Doors open at 6 p.m. so that attendees can visit the informational tables that will be set up. The speakers,
newscaster Lisa Thomas-Laury and
Judge Todd Eisenberg, start at 7. The event is free, and babysitting and refreshments will be available at no charge.
The event will also offer free Naloxone, the overdose-reversal medication, and training on its use at 6:30. Those wanting
Naloxone are asked to pre-register by emailing
[email protected] to ensure there is enough of a supply.
"We want everyone to feel encouraged to come and to have no obstacles,” said Magisterial District Judge Andrea Duffy, who started D.A.R.A. in 2016 as a way to help those who were
arrested for heroin possession get the treatment they needed.
According to Duffy, this is D.A.R.A’s seventh or eighth forum, but it is the first being held at the Y, 608 E. Main St., Lansdale. The crowds have increased with each event, which is a bittersweet achievement for Duffy.
"It’s always nerve-racking to start something, but it seems like the crowds just keep getting bigger and bigger,” she said. "While that’s exciting because you could be really gratified that so many people are anxious to learn and make a difference, it also is indicative of the need that we have in our community.”
Duffy hopes these events can help make a difference, both with helping those who need resources and connections but also to change the stigmatization of addiction since it can–and does–happen to anyone. She also hopes the forum will help prepare families and friends so that if someone needs help with addiction, they can guide the person to the necessary resources.
When Duffy started D.A.R.A., "I was seeing that a lot of people charged with heroin possession weren’t appearing for court. We took an informal study and realized they weren’t appearing for court because some of them were dying before they could get to court.”
She wanted to help those who were struggling with addiction at the preliminary arraignment stage. "Instead of proceeding by mail, where the charges are mailed to the defendant to come to court, I wanted to get them in front of me to get them into treatment early on,” said Duffy.
As part of the program, they contact facilities to see if beds are available for defendants. Among obstacles that the program helps overcome are lack of insurance, lack of available beds, transportation and assessments to qualify for inpatient treatment.
"Luckily, over time, when we brought all these local providers together and formed D.A.R.A., we were able to get this network of people that I can call and get people into a bed right from the bench,” said Duffy.
The program is a local effort that coordinates variety of inpatient and outpatient services, but they are open to anyone in need. "We really don’t have boundaries," said Duffy. "If someone is from another area [with] out-of-county insurance, we still try to use our resources to get them into inpatient treatment.”
While the program was started as a way to help those who were arrested, anyone is welcome to contact Duffy or go onto D.A.R.A.’s website to view the available resources.
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