Steuben County to fund opioid services

BATH - Steuben County will continue its battle with the local opioid epidemic, despite the lack of anticipated funding from the state. County Manager Jack Wheeler told the county Legislature’s Human Services Health Education Committee Monday the state has cut anticipated funds for jail-based opioid treatment by 75 percent, with the remainder of the funds split between a few counties. Steuben planned to use the state funds as part of its Comprehensive Opioid Prevention Effort (COPE) program, announced by county District Attorney Brooks Baker and county Sheriff Jim Allard in February. One key element in the innovative program was expanding counseling and treatment services for inmates at the county jail. The plan was to increase services now provided by a part-time substance abuse counselor with transitional assistance after release. Steuben is one of the few counties in the state now providing even limited in-house treatment for inmates with substance abuse, according to Allard. The county has been aggressive in its efforts to educate the public about the opioid epidemic including numerous forums, presentations and tip lines and combat it through services, interdiction and local laws. “We’re ahead of the curve of many counties in the state in dealing with this issue,” Wheeler told the committee. “We hoped that would give us an edge, and apparently it did not. So it’s up to us to ramp it up and we will.”