Abby and Mercer are on the left and Lani and Amy on the right – photo courtesy of Bob McCollum.
Abby Frutchey, the Substance Use Response Coordinator for the Community Caring Collaborative, was joined by Amy Day and Marshall Mercer of the Down East Recovery Support Center in a talk to the Machias Rotary Club on October 15th. The topic was “Building Recovery Ready Communities.” Abby provided the grim statistic that the leading cause of death in the US for people under age 50 is related to substance use/abuse. She went on to say that Maine was the 6th highest in this category in the nation in 2017, and that Washington County had the highest death rate for this age group in Maine in 2016.
Abby detailed an 8-point approach being used to address this crisis. These points include Recovery Support, Employment, Education, Prevention, Housing, Treatment, Harm Reduction, and Judicial & Law Enforcement. She explained the role each area plays in supporting recovery of individuals with substance use disorder and those impacted by the individuals with the disorder. Abby gave a “shout out” to Arise for the work that organization does to help address the substance use crisis in Washington County. (Of note, Paul Trovarello will be speaking to the Machias Rotary Club on November 19th about Arise’s planned outreach to local schools.)
Abby turned the speaker podium over to Amy Day and Marshall Mercer who explained how the Down East Recovery Support Center located at 11 Free Street in Machias is playing a critical part in building a recovery ready. The center is open Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. Call the center at 259-6238 for details on the outstanding work being done right here in Machias.
-Article by Wayne Peters