State drug secretary visits Fayette sites
Roberto M. Esquivel|Herald-Standard
Chris Gipe (center), director of Good Works Ministries, speaks with Gary Tennis, secretary of the state Department of Drug and Alcohol programs, during a visit to the residential drug recovery center for women in Georges Township. Also pictured is state Rep. Tim Mahoney D-South Union Township.
Gary Tennis, secretary of the state Department of Drug and Alcohol programs, talks about his visit to Fayette County on Monday.
A residential drug recovery program for women drew the attention of the state secretary for drug and alcohol programs.
Secretary Gary Tennis stopped to visit the Good Works Life Recovery House in Georges Township Monday after meeting informally with several Fayette County police chiefs and mayors. Along with state Rep. Tim Mahoney, Tennis was seeking support from local police to carry and administer the naloxone nasal spray to reverse drug overdoses.
“We’re working hard to get the naloxone out there,” Tennis said.
Tennis said last year’s passage of a state law allowing police to carry and administer the nasal spray that reverses drug overdoses has already had positive results.
“So far there have been more than 750 overdose saves by police departments,” Tenis said.
Uniontown Mayor Bernie Kasievich said he and Police Chief Jason Cox met with Tennis and the city’s officers will be receiving training to administer naloxone.
“We got the ball rolling. Within the next couple months, we should have it wrapped up,” Kasievich said.
Tennis said state police have been carrying the antidote drug for a while and he is getting a positive response from local police departments.
His concern for individuals seeking recovery drew a positive response from the women living at Good Works.
“There are people in authority who feel that just because we’re heroin addicts, we deserve to die,” said Kayla, 29, one of the participants in the six-month halfway house program.
Good Works draws from an eight-county region and has spaces for 12 women. Nine spots are currently filled.
“There are tons and tons of people who are trying to get into treatment programs and can’t,” said Deana, 27, another participant.
Tennis commended the women, most of whom are in their late 20s or early 30s, six of whom have young children, for seeking recovery.
“It affects generations. You get to go back and share it with you kids. You get to break the cycle,” Tennis said.
“I think this halfway house is important because it is faith-based,” said Brittany, 26. I’ve found a strong relationship with God and it’s kept me going.
The program’s administrator and co-founder, Chris Gipe, said all participants are told up front that the recovery program is a faith-based program and that they will be required to attend church and Bible studies.
Deana said she wouldn’t be clean today without the spiritual aspects of the program.
“I spend a lot of time with family members who have lost loved ones. To see you here, getting your lives back, really touches my heart,” Tennis said. “You’re what we’re all working for. You have full, rich lives ahead of you. You have each other and you have your higher power.”
Tennis said his office has been working with the lieutenant governor on a “Pathways to Pardons” program to get information out to treatment facilities helping addicts in recovery who have criminal records because of their addiction to obtain state pardons. Tennis, who came to his current position after a career working in the district attorney’s office in Philadelphia, said addicts in recovery are much less likely to end up back in prison. Tennis said addiction recovery is about so much more than staying off of drugs.
“It’s learning right living,” Tennis said. “This is what we need.”
Approximately 50 women have gone through the program at Good Works since it accepted its first client a year ago, Gipe said.
Tennis said the battle against addiction is no different than the battle against other chronic diseases that require a lifestyle change, but with addiction, there is also often a stigma involved.
“You all know the stigma and we need to push back on that. You’re the reason I come to work each day,” Tennis said.
Tennis noted that his press secretary has lost two family members to addiction and came to him saying he wanted to fight the stigma addicts face that may keep them from getting the help they need.
“I said, ‘Let’s fight it from the inside,’ and hired him as my public relations director,” Tennis said. “My department likes to hire recovering people. I need to have people who want more than a job.”