see are often already going through a difficult time within their family unit, and often with their mental health as well," said Miranda Morgan, TESSA Case Manager."This training has given me the tools to be able to best give them the support they need, and assess their well-being effectively to prevent crises from arising in the future. The course was provided at no cost and designed to provide vital skills and knowledge on recognizing and responding to mental health challenges among young people. Participants gained the tools and confidence to assist and support those struggling with their mental well-being.

"This training was helpful in identifying some of the unique challenges with this demographic, and more importantly, provided community resources which we can use to help assist with mental/behavioral health treatment," said Kathy Hook, Colorado Springs Fire Department Fire & Life Safety Educator. "Thank you for offering Mental Health First Aid training for professionals in other areas of public service!"

To learn more about youth resilience and similar classes, visit https://www.elpasocountyhealth.org/services/youth-suicide-prevention

El Paso County Public Health’s ‘Communities That Care Coalition’ helps prevent youth substance use in the Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley Communities That Care (FV-CTC), an initiative of El Paso County Public Health (EPCPH), actively works to prevent youth substance use in the Fountain Valley by providing resources, education and opportunities. As a community-led coalition, FV-CTC uses an evidence-based approach to promote healthy youth development, improve youth outcomes, and prevent youth substance use.

Through local implementation of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Drug Take Back Days and distribution of medication lockboxes, FV-CTC has collected 430 pounds of unused and expired medications and distributed 300 medication lockboxes to prevent drug misuse and unintentional overdose deaths. The next DEA Drug Take Back Day is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. FV-CTC is partnering with Security Fire Department 1 to host a Drug Take Back Day at 400 Security Blvd. from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Residents can stop by to drop off unused or expired prescription drugs. The simple step of clearing out expired and unused prescription medications helps make our homes safer, aids in preventing drug addiction, and can help save lives.

FV-CTC also recently kicked off their Connect Me 2 FV initiative at Fountain Valley Regional Park on Sept 16 The event brought together community members and businesses to connect youth and families to local resources. Connect Me 2 FV aims to

Human Services Supportive Program: Family Treatment Drug Court

Counsel, and numerous community therapeutic providers.

Substance use is a known concern when it comes to the protection of a child. Nationally, 76 to 80 percent of all child abuse and neglect cases have a substance use component.

Family Treatment Drug Court (FTDC) is designed to prevent out-of-home placement of children by providing services around the family while addressing child abuse and neglect concerns, parental substance abuse, and parental educational needs. The program’s capacity can be up to 55 cases at any given time. On average, new incoming cases can range from receiving four new cases a month, to up to 12 a month, depending on availability

Families get referred to FTDC when the primary issue for the child's protection is due to substance use by a family member and their use is the highest risk/highest need. Such cases have co-occurring issues that might include mental health concerns, domestic violence concerns, unsanitary homes and/or homelessness or stability concerns, but the primary concern is substance use. This is a preventative placement program in which caseworkers make every effort to try to keep the children safely in the home with the extended family or other support, including connections to service providers and additional resources. Certain eligibility criteria must be met for involvement in this voluntary program, including at least one child younger than 12 years old in the home.

Multiple DHS teams comprising of a supervisor, problem-solving court lead, caseworker, and in-home professionals work with the families within the program. There are weekly meetings and activities that vary according to individual treatment plans. The program has four phases, and each phase is structured around a different focus of sobriety, engagement, and overall requirements to keep participants engaged and moving forward through their DHS case and their journey in sobriety.

The program's overall success can be relevant to the needs of each family member. Success is measured through not only the successful completion of the program but also by the relationships and the skills learned while engaging in the program. The hope is that the participants in FTDC can reconnect and rebuild relationships with family support, regain their independence by utilizing community resources when needed, understand safe parenting techniques, and ultimately be able to manage stressors in their lives through healthy coping mechanisms instead of through substance use.

you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse

El Paso County recognizes the devastating impacts the opioid crisis has had on our community, affecting public health and safety regionally and nationally.

In the fall of 2021, El Paso County Commissioners approved a Colorado Opioids Settlement Memorandum of Understanding "Colorado MOU" with the Colorado Attorney General's Office. The Colorado MOU was prepared by local government stakeholders and the State, outlining how the State of Colorado would receive and distribute settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors for contributing to the opioid epidemic across our nation.

Per the Colorado MOU, El Paso and Teller counties formed the Region 16 Opioid Abatement Council to ensure all settlement funds are used for opioid abatement through prevention and education, treatment, and harm reduction strategies. Formed in 2021, the Council is tasked with creating and implementing a rolling 2-year plan detailing regional goals, strategies, and funding decisions. These meetings are open to the public and held at the El Paso County Citizen Service Center.

The Council has submitted its first 2year plan and received approval from the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC) to implement it.

In the Region

oping scopes of ojects and will begin partnering with and funding community partner projects toward the end of the year. Specific focus areas for the Region 16 Opioid Abatement Council are Youth Prevention, Community Prevention Education and Awareness, Medically Assisted Treatment/Medication for Opioid Use Disorder programs including rural mobile service, Recovery Support and Transitions and Victim Advocacy.

For more information about the Region 16 Opioid Abatement Council, visit:https://www.elpasoco.com/regionalopioid-council/

"The opioid epidemic has devastated communities across the nation," said El Paso County Commissioner Longinos Gonzalez, Jr. "We are committed to investing in our community's health and healing from the opioid crisis."

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Viewpoint

A collection of photos from the region

t o b e r

10TH ANNUAL CREEK WEEK CLEANUP!

9:00 a.m. | Colorado

Registration is now OPEN for the 10th Annual Creek Week Cleanup! Join the largest Community Cleanup in the state of Colorado this Fall from September 30th- October 8th! Pick a site, Pick a time, and Pick it up! Register here: https://www.fountain-crk.org/creek-week-2023-registration

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

9:00 a.m. | Fox Run Regional Park

The event will include guided trail rides, learning to mountain bike, giveaways and more. This is a terrific way to get kids outside and develop their mountain biking skills. All ages are welcome: from tots on stride bikes to teens. Riders just need a working bike and helmet to participate. Free Event: online pre-registration required.

Bunco at Fountain Creek Nature Center

Road, Calhan, CO 80808

Please join us for a FREE Housing Event in partnership with Brothers Redevelopment, Eastern Alliance of El Paso County Committee, and The Ellicott Bee Hive Refreshments provided

HOUSING TRUST FUND WEBINAR

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Webinar

The Housing Trust Fund provides gap financing loans to agencies whose innovative programs address El Paso County housing needs Learn about the application requirements and receive technical assistance RSVP required

BUNCO IN THE NATURE CENTER!

5 p.m. | Fountain Creek Nature Center

Join us for a wonderful evening of excitement, laughs, and rolling dice. We will provide the dice, score cards, nacho bar, and prizes. Unlike other Bunco parties, this Bunco party is for everyone ages 13 and older. All minors must be accompanied by an adult but can venture on their own during game play. Preregistration Required, $8 per person.

UPCOMING EVENT IN NOVEMBER