Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Isabel Byon (00:00):
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and
Supports, or OASAS, providesthis podcast as a public service
.
The opinions expressed do notnecessarily reflect those of the
agency or state.
This is Addiction (00:06):
The Next Step.
Jerry Gretzinger (00:21):
Hey everybody, this is Jerry Gretzinger, your
host for Addiction (00:21):
The Next Step.
And, uh, today we are on theroad.
We are actually out in Syracusebecause we are profiling some
of the amazing work that's donewith the opioid settlement funds
.
You know, you hear us talk alot about the dollars that came
into New York state that areawarded to states all across the
(01:02):
nation.
And the money is being put towork.
We're happy to say in New Yorkwe were the fastest of the 50
states to cut that money outinto the roads, into the streets
and the communities to be putto use.
And this is some of the workwe're doing to share the stories
that have come out of thoseinvestments.
So right now, I said we're inSyracuse, we're with Mariah
Senecal-Reilly.
She's the Director of SubstanceUse Initiatives with the
Onondaga County HealthDepartment.
Thank you so much for sittingdown with us, Mariah.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (01:04):
Thank you so much for having me.
Jerry Gretzinger (01:05):
And so, yeah, one of the things that you guys
have done with some of thesefunds, and we love this.
It's an opportunity to bringservices and supplies directly
to people where they are using amobile service.
So a van.
T ell us about that.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (01:19):
Yeah, so one of our first initiatives
when our county receivedsettlement dollars was to buy a
decommissioned ambulance andit's a mobile unit and we use
that throughout the community.
We have six, soon to be seven,set sites where we do harm
(01:40):
reduction services, includingsyringe services, and we were
actually the first county-ledsyringe services program.
We're a second tier syringeservices program.
Jerry Gretzinger (01:50):
And so about two years it's been running
right?
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (01:52):
Yes.
Jerry Gretzinger (01:53):
And so I asked you before we started recording
if you knew approximately howmany people have benefited from
the services this van provides,and it's a pretty good number.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (02:03):
Yeah, so our enrolled number is around
430.
We do provide services topeople who are not enrolled as
well.
You need to enroll to get thesyringes, but we also give out
other harm reduction suppliesnaloxone, testing strips, basic
living stuff like hats andgloves, socks, things like that
(02:26):
as well.
Jerry Gretzinger (02:26):
Yeah, you know , we were actually out and we
saw the van a little while agoand you're absolutely right,
there's more than just some ofthose you know supplies that can
help somebody who's living withsubstance use.
We saw socks, you know and likeyou said, some hygiene supplies
.
So it really is.
It's trying to provide whatpeople need, whatever that might
be.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (02:44):
Yes.
Jerry Gretzinger (02:46):
So you talk about over 400 people over the
past two years and when you sayenroll, right.
So what does somebody do ifthey want to enroll and like,
what's the benefit of enrollingversus not enrolling?
That kind of thing.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (02:56):
Yeah, so the only difference between
being enrolled and not enrolledis it's anonymous all across the
board, um, but if somebody isenrolled, they will, um they'll,
get a code related to theirname, um, and they can receive,
uh, sterile syringes from us, um, and they can come back, uh, in
(03:20):
the card also identifies thatthey're enrolled as a
participant with the syringeservices.
If they're ever have a situationwhere they might have syringes
identified by law enforcement.
Jerry Gretzinger (03:32):
Understood.
Gotcha and I always think it'simportant we have an opportunity
to do this, but to explain topeople what harm reduction is
and the importance of harmreduction.
Some people have a hard timeunderstanding what harm
reduction does, the intentbehind it, so help us out with
that a little bit.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (03:51):
Yeah, so for us it's really about
autonomy.
Not everybody is at a placewhere they are going to pursue
treatment.
It's taking steps to keep peoplesafer at any stage they are in
(04:12):
their recovery process.
Jerry Gretzinger (04:12):
I think it's important sometimes for people
to understand what you just said.
It's that not everyone is readythe minute they see you to say
I'm going to start thattreatment journey, but what we
want to do is keep them safe andhealthy until they are.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (04:25):
Yes.
Jerry Gretzinger (04:26):
And I was talking to one gentleman who
drives the van.
He said he goes out there allthe time to the different
neighborhoods and he said what'snice is that this gives them a
place to go in theirneighborhood.
When they're ready to make thatstep, they've already got a
relationship with the personwho's in there helping them out.
