MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Law enforcement, state and local leaders announced half a million dollars the state awarded the area to combat the opioid epidemic.
In 2018, the City of Myrtle Beach had an opioid study conducted in the area.
This $500,000 will help outreach groups, local government and law enforcement streamline resources for those who struggle with addiction.
“The plan provides for coordinated opioid treatment to be coordinated so that the disparate agencies and individuals and charitable organizations that are providing treatment and services to those who are trying to escape, could be brought together in one place, ” South Carolina representative, Alan Clemmons said.
New Directions of Horry County, a homeless shelter organization, will work with the City of Myrtle Beach to form a board to make decisions on how the money is spent. The board and this Opiod Study Implementation Plan will be New Directions responsibility.
“New Directions is already established so it just made sense to partner with them in this effort,” Mayor Bethune said.
Representative Clemmons said, there are “tremendous resources” in the County, but they are all working alone; the goal of the Implementation plan is to streamline those resources and track the success of the plan.
“There are people already answering these questions across private and public funds, a lot of money that’s out there,” Horry County Solicitor, Jimmy Richardson said. “This money would help coordinate all of those so that we can best serve the addict.”
He continued, “That’s how you make a rope, you tie smaller pieces together and it becomes stronger. So that’s what we hope to do.”
Russell Fry, South Carolina State Representative said the opiod crisis needs to be “all hands on deck.”
Fry says, due to the pandemic, overdoses are up nearly 40% and Narcan use is up 32% year-over-year this year.
“With increased anxiety, with increased job loss, with increased isolation, we see people kinda reverting back to old habits and these dollars would go a long way in helping streamline services,” Fry explained.
The money will also go toward hiring more peer support specialists at New Directions. A position law enforcement, New Directions and legislators agree is important.
“They have been in that situation,” Kathy Jenkins, executive director of New Directions said. “They have been addicted. They know how to talk to people and if they need medically assisted treatment. It will be offered to them.”
William Howsare is currently the only peer support specialist on New Directions staff; he’s helped 300 people find recovery.
“The first question I ask them is, “What does your perfect world look like right now? And I’m not talking about yachts and mansions, but if we can help you accomplish whatever it is you need to accomplish at this present moment, what would it look like?” and it’s my job to help, as realistic as possible to help it come true,” Howsare said.
He said getting the $500,000 allocation was a total shock and will help him impact many more lives.
“It’s very hard for me to be in more than one place at a time and oftentimes people call from different locations at the same time receiving services and it’s tough to differentiate who gets to be seen first and who doesn’t,” he explained.
Howsare continued, “It could help change homelessness, it could help change homelessness, crime, unemployment rates, there is so much more to it than just addiction.”