NY State Senator Gipson Visits St. Christopher’s Inn to See First Hand Heroin’s Impact

 
GARRISON, N.Y. - May 20, 2014 - PRLog -- (Garrison, NY) St. Christopher’s Inn in Garrison, NY, is only one agency at the epicenter of the heroin crisis facing our state.  In New York, drug overdose deaths rose 169 percent between 1979 and 2010. Overdose deaths top motor vehicle accident mortalities today. In order to help state legislators establish budget priorities that serve the needs of citizens and ensure the health and safety of the public while saving taxpayer dollars, St. Christopher’s Inn has begun reaching out to legislators, extending invitations to visit and learn about the impact the crisis has on individual lives and on the critical institutions that serve them.

NY Senator Terry Gipson (D-Dutchess, Putnam) accepted this invitation to St. Christopher’s Inn at Graymoor last week to understand firsthand the urgency needed on the part of both the client and the agencies that serve those in crisis.

Father Bill Drobach, SA, President and CEO of St. Christopher’s Inn said, “At this time, St. Christopher’s Inn is receiving over 100 client inquiries daily, and we host 177 men at a time.  In the face of this public health challenge, it has never been more important for the New York State budget to fund public health initiatives that cost-effectively treat people suffering from addictions. These people bring complex clinical situations that require wrap-around services proven to improve health and social outcomes, and there must be adequate funding and opportunities for those who need care to receive it.”

Today, as the oldest free-standing men’s shelter in New York State, St. Christopher’s Inn offers a continuum of care for chemical dependency for up to 1,000 men annually.  Offering one of the only integrated care programs in the area, clients are treated for their substance abuse problems, receive psychiatric evaluations and treatment, get their medications stabilized in a safe environment, and have access to primary care including physicals, testing, and coordination of care and health education, all in a safe clean environment.  Since over 35% of clients entering day treatment programs report they do not have stable housing, our program offers shelter, food and clothing, as well as a support network and education, that contribute to successful long-term outcomes.  This program reduces Emergency Room visits and encounters with the criminal justice system.  St. Christopher’s Inn has the highest completion rate in the state of New York, 77%.

Senator Gipson said, “It's important for me to visit the many hard working organizations in our community like St. Christopher's Inn to learn how I can best represent them in the State Senate. My visit with the administrators and some clients at the Inn was very informative. Their efforts are a strong example of how working together through community partnerships can improve our ability to help others when they need it most."

“We appreciate Senator Gipson’s efforts to learn about effective treatment for chemical dependency so he can better develop public policies in Albany,” said Fr. Drobach.  “Many people seeking recovery are hindered by a lack of available treatment programs or are simply unable to pay for help they desperately need.  In order to tackle this growing tragic public health problem, New York State must treat chemical dependency as the significant problem it is by expanding the budget for proven treatment options. New York’s citizens should support this effort because in the long run, funding treatment will reduce health care costs, and it will lower criminal justice costs saving their tax dollars.  It also will save lives.”

“With personal tours of the Inn for our legislators,” Fr. Drobach added, “we can help make the case that treating chemical dependency should become a priority for the long-term health of our state.”

There are several bills in the NY state legislature designed to address the needs of people needing resources to treat their chemical dependencies and mental illnesses and to ensure that the agencies offering effective treatments have adequate resources to continue their missions in the face of a growing health problem.

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St. Christopher’s Inn, a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, is a temporary homeless shelter at Graymoor in Garrison, NY, dedicated to the rehabilitation of men in crisis whom we call “Brothers Christopher.” The Inn offers a continuum of quality health care services that facilitate physical, emotional, and spiritual healing by providing Chemical Dependency Treatment, Primary Health Care, and Temporary housing.  St. Christopher’s Inn also home to St. Anthony’s Clinic, an OASAS licensed substance abuse program with a Day Rehabilitation Program and a Clinical Module Program.

Contact
Cynthia Gerber
***@atonementfriars.org
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