And when they're ready to say Iwant to take a few more steps
(04:48):
towards treatment, they can dothat easily.
The accessibility is so muchbetter.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (04:52):
Yeah, absolutely, they do connect with
our staff on the van.
We also have a designated peerspecialist with the van at every
location and that's somebodywho is certified as a peer
specialist and it's somebody whohas lived experience and so
that individual can kind of walkbeside the person as they
(05:14):
navigate whatever steps they'retrying to take to improve their
situation.
Jerry Gretzinger (05:19):
So the van goes out and it's obviously got
the supplies, but then we've gota peer who can speak to
somebody who's walked the walk.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (05:25):
Yes, yes , absolutely, and our staff were
very lucky in the program.
Almost all of us have livedexperience of some sort, so you
don't have to be a peer toexperience that within our
programming, and I really thinkit makes all the difference.
Jerry Gretzinger (05:42):
Yeah, you know , a big push obviously is to try
to eliminate the hurdles thatpeople have to getting harm
reduction supplies or treatment.
And certainly people in certaincommunities, you know, may not
be of any type of means to getthemselves to a physical
location, but having it come totheir neighborhood changes the
game.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (05:59):
Yeah, absolutely, and we actually also
will mail certain supplies likenaloxone test strips.
We have a by-request mailingservice.
We recently also just starteddoing delivery, so if somebody
maybe is homebound or is notable to get to a location on the
day that we're there, we canalso deliver to them as well.
Jerry Gretzinger (06:21):
Well, that's great.
That's certainly helpful to alot of people.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (06:25):
Yeah.
Jerry Gretzinger (06:25):
So I want to ask you this question too before
we get to wrapping up.
But lots of challenges andstruggles facing folks who
provide services like thesethese days with funding and talk
about funding cuts and thatsort of thing.
But we see today that the menand women who are out there
providing these services arestill coming in, they're still
(06:47):
getting in that van, they'restill going out to the
communities meeting with thepeople they've been meeting with
for the past couple of yearsand I just feel like to me, I
think to myself these people aredriven.
There's a reason they want todo this, you know, because it
means something.
They see the difference thatthey're making Speak to their
resolve.
The folks you work with outthere, you know meeting people
(07:07):
where they're at.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (07:08):
Yeah.
So I've been very fortunate umthis to build this program.
I've been with the county foreight years and we didn't do any
of these things when I started.
I've been able to direct.
I've been deeply fortunate andit has been a priority of mine
and our commissioner and in ourcounty to employ folks who do
(07:30):
have that lived experience, um,and I really think like it.
I find it a little bit uncommonwhen people who are really
committed to this um don't havea connection but um our folks.
It's not about it's not aboutmoney.
(07:51):
It's about assisting somebodyin the way that they may have
been assisted at some pointduring their journey.
Jerry Gretzinger (08:00):
Yeah, which I think also speaks to the role of
the peer right.
Yes, Because, these people arehere because they've been there,
they've done that and they wantto help other people along
their journey.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (08:08):
Yeah.
Jerry Gretzinger (08:09):
Yeah, this is a great combination of so many
different things theaccessibility to be able to talk
to somebody who understandswhere they've been and get the
services, the supplies as wesaid, you know, socks and
hygiene supplies.
What a great use, I think uh,maybe I'm biased, but of these
opioid settlement funds to getout there and really change
people's lives.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (08:28):
Yeah, it it, the settlement funds as a
whole has been transformativefor our program.
Obviously, we did begin ourmobile harm reduction efforts
within the community.
We actually just recentlyemployed a nurse practitioner
who has a specialty in substanceuse work and with the unhoused
(08:50):
population, so our initial ideafor that was wound care, but she
also does a number of otheracute care physical health
things, some mental healthtreatment as well and that also
was funded through settlementdollars.
Jerry Gretzinger (09:05):
We're very happy to hear money going to use
the way it is.
So, Mariah, thank you so muchfor the work you do and for
sitting down with us today totalk about it on the podcast.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (09:13):
Thank you so much for having me.
Jerry Gretzinger (09:14):
And listen.
If you are looking for anyinformation on how to get
supplies or services, you canalways go to our website.
That's oasas.
ny.
gov.
You can also call the HOPEl ine, it's 877-8-HOPE-NY.
I'm your host for Addiction: The Next Step, Jerry Gretzinger. (09:27):
undefined
Until we see you next time, bewell.
