Deanna Vietze, executive director of the Brown County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services, pictured with the “Harm Reduction” vending machine. The “Harm Reduction” vending machine located at 85 Banting Drive in Georgetown includes NARCAN spray, hygiene kits, safe sex kits, large and small sharps returns, drug test strips, first aid kits, pregnancy kits, and daily PPE kits (mask, gloves, sanitizing gel, santizing wipes).
Drug addiction can destroy lives, tear families apart, and have far-reaching effects on a community. But help can be found here in Brown County, and recovery from substance abuse disorder is possible.
Among the biggest problems Brown County faces today is drug addiction. An increase in illegal drug activity in Brown County has placed more weight on the shoulders of the local law enforcement agencies and the county court system with more than half of the criminal cases coming through the local courts involving illegal drug possession or trafficking. Those working at local substance abuse disorder treatment facilities have their hands full with efforts to help those in need of treatment. Even some Brown County officials have taken lengthy steps to battle drug addiction.
Deanna Vietze, executive director of the Brown County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said her office can help connect those suffering from substance abuse disorder with local treatment centers to assist in recovery.
While the Brown County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services (BCBMHAS) does not provide direct services to those in need of treatment for drug addiction or mental health, it does provide many beneficial services in the county.
“The board is a government entity by ORC guidelines to do the planning, evaluating, monitoring, (and) funding for both mental health and addiction services,” explained Vietze. “We contract with entities to provide those services and then kind of monitor, evaluate what needs are here and try to find a way to meet those needs. So, we have a continuum of care we are required to meet.”
Among the entities BCBMHAS contracts with for drug addiction and mental health services are Talbert House with offices in Georgetown and Mt. Orab, and Child Focus with an office located in Mt. Orab.
Those in need of help can contact the BCBMHAS and be referred for treatment, and help with recovery of drug addiction is available for those without health insurance.
Vietze said her office works very closely with the Brown County Drug and Major Crimes Task Force, and among their goals is to reduce the number of Fentanyl overdoses.
According to Vietze, Fentanyl is being mixed with a number of other drugs purchased illegally, including methamphetamine and marijuana.
“We’re seeing Fentanyl in everything,” said Vietze.
To help save lives in Brown County, the BCBMHAS handed out 828 NARCAN kits in 2022 with 285 given away from their booth during the Brown County Fair last year.
BCBMHAS funds a syringe exhange program and has taken in 23,134 syringes over the past calendar year.
There is also the new “Harm Reduction” vending machine located outside of the BCBMHAS office at 85 Banting Drive in Georgetown.
The “Harm Reduction” vending machine includes NARCAN spray, hygiene kits, safe sex kits, large and small sharps returns, drug test strips, first aid kits, pregnancy kits, and daily PPE kits (mask, gloves, sanitizing gel, santizing wipes). The items are free.
To access the “Harm Reduction” vending machine, you first have to obtain a unique access code by calling (513) 399-7413 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Calls are confidential. Once receiving an access code, you can follow the simple instructions located on the vending machine to access items.
Even if you are not one who suffers from substance abuse disorder, you can still carry a NARCAN kit and possibly save a life.
“Everyone should carry it. I have a NARCAN kit in my purse,” said Vietze.
“I don’t use and I don’t have family members that are addicted, but I’m willing to help someone else, so I will carry it incase I come across that,” said Vietze.
According to Vietze, Brown County is among the top rural counties in Ohio in its efforts to reduce harm.
“When it comes to harm reduction, we are leading the way for rural counties in Ohio,” said Vietze.
According to Vietze, more needs to be done to reduce the stigma in relation to drug addiction in Brown County so more people will seek treatment.
“Behavioral health is physical health, but we still don’t have that perception. There’s still kind of a voodoo to peoples’ thinking, and a big part of that is because we are in an Appalachian culture…we take care of our own and we don’t share our problems with other people. So, trying to target that is huge. And there is a trust component, too.”
“For years when we were already in the midst of the opioid stuff, we heard ‘that’s not in our county, that’s Hamilton County’ or ‘that’s somewhere else, that’s not us,’” said Vietze. “Unfortunately, as we have seen more and more deaths, there has been more of a recognition that, ‘yes, it is here.’”
Many of those suffering from drug addiction actually suffer from co-occurring disorders, also needing treatment for mental health.
For family members or loved ones of someone addicted who doesn’t think they need help or doesn’t want to seek treatment, encourage them to seek help and be there to help them navigate the system if they do decide to seek treatment.
“Until an individual realizes they have a problem and are willing to work on it, the best treatment in the world isn’t going to help,” said Vietze.
“It’s the hardest work you will ever have to do, to overcome an addiction,” she added.
Peer support is also available in Brown County.
Recovery is possible but it can be a long road. For those seeking treatment for drug addiction or mental health, contact the BCBMHAS at (937) 378-3504, the Talbert House at (937) 378-4811 or (937) 444-6127, or Child Focus at (937) 444-1613. Child Focus also provides services for adults.
This story is part three of a three-part series on drug addiction in Brown County by editor Wade Linville.