Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The First Steps in Healing and Recovery For Martinsburg/Berkeley County WV

Yesterday evening we were invited to a sit down meeting with Councilman Kevin Knowles who has also been appointed as Berkeley County's Community Recovery Services Coordinator. He invited us to tell him about our son Kyle who has struggled with heroin and opiate addiction now for the past eleven years and to tell us his plans for the future of Martinsburg and Berkeley County as it relates to the heroin, opiate and drug problem we have here.

He shared with us his plans for his Recovery Resource Center and we got to visit the center which is still under construction and is
located in the county offices on West Stephen St. here in Martinsburg. The Recovery Resource Center will be a place of coming together and meeting. Most importantly it will be open to those who are using and seeking help and treatment.

Councilman Knowles has some great plans for the Martinsburg/
Berkeley County community in helping to combat our heroin epidemic here in the county. We knew this was going to be a process and that there would be no magical over night fixes.

For the future of our town he used Recovery Point in Huntington, WV as an example of what he would like to see here in Martinsburg and Berkeley County. The services of Recovery Point focuses on detox (non medicated), Off the Street, Recovery and Continuing Care as well as Peer Mentoring all of which can help to prevent relapse.

This would also mean we need more Sober Living houses here in Martinsburg and Berkeley County to meet the needs of those recovering and putting their lives back together.

Mayor George Karos announced at the Council Meeting on June 9th his three tier drug initiative for the City of Martinsburg:
  • Working with Law Enforcement to combat the traffickers to our town
  • Working with the Community Recovery Services Coordinator and the treatment of our local people who are addicted to heroin, opiates and other drugs.
  • Prevention which includes local police and the schools here in Martinsburg and Berkeley County
As well as Narcan training for all Fire Department Personnel and Local Law Enforcement.

Councilman Knowles is definitely on the same page with us and is on our side. This is going to be a joint community effort as well because he is seeking volunteers on our side. The biggest is continuing with the awareness.

Thank you so much Councilman Knowles for allowing us the time to talk and for sharing your plans. You can contact him at his office 400 W. Stephen St Suite 201 by calling (304)264-1923 or you can email him at kknowles@berkeleywv.org

© 2016 Gossip Girl



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