Community's Work Has Brought Recovery From Howell's Heroin Crisis, Groups Say

HOWELL, NJ — As the battle against heroin abuse rages throughout much of New Jersey, various agencies and organizations are trying different approaches to combat the problem.

In Howell, authorities are making progress, thanks to a partnership among law enforcement, community leaders and organizations focused on drug abuse recovery.

Ashley Regan, the creative director with CFC Loud N Clear Foundation, a proactive recovery program housed in Howell, says the collaboration has made a positive impact.

"Only a year ago, Howell Township was No. 20 on a list of New Jersey towns with the most heroin abuse," Regan wrote in a news release. "Now, Howell has completely dropped off the top 30 list."

Regan referred to a pair of articles that appeared on the Patch. One, in September 2015, said Howell had 153 reported cases of heroin abuse in 2013. The second, in September 2016, showed Howell's cases had fallen below that number, to 126. The statistics, released by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the New Jersey Department of Human Services, are based on the number of people seeking treatment for heroin abuse.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office reported that, in the eight towns that make up the Freehold Regional High School District, at least 721 residents sought professional help for heroin addiction in 2013, according to the Patch article.

Howell’s demographic location between two major drug trafficking highways of the Garden State Parkway and Interstate 195 also created a huge impact and burden, the article said.

Regan said the reason Howell has dropped off the top 30 list is because Howell Township officials and community members have been working tirelessly over the past 12 months to create a recovery-sensitive community.

"Their hard work is paying off," she said. Other surrounding towns are asking how and are quickly adopting the programs that have been set in place.

“Creating symmetry within a community is key,” said Lynn Regan, executive director of CFC Loud N Clear Foundation.

Ashley Regan said extensive collaboration among the Howell Police Department, Municipal Alliance, Chamber of Commerce, and CFC Foundation produced solutions.

"There has been an all-encompassing focus on improving the outcomes of those suffering from substance abuse, the safety of our town, and the prevention of the same problems recurring," she said.

The issue is being addressed in multiple ways.

The Howell Township Police Department launched a drug task force, CSU under Lt. Tom Rizzo and Chief Andrew Kudrick. In the first six months of 2016, drug-related arrests increased from 36 percent to 60 percent, and the predominant age group of those arrested was 18-29, the department said.

According the Drug Monitoring Initiative by the Regional Operations Intelligence Center of New Jersey, Monmouth County had an average of 44 naloxone reversals a month. Howell had the highest number of naloxone reversals in March 2016, which prompted Kudrick to create the Opiate Abuse Initiative, Ashley Regan said.

The Opiate Abuse Initiative, launched in March in collaboration with the CFC Loud n Clear Foundation, which focuses on relapse prevention and aftercare treatment, deploys certified recovery coaches to crisis situations such as reversals or arrests immediately, offering treatment and recovery support, she said. Since its inception, more than 80 percent of the calls in which recovery coaches were deployed resulted in treatment and long-term recovery, Ashley Regan said.

Kudrick and Lynn Regan presented the initiative to all New Jersey police chiefs in April 2016 and the program has been adopted by others, Ashley Regan said. Recently, Kudrick expanded the OAI to create recovery coach police chaplains to assist families in addiction crisis, she said.

The Howell Municipal Alliance also has contributed to reducing the heroin problem and creating a recovery-sensitive town, Ashley Regan said. Howell Police Officer Mike Pavlick and the Alliance have collaborated with the school system, funding prevention programs, parent educational forums, and presentations. Municipal Alliance co-chair Christa Riddle also produces for distribution "The Prevention Press," which updates parents and students of the dangers of drugs, new discoveries, recovery options, and much more.

The CFC Loud N Clear Foundation was launched in 2012 by Daniel Regan, a Howell High School student who struggled with addiction for many years and finally found a life in recovery, Ashley Regan said. Daniel took everything that helped him rebuild his life and packaged it into an all-encompassing aftercare program for adults struggling with addiction, she said.

Since 2012, CFC has serviced more than 5,000 families. The organization's philosophy is strongly rooted in providing many roads to recovery with a peer-driven sober activities calendar, employment opportunities, life skills workshops, recovery housing, and much more that focuses on the moment someone comes home from treatment, she said.

"Another reason our community is healing is the Howell Chamber of Commerce. Executive Director Sue Dominguez focuses on providing those in recovery with second-chance employment opportunities through relations with local businesses and chamber members," Ashley Regan wrote. "She encourages businesses to become TK+GO Luminaires," part of a CFC recovery program.

"Bringing all community entities together with a common goal, creating a precise prevention/recovery achievement plan, has proven successful in more ways than one," she said. "Local businesses have come together to support young adults, the police have become community ambassadors of hope, our families heal, the people in recovery now feel embraced and accepted by their community. Howell will remain vigilant and proactive in our mission to continue to build a strong recovery-sensitive community."

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