Erie, PA - Today, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones joined the Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, elected officials, and Erie County residents in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) to mark National Recovery Month and announce the progress made with DDAP-funded investments in local recovery efforts.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring that Pennsylvanians have access to the recovery support services they need,” said Secretary Davis-Jones. “Investing in regional recovery efforts underscores that recovery in Erie looks different from recovery in Easton. We know and recognize that each corner of the state is unique in its recovery landscape and needs.”
DDAP funds nine regional recovery hubs across the state. The Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse is the Region 3 Recovery Hub, which covers all of Erie County. The hubs are designed to embed, expand, and promote a Recovery-Oriented System of Care, which is a coordinated network of community-based services and supports that is person-centered. These hubs build on the strengths and resiliencies of individuals, families, and communities to achieve abstinence and/or improved health, wellness, and quality of life for those who have or are at risk of alcohol and drug problems.
Specifically, each hub must conduct an initial needs assessment for recovery support services in their specific region, including an estimate of individuals in need of these services and an analysis of their availability and accessibility. In addition, the hubs must develop a strategic plan that focuses on the importance of supporting multiple pathways to and through recovery, and promoting recovery services in areas including peer support, family support, and self-care.
In just the first year of the initiative, the Erie Regional Recovery Hub’s accomplishments include:
· Engaging a wide array of community members, social service and treatment providers, and persons with lived experience, to complete a robust recovery-focused needs assessment for Erie County;
· Collaborating intensively with local agencies to help support and provide technical assistance regarding issues related to meeting the needs of youth, veterans, and underrepresented communities as it relates to recovery;
· Collaborating with Penn State’s Erie Coalition for a Trauma Informed Community (ECTIC) regarding getting trauma-focused trainings into the community, including a training specific to certified recovery specialists and intensive case managers; and
· Coordinating and delivering cabinets stocked with naloxone to prioritized entities such as local providers, shelters, and schools, to provide these entities with free and easily accessible access to this life-saving overdose medication.
“The Regional Recovery Hub in Erie County is a transformative effort, providing essential resources and support for long-term recovery. It plays a key role in strengthening community resilience, helping individuals and the region rebuild and thrive after the challenges of SUD,” said Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Executive Director Scott Coughenour. “With strong backing from DDAP and local county leaders, we’ve been able to shape the definition of recovery in Erie, creating unique strategies and partnerships that promote holistic, community-centered healing.”
The hub’s accomplishments were announced during a day of DDAP National Recovery Month activities in Erie County. Secretary Davis-Jones and the Region 3 Recovery Hub joined individuals in recovery at Presque Isle State Park for ‘Recovery in Nature’ hiking and kayaking excursions. The featured trail, Graveyard Pond Trail, is a three-quarter mile out-and-back-trail that follows the shoreline along Graveyard Pond.
Recovery in Nature is a Shapiro Administration initiative which runs throughout the month of September in conjunction with National Recovery Month. It is designed to remind Pennsylvanians of the healing power of nature - particularly for individuals in recovery from SUD - and encourage all Pennsylvanians to take advantage of trails and waterways across the Commonwealth.
Along with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), DDAP has identified a corresponding trail or waterway within a state park or trail system near each regional recovery hub. A number of the trails are included within Governor Josh Shapiro’s Pennsylvania: The Great American Getaway tourism campaign. Additional recommended locations include:
Region 1: Philadelphia
· Benjamin Rush Trail System, Benjamin Rush State Park
· All of the more than three miles of trails at Benjamin Rush State Park are connected, creating a hike to be as long or short as hikers like. The gravel, multi-use trails wind through forested areas and meadows.
Region 2: Allegheny County
· Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Point State Park
· This one-mile trail section within Point State Park has scenic views of the Allegheny River, Pittsburgh bridges, and the city’s north shore. The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is a pedestrian trail and greenway system in the Pittsburgh area, covering 37 miles along both sides of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers.
Region 4: Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Chester, Lancaster, Delaware, and Schuylkill counties
· Mill Race Trail, Evansburg State Park, Montgomery County
· This one-and-a-half-mile trail is designed for easy walking and is a shaded trail that loops through the woods.
Region 5: York, Adams, Franklin, Fulton, Bedford, Cumberland, Perry, Dauphin, Lebanon, Huntington, Mifflin, Juniata, and Blair counties
· Doubling Gap Nature Trail, Colonel Denning State Park, Perry County
· Beginning and ending at Doubling Gap Lake, this one-mile self-guided loop trail has several informational panels about the natural history of the area.
· In addition, on Wednesday, September 25, the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers Association, which is DDAP’s Region 5 recovery hub, will be hosting a recovery-based hike along the loop. There will be a mid-point stop along the trail for recovery story sharing and a wellness-based activity.
Region 6: Beaver, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, Washington, Westmoreland, Greene, Fayette, and Somerset counties
· Copper Kettle Trail, Laurel Hill State Park, Somerset County
· This crushed stone bike trail is about one mile and meanders along the western shoreline of Laurel Hill Lake. It connects Old Mill Picnic Area and the beach area, provides excellent fishing access, and allows visitors to explore the park while bicycling or walking.
Region 7: Crawford, Mercer, Lawrence, Venango, Warren, Forest, Clarion, McKean, Elk, Cameron, Jefferson, and Clearfield counties
· Middle Allegheny River Water Trail, Warren, Forest, and Venango counties.
· Enjoy a leisurely float or paddle along all or part of the Middle Allegheny River Water Trail, a 107-mile stretch of river canoeable year-round that’s both beginner and family-friendly.
Region 8: Potter, Tioga, Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan, Centre, Union, Snyder, Montour, Columbia, and Northumberland counties
· Double Run Nature Trail, Worlds End State Park, Sullivan County
· A one-and-a-half-mile loop trail begins and ends on PA 154 across from the park chapel. In Loyalsock State Forest, it travels through rich, fertile woodlands along the west branch of Double Run, which has waterfalls and pools.
Region 9: Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Lehigh, and Northampton counties
· D&L Trail from Lehigh Gorge State Park to Jim Thorpe, Carbon County
· To access this section of trail, which is just over two miles one way, use the Lehigh Gorge State Park – Glen Onoko Access parking. Travel from there to downtown Jim Thorpe via the Nesquehoning Trestle that provides stunning views as it crosses the Lehigh River below.
DCNR requires all state park officers to be trained in administering naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication, and to carry a naloxone kit including a pair of gloves, two prefilled, needleless intranasal devices, and a carrying case while on duty at DCNR’s state parks. Additionally, many state parks have posted signage containing help for individuals struggling with the disease of addiction, such as avenues to get naloxone, resources for finding SUD treatment, and educational tools.
Individuals seeking SUD treatment or recovery resources for themselves or a loved one can be connected to local resources by visiting treatmentatlas.org or by calling the toll-free PA Get Help Now helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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MEDIA CONTACT: Stephany Dugan - ra-dapressoffice@pa.gov