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and
Supports, or OASAS, providesthis podcast as a public service
.
The opinions expressed do notnecessarily reflect those of the
agency or state.
This is Addiction (00:06):
The Next Step.
Jerry Gretzinger (00:21):
Hey everybody, this is Jerry Gretzinger, your
host for Addiction (00:21):
The Next Step.
And, uh, today we are on theroad.
We are actually out in Syracusebecause we are profiling some
of the amazing work that's donewith the opioid settlement funds
.
You know, you hear us talk alot about the dollars that came
into New York state that areawarded to states all across the
(01:02):
nation.
And the money is being put towork.
We're happy to say in New Yorkwe were the fastest of the 50
states to cut that money outinto the roads, into the streets
and the communities to be putto use.
And this is some of the workwe're doing to share the stories
that have come out of thoseinvestments.
So right now, I said we're inSyracuse, we're with Mariah
Senecal-Reilly.
She's the Director of SubstanceUse Initiatives with the
Onondaga County HealthDepartment.
Thank you so much for sittingdown with us, Mariah.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (01:04):
Thank you so much for having me.
Jerry Gretzinger (01:05):
And so, yeah, one of the things that you guys
have done with some of thesefunds, and we love this.
It's an opportunity to bringservices and supplies directly
to people where they are using amobile service.
So a van.
T ell us about that.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (01:19):
Yeah, so one of our first initiatives
when our county receivedsettlement dollars was to buy a
decommissioned ambulance andit's a mobile unit and we use
that throughout the community.
We have six, soon to be seven,set sites where we do harm
(01:40):
reduction services, includingsyringe services, and we were
actually the first county-ledsyringe services program.
We're a second tier syringeservices program.
Jerry Gretzinger (01:50):
And so about two years it's been running
right?
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (01:52):
Yes.
Jerry Gretzinger (01:53):
And so I asked you before we started recording
if you knew approximately howmany people have benefited from
the services this van provides,and it's a pretty good number.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (02:03):
Yeah, so our enrolled number is around
430.
We do provide services topeople who are not enrolled as
well.
You need to enroll to get thesyringes, but we also give out
other harm reduction suppliesnaloxone, testing strips, basic
living stuff like hats andgloves, socks, things like that
(02:26):
as well.
Jerry Gretzinger (02:26):
Yeah, you know , we were actually out and we
saw the van a little while agoand you're absolutely right,
there's more than just some ofthose you know supplies that can
help somebody who's living withsubstance use.
We saw socks, you know and likeyou said, some hygiene supplies
.
So it really is.
It's trying to provide whatpeople need, whatever that might
be.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (02:44):
Yes.
Jerry Gretzinger (02:46):
So you talk about over 400 people over the
past two years and when you sayenroll, right.
So what does somebody do ifthey want to enroll and like,
what's the benefit of enrollingversus not enrolling?
That kind of thing.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (02:56):
Yeah, so the only difference between
being enrolled and not enrolledis it's anonymous all across the
board, um, but if somebody isenrolled, they will, um they'll,
get a code related to theirname, um, and they can receive,
uh, sterile syringes from us, um, and they can come back, uh, in
(03:20):
the card also identifies thatthey're enrolled as a
participant with the syringeservices.
If they're ever have a situationwhere they might have syringes
identified by law enforcement.
Jerry Gretzinger (03:32):
Understood.
Gotcha and I always think it'simportant we have an opportunity
to do this, but to explain topeople what harm reduction is
and the importance of harmreduction.
Some people have a hard timeunderstanding what harm
reduction does, the intentbehind it, so help us out with
that a little bit.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (03:51):
Yeah, so for us it's really about
autonomy.
Not everybody is at a placewhere they are going to pursue
treatment.
It's taking steps to keep peoplesafer at any stage they are in
(04:12):
their recovery process.
Jerry Gretzinger (04:12):
I think it's important sometimes for people
to understand what you just said.
It's that not everyone is readythe minute they see you to say
I'm going to start thattreatment journey, but what we
want to do is keep them safe andhealthy until they are.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (04:25):
Yes.
Jerry Gretzinger (04:26):
And I was talking to one gentleman who
drives the van.
He said he goes out there allthe time to the different
neighborhoods and he said what'snice is that this gives them a
place to go in theirneighborhood.
When they're ready to make thatstep, they've already got a
relationship with the personwho's in there helping them out.
