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A Word from County Executive Marc Molinaro:

We must break through the stigma and talk openly about the realities of the opioid epidemic, so no one ever feels ashamed or afraid to admit they, or someone they love, is suffering or in need of help. I encourage you to help someone you know find treatment, reach out to a family who lost a loved one to provide support, get trained on how to use Narcan, or share your story of recovery to inspire others.

Learn more about the County’s proactive, and collaborative approach to combating this crisis, and connect with all of the resources we offer by calling or texting our HELPLINE, anytime, day or night at 845-485-9700.

Download our Breaking Through Flyer (.pdf)

CONNECT WITH HELPLINE

845-485-9700

HELPLINE is your connection to all of the services we offer and provides immediate crisis intervention, counseling, information and direct connections to services and treatment. 

Reach out by calling or texting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


Stabilization Center: 230 North Road Poughkeepsie - Open 24/7

The Stabilization Center, opened by Dutchess County in 2017, is a one-of-a-kind walk-in facility for people feeling overwhelmed by mental health, substance abuse, addiction or other life issues.

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year

  • Single point of service 
  • Crisis counseling
  • Mental health assessments
  • Supervised outpatient withdrawal services
  • Addiction and substance abuse counseling
  • Peer advocacy and support

Learn more about the center on Dutchess County's Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH)

Mobile Crisis Intervention Team

The Mobile Crisis Intervention Team is comprised of mental health professionals available 24/7 who come directly to individuals and families to provide immediate intervention and help connect them to ongoing services. Connect with this service through HELPLINE 845-485-9700 or learn more about the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team. 

Prevention

We recognizes the importance of ensuring young people never begin using illicit substances, and partners with local agencies and school districts to provide coordination and education.

Embedded Counselors - In partnership with CAPE, the County provides prevention education counselors in the Dover, Red Hook, Wappingers and Hyde Park school districts. We encourage students, parents, and teachers to connect and support one another, and reach out to HELPLINE when someone you know is in need of assistance.

Second Step Program - Used in 20 schools throughout the County, the Second Step Program prevents substance abuse through a social-emotional learning program focused on empathy, communication skills, bullying prevention, and problem-solving. School Resource Officers are embedded in eight schools and Mental Health First Aid training is offered to school districts to help identify emerging signs of mental illness and prevent substance abuse before it starts.

Medication Disposal - Drop boxes throughout the County allow residents to anonymously dispose of unused and unwanted prescription medications and controlled substances. This program has successfully collected over three tons of medications in the past four years. Learn more about Medication Disposal.

Prescriber Awareness- The County has established an Acute Pain Management Certification, a commitment by local physicians to address over prescribing by employing better pain management to prevent addiction and limit access to these powerful and oftentimes insidious drugs.

TRAINING

Community training in Narcan administration, crisis intervention, and mental health first aid helps to increase knowledge about mental health and substance abuse while saving lives.

Overdose PreventionOverdose PreventionDutchess County runs an Overdose Prevention Program coordinating training and provision of overdose prevention kits to County law enforcement and community members. Over 3,000 Narcan overdose reversal kits have been distributed to date, and in 2016, law enforcement and emergency responders saved 395 lives using this medication.

Crisis InterventionCrisis InterventionCrisis Intervention Training is designed to help educate police officers on how to effectively interact with individuals in their communities who are in crisis due to behavioral health or developmental disorders, creating a partnership between law enforcement, advocacy and mental health communities. Over 500 law enforcement and correction officers have been trained to date.

Medication Assisted Treatment

 

Medication Assisted Treatment statistics

 

Medication Assisted Treatment combines counseling and therapy with approved medications that relieve withdrawal symptoms, control cravings, and block the effects of opioids. In partnership with the Lexington Center for Recovery, the County offers a successful Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program that continues to be expanded to provide additional capacity and more treatment options for clients. Connect with treatment services through HELPLINE at 845-485-9700 and learn more about the Dutchess County Methadone Treatment Program administered by Lexington Center for Recovery. 

How does methadone work?

Medication Assisted Treatment programs such as methadone, prevent symptoms of withdrawal, moderate cravings, and promote stability for patients with a daily dose of medication, allowing clients to manage their disease while living a full life. Methadone treatment also reduces the effectiveness of heroin if injected during the course of treatment.

Heroin Addiction: A Typical Adict - chart: Sick, Straight, High - Overdose Addiction Treated with Methadone - Chart: Sick, Straight, High
Key  

RECOVERY COACHES

The Recovery Coach Program utilizes counselors who are successfully overcoming their own addiction to provide motivational coaching, mentoring and recovery planning. These coaches are embedded in our Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Alternatives to Incarceration Programs, the County Jail and work within 24-hour services such as the Stabilization Center, Mobile Crisis Intervention Team and HELPLINE. Through the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education (CAPE), recovery coaches are also utilized at hospital emergency departments to intervene with patients who are brought in for overdose or other substance abuse disorders. These coaches identify those suffering, provide support, maintain accountability, and lead group sessions in non-traditional settings to engage individuals who need help.

 

 

Reshaping Justice

Judicial Diversion - Individuals charged with non-violent felony offenses directly related to or driven by their drug addiction can be diverted from the criminal justice system and into an appropriate treatment program.

Drug Treatment Court - City of Beacon Drug Treatment Court is available to residents charged with misdemeanor drug offenses in any jurisdiction in Dutchess County. Eligible defendants receive appropriate treatment as an alternative to incarceration.

RESTART Program - The Re-Entry Stabilization Transition And Reintegration Track (RESTART) program is an evidence-based program currently used in the County Jail and as continuing after-care available with our community providers, offering treatment and re-entry services to inmates, addressing chemical dependency and substance abuse.

Intensive Treatment Program - Intensive Treatment Alternative Program is an outpatient day rehabilitation program run by Dutchess County, providing chemical dependency treatment and life skills training for criminal justice patients with GED classes, vocational counseling, psychiatric care, and case management.

Drug Task Force - The Dutchess County Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement group that aggressively pursues drug dealers and supply lines. The task force, in collaboration with multiple local police departments, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office, is responsible for approximately 125 felony narcotic drug arrests annually.


Additional resources and information about Substance Abuse and Treatment can be found on the Behavioral & Community Health webpages