Canton Twp. Fire connecting those with addiction & mental health issues with treatment

CANTON TWP. ‒ The leadership team at the Canton Township Fire Department is trying to connect people who are suffering from addiction and mental health problems with treatment.

The effort grew from measures already in place to leave behind an opioid overdose remedy with a patient who has overdosed. The antidote naloxone comes with usage instructions and a list of local mental health and addiction recovery services. Naloxone, often called by the brand name Narcan, is available from the department upon request. It is available in all the department's ambulances and stations.

But Fire Chief Chris Smith and Assistant Chief Rick Morabito felt the need to go further.

“We recognize the harm reduction component of it, but we felt like fire and EMS can and should be doing more as it relates to that," Morabito said.

Their initiative involves referring consenting patients to a local behavioral health agency and a Quick Response Team that contacts people soon after an overdose. The team comprises a deputy (not in uniform), a counseling agency representative and a recovering addict. The Fire Department will send their information to the outside entities if patients authorize the communication with a signature.

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A chance to get linked to care

"This is a big step for fire/EMS, as prior to this, the only linkage to further care would have to happen through the emergency departments," Morabito said. "Many times, patients with these issues would refuse care or transport from EMS and there would be no interventions initiated."

Firefighter/medics make the referrals by using a form in the Stark County Criminal Justice Information System, an online database of court information.

Law enforcement agencies have been using the same form for the same purpose for about four years, said Paul Sarsany, director of case management and peer services at Coleman Health Services.

Coleman case managers follow up referrals from law enforcement for about 150 to 170 people a month who have mental health needs. Sarsany said they try to provide further assessment and education about community resources that often include a linkage to care for their mental health needs.

Now, Canton Township firefighters can make the same referrals when they encounter citizens who may have a significant mental health or substance abuse problem. Morabito estimates firefighters can complete the form in two minutes.

"They often get called out for overdoses. They will use Narcan to revive people who have overdosed on an opioid. That's kind of where fire and EMS leave it," Sarsany said. "Up until this time, there's been no linkage to care. Often, they're going out repeatedly on certain individuals."

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Why make the extra effort?

Why are they doing this?

"If we're truly committed to helping those that we serve, this is just one more layer of opportunity to align patients, or people, to the help that they need," Morabito said. "I think our job has evolved further than just transporting them to the hospital. I have seen the repeated calls and what it has done ... to our first responders.

"If the system has failed ... a patient over and over again, only for us to continually run on the same patient for the same purposes, then we have to do something different. I feel like we have a duty to provide this. If you put yourself in that position, wouldn't you want that for someone that you love — to get the care, or aligned to the care that they want and need?"

Morabito acknowledged that patients will not be ready to seek treatment every time they are helped by a fire department medic.

"But we felt like it was paramount that when we were with these patients, a lot of times that's ground zero," he said. "They've usually suffered from an overdose or a mental health crisis. And a lot of times we're signing these patients off, meaning they're refusing transport to the hospital, only for us to be back with them over and over and over again. It also has led to first responder fatigue and burnout and stigma."

Sarsany said trying to link people to outpatient treatment for their issues "decreases the likelihood that fire and EMS are going to be called out in an emergency situation."

Morabito said he hopes to ultimately see fewer instances in which the Canton Township Fire Department has to decline calls for service, and send them to another agency, because its firefighter/medics are responding to situations related to mental health or substance abuse issues.

Sarsany believes there is a greater chance that people referred to services by the fire department will engage with case managers than those who are referred by law enforcement. Law enforcement referrals are automatic and involuntary, unlike the voluntary referrals from the fire department.

"It's going to be more welcome because they signed the release," Sarsany said.

What lies ahead?

Canton Township had sent only one referral to Coleman as of Tuesday. Sarsany expects to receive no more than 10 a month from Canton Township.

He said the agency has had some success reaching people who were referred by safety forces.

"We find that some people may have lived in this community all their life, but it doesn't mean that they know where the resources are," Sarsany said. "Just with the nature of life, whether it's COVID coming along, whether it's a recession and people lose their job ... there are a number of life triggers and situations that people are not necessarily equipped ... to cope with that can trigger a mental health condition, or a maladaptive response, to using a substance for coping."

Erin Ivers, recovery program manager at Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery, has helped the fire department launch the effort, which was based on what law enforcement has been doing.

"We are excited to expand this process to include fire, with CTFD being one of the first departments to come on board," she wrote in an email.

Future plans include using the referral form to connect military veterans in crisis with the Veterans Service Commission of Stark County, Morabito said. The fire department is also seeking a federal grant to help first responders learn the best way to speak with persons experiencing mental health problems or addiction.

Morabito presented information about the effort to link sufferers to care at a meeting of Stark County fire chiefs in April.

"The hope is that this can just be a pilot program that other fire and EMS districts would pick up across the county," Sarsany said.

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

Where to get help in Stark County

Here are resources for mental health and addiction services in the Stark County area:

Arrow Passages Addiction Services: 234-348-8011

AVO Behavioral Health & Recovery: 855-286-7287

BrightView Health: 866-934-7450

Canton City Public Health: 330-489-3231

Canton Comprehensive Treatment Center :234-348-3869

Coleman Health Services crisis intervention and stabilization: 330-452-6000

CommQuest mental health, addiction services, detox and social support: 330-455-0374

Stark County Health Department: 330-493-9904

Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery: 330-455-6644

Stark County TASC Services: 330-479-1912

Summit Psychological Associates: 330-493-2554

United Way of Greater Stark County: 330-491-0445

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton Township Fire Department focused on addiction, mental health