County Expands 'Operation Helping Hand' Treatment Program

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office is expanding its “Operation Helping Hand” program, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced.

It is being expanded to offer an increased level of addiction outreach to high-risk substance users in an effort to provide treatment options and support services prior to the occurrence of an overdose, Coffina said.

In the first round of the program, the prosecutor’s office focused on overdose victims who had been revived using Narcan. In the second round, recovery specialists joined law enforcement throughout August on any call that involved someone who is battling addiction, according to the prosecutor’s office.

“Combating the drug use epidemic remains a top priority of our Office, and we continue to look for diverse ways to offer assistance to those in need,” Coffina said. “We have expanded the scope of Operation Helping Hand and can now provide additional outreach services to those who are at risk of overdosing, as well as others who could benefit from peer support services.”

The prosecutor's office runs the program with City of Angels, a nonprofit recovery advocacy organization based in Mercer County. It is funded through a $58,824 grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services that is administered by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

In the second round, which began Aug. 1, those City of Angels specialists accompanied law enforcement officers on calls that involved anyone who was suffering from opioid use disorders.

From Aug. 1 through Aug. 15, there were four fatal overdoses in Burlington County, according to the prosecutor’s office. During that same period, Operation Helping Hand recovery coaches were deployed on 25 occasions to overdoses as well as requests for assistance. As a result of their efforts, 15 people expressed a desire to receive help, and five have begun treatment, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The coaches also accompany law enforcement to proactively engage members of the community to establish relationships and offer on-the-spot referrals, according to the prosecutor’s office.

“As with the first round, we have been very encouraged by these results,” Coffina said. “The City of Angels recovery specialists continue to do an outstanding job. They offer hope, real-life examples that sustained recovery is possible, and a critical ‘first step’ towards treatment to people in the throes of active addiction. We are very pleased to have them partner with us as we look for effective ways to help those who are struggling to turn around their lives.”

In the first round, during the month of May, there were a total of 70 overdoses, seven of which were fatal, according to the prosecutor’s office. Law enforcement used Narcan to revive overdose victims 37 times. Some other victims recovered without the benefit of Narcan.

Whenever a non-fatal overdose has occurred, a member of the prosecutor's office contacted a City of Angels recovery coach. Representatives from both organizations then traveled to the location where the overdose occurred, or to a medical facility if the person was transported.

Once the person was stabilized, the recovery coach, who is typically a person in long—term recovery, met with the person to offer assistance and discuss treatment options.

Of the 50 people who were reached by recovery specialists and offered assistance, all but 10 indicated they would accept help, and 14 received addiction treatment. These numbers were updated after the prosecutor’s office announced the initial results in May. Read more here: Burlington County Announces Results Of Drug Treatment Program

Operation Helping Hand launched in Bergen County, where law enforcement officers arrested users purchasing heroin and other narcotics at open-air drug markets. When the users were brought to the police station or prosecutor's office for processing on narcotics possession charges, recovery specialists and other healthcare partners were waiting to connect them with treatment and recovery services.

In Bergen County, charges were not dropped if users sought help. However, the program allows for each prosecutor's office to adjust the approach as long as the program involves coordination and collaboration between law enforcement officers, recovery specialists, and mental health professionals to connect those who are struggling with addiction to treatment and recovery support services. In Burlington County, charges are dropped if users seek help.

Operation Helping Hand is one of three Burlington County Prosecutor's Office initiatives aimed at combating the opioid epidemic.

Operation Safe Overnight, which began in November, focuses on saving lives and increasing enforcement activity at hotels and motels that have experienced overdoses and drug-related criminal activity.
Through this program, with the support of Virtua Health, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office has provided Narcan to county hotels and has also trained hotel employees how to use it to reverse an overdose and save a person's life.

Straight … to Treatment is a program that allows people to walk off the street and into police stations in three municipalities to seek treatment for drug addiction, regardless of whether they are insured or live in Burlington County.

It was introduced in Evesham in early 2018 and expanded to Pemberton in September and Burlington City in April. To date, more than 150 people have been referred to treatment through the program, according to the prosecutor's office.

Straight … to Treatment Hours of Operation:

• Evesham Twp. Police Department, 984 Tuckerton Road, Mondays: noon – 7 p.m.
• Pemberton Twp. Police Department, 500 Pemberton-Browns Mills Road, Tuesdays: noon – 6 p.m.
• City of Burlington Police Department, 525 High Street, Wednesdays and Thursdays: noon – 6 p.m.