Union County joins state substance use disorder treatment initiative

May 15—LEWISBURG — Union County and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General launched the county's involvement with the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative during a press conference on Wednesday.

State Attorney General Michelle Henry joined District Attorney Brian Kersetter, Buffalo Valley Regional Police Chief Paul Yost and Mifflinburg Borough Police Chief Jeffrey Hackenberg at the county administration building to announce the collaborative program to divert individuals in need of treatment services. Union County becomes the 29th county to join the initiative, abbreviated LETI.

"LETI is a key part of combatting that (drug) problem," Henry said. "It focuses on accessibility. Sometimes people who are really suffering, they don't know who to come to, they don't know where to get help. Today, the district attorney and the law enforcement professional behind me are saying you can turn to us. That's incredible."

The initiative has received 1,370 referrals from concerned individuals throughout the commonwealth since its inception in 2020. It is a law enforcement-led treatment initiative that enables Pennsylvanians in Union County seeking treatment for substance use disorder to contact probation and parole services, the sheriff's department, other county officials, and community stakeholders, who will then contact the Columbia, Montour, Snyder, and Union Counties Drug and Alcohol Commission.

Henry said partnering with Union County law enforcement agencies and others under the initiative will open their doors to those suffering from substance use disorder; help identify individuals seeking treatment services; assist with ensuring that people have transportation to treatment services; and maintain relationships with local drug and alcohol administration to understand availability, and collect data to study outcomes.

"We're here to help and we're here to work together and battle this on all fronts," Henry said.

Numbers rising

Kerstetter said the initiative is an additional tool available to law enforcement to divert individuals with substance abuse disorders away from mainstream prosecution and into treatment programs to reduce criminal recidivism. The drug epidemic is on the rise and becoming increasingly deadly, he said.

In 2023, 33 percent of the cases handled by the Union County DA's office involved a charge under Pennsylvania's Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act. So far, in 2024, that number is 48 percent. Those numbers do not reflect offenses that may have occurred as a result of an addiction, Kerstetter said.

In Union County, individuals can walk into the police station, probation office, sheriff's department, or the local drug and alcohol authority and ask to be connected to substance abuse treatment. This program also empowers law enforcement to offer treatment to people suffering from addiction and will help stop the revolving door that exists for individuals who do not receive treatment, officials said.

An individual can enter the program through a referral by a community member or the addicted individual, through police contact, after the filing of charges at the magisterial district court level and participation through the drug treatment program, Kerstetter said.

Common issue

Yost said addiction is an issue that law enforcement deals with regularly.

"Now people with addiction will have no fear of arrest, can come talk to us," Yost said. "Individuals can come to us at the station or approach an officer on the street, and we will be able to help them."

Hackenburg said he was skeptical of the program at first, but quickly realized its potential to make streets safer and improve quality of life.

"The LETI program is the definition of community policing," Hackenburg said. "It gives us the chance to be one of the first steps in the recovery process for addiction. Often our hands are tied when it comes to what we can do with the drug epidemic. Usually, by the time police become involved, it has reached a point where it has become our duty to arrest, leave it up to the courts and hope for a good outcome."

The initiative will allow officers to be an "active part of breaking the cycle" and assist people to get the help they need, Hackenburg said.

Gina Melone, of Lewisburg, graduated from the county treatment court drug treatment court program in 2016. She now works for Gaudenzia, a drug treatment facility, in Lewisburg, and works to reduce the stigma of addiction.

"Many years ago, I would have loved even before my treatment days to have something like this in our community," Melone said.

Having these resources is "huge," she said. "That's going to break many barriers."

"I'm really excited to have this in Union County, and see the success and partner with everybody here," Melone said.

'Big step forward'

Union County Commissioner Chair Preston Boop, chair of the prison board, said the current and past board of commissioners are passionate about bringing in treatment courts and other programs. Individuals no longer have to be afraid of being arrested or going to jail, he said.

"This is one more big tool in that toolbox for all of us to deal with," Boop said. "Now we have a place and a system for those individuals to go to the authorities and say they need help or their friend is about to die. They can get help without fear they will go to jail. It's a big step forward. I applaud the AG and the district attorney for their efforts."

Boop encourages other counties not yet engaged in the state program to get involved.

The program in Union County was initiated by the late D. Peter Johnson, the former district attorney. Johnson planned to retire at the end of 2023, but the longtime district attorney died on Oct. 22. Johnson served in the elected position for nearly 28 years and would have finished his seventh, four-year term as a Republican at the end of 2023.

Other details

Agent Lauren Diller is the Office of Attorney General's dedicated full-time agent who coordinates the state initiative. Her work includes training, writing policies for each participating county, convening key community stakeholders, and case management of referrals. The initiative currently operates in Armstrong, Berks, Bradford, Butler, Cameron, Carbon, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Indiana, Jefferson, Luzerne, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

The program is at no extra cost to the county or the state.