And when they're ready to say Iwant to take a few more steps
(04:48):
towards treatment, they can dothat easily.
The accessibility is so muchbetter.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (04:52):
Yeah, absolutely, they do connect with
our staff on the van.
We also have a designated peerspecialist with the van at every
location and that's somebodywho is certified as a peer
specialist and it's somebody whohas lived experience and so
that individual can kind of walkbeside the person as they
(05:14):
navigate whatever steps they'retrying to take to improve their
situation.
Jerry Gretzinger (05:19):
So the van goes out and it's obviously got
the supplies, but then we've gota peer who can speak to
somebody who's walked the walk.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (05:25):
Yes, yes , absolutely, and our staff were
very lucky in the program.
Almost all of us have livedexperience of some sort, so you
don't have to be a peer toexperience that within our
programming, and I really thinkit makes all the difference.
Jerry Gretzinger (05:42):
Yeah, you know , a big push obviously is to try
to eliminate the hurdles thatpeople have to getting harm
reduction supplies or treatment.
And certainly people in certaincommunities, you know, may not
be of any type of means to getthemselves to a physical
location, but having it come totheir neighborhood changes the
game.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (05:59):
Yeah, absolutely, and we actually also
will mail certain supplies likenaloxone test strips.
We have a by-request mailingservice.
We recently also just starteddoing delivery, so if somebody
maybe is homebound or is notable to get to a location on the
day that we're there, we canalso deliver to them as well.
Jerry Gretzinger (06:21):
Well, that's great.
That's certainly helpful to alot of people.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (06:25):
Yeah.
Jerry Gretzinger (06:25):
So I want to ask you this question too before
we get to wrapping up.
But lots of challenges andstruggles facing folks who
provide services like thesethese days with funding and talk
about funding cuts and thatsort of thing.
But we see today that the menand women who are out there
providing these services arestill coming in, they're still
(06:47):
getting in that van, they'restill going out to the
communities meeting with thepeople they've been meeting with
for the past couple of yearsand I just feel like to me, I
think to myself these people aredriven.
There's a reason they want todo this, you know, because it
means something.
They see the difference thatthey're making Speak to their
resolve.
The folks you work with outthere, you know meeting people
(07:07):
where they're at.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (07:08):
Yeah.
So I've been very fortunate umthis to build this program.
I've been with the county foreight years and we didn't do any
of these things when I started.
I've been able to direct.
I've been deeply fortunate andit has been a priority of mine
and our commissioner and in ourcounty to employ folks who do
(07:30):
have that lived experience, um,and I really think like it.
I find it a little bit uncommonwhen people who are really
committed to this um don't havea connection but um our folks.
It's not about it's not aboutmoney.
(07:51):
It's about assisting somebodyin the way that they may have
been assisted at some pointduring their journey.
Jerry Gretzinger (08:00):
Yeah, which I think also speaks to the role of
the peer right.
Yes, Because, these people arehere because they've been there,
they've done that and they wantto help other people along
their journey.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (08:08):
Yeah.
Jerry Gretzinger (08:09):
Yeah, this is a great combination of so many
different things theaccessibility to be able to talk
to somebody who understandswhere they've been and get the
services, the supplies as wesaid, you know, socks and
hygiene supplies.
What a great use, I think uh,maybe I'm biased, but of these
opioid settlement funds to getout there and really change
people's lives.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (08:28):
Yeah, it it, the settlement funds as a
whole has been transformativefor our program.
Obviously, we did begin ourmobile harm reduction efforts
within the community.
We actually just recentlyemployed a nurse practitioner
who has a specialty in substanceuse work and with the unhoused
(08:50):
population, so our initial ideafor that was wound care, but she
also does a number of otheracute care physical health
things, some mental healthtreatment as well and that also
was funded through settlementdollars.
Jerry Gretzinger (09:05):
We're very happy to hear money going to use
the way it is.
So, Mariah, thank you so muchfor the work you do and for
sitting down with us today totalk about it on the podcast.
Mariah Senecal-Reilly (09:13):
Thank you so much for having me.
Jerry Gretzinger (09:14):
And listen.
If you are looking for anyinformation on how to get
supplies or services, you canalways go to our website.
That's oasas.
ny.
gov.
You can also call the HOPEl ine, it's 877-8-HOPE-NY.
I'm your host for Addiction: The Next Step, Jerry Gretzinger. (09:27):
undefined
Until we see you next time, bewell.
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