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The following is Chief Mike Butler's update on the Angel Initiative.
Good Day,
On January 1, 2017, Longmont Public Safety opened our doors to anyone who might be suffering or struggling with substance abuse. To date, approximately eighty people have taken us up on that offer. We were able to find each of them addiction treatment. In many cases, the treatment modality was residential and for others, it was intensive outpatient treatment. We have agreements with over one hundred addiction treatment providers in the surrounding area. For those of you familiar with treatment for addiction, you know that is almost impossible to obtain treatment for substance abuse if you do not have health insurance or the wherewithal to pay for treatment. As such, many people who do not have financial means do not receive treatment for their addiction and they and their families are left feeling hopeless. Our Angel Initiative provides that opportunity.
In addition, we have recruited community residents who offer emotional support and transportation to and from the various treatment facilities. We have also sought the assistance of various employers who have agreed to provide employment to those who come to our community during or after treatment. Along with all of that, we have a group of community residents who have taken on the assignment of rallying our entire community to embrace those struggling with addiction.
In terms of data/numbers, as of October of 2017, we have seen a reduction in calls for service(CFS) to those who obtained treatment through our Angel Initiative. As of October of 2017, calls for service have been reduced by 780 (for the first 45 participants of the 80 participants so far). We are currently assessing what the reduction in CFS is for the eighty participants. Approximately fifty percent of our Angel participants struggled with homelessness. The breakdown of male/female is approximately 50/50. By far, the chemical substance most encountered is alcohol. We have seen people who are struggling with heroin, opiates, meth, and marijuana. Often people are addicted to multiple substances.
Again, for those of you who know about the dynamics of addiction, relapse is not uncommon. We have had a few our Angel participants relapse. And they agree to give it another try. In one case, Anson relapsed three times. Each time, we found him addiction treatment. Anson was homeless and accounted for numerous calls for service, arrests, ambulance rides, emergency department visits and stays at our alcohol recovery center. We recently got him admitted to the Harmony Addiction Treatment facility in Estes Park for three months of residential treatment. His residential treatment alone costs approximately $75,000. There are a number of cases like Anson. In another case involving Reuben, who was also homeless and subject to intensive resource public safety allocation, he is still in treatment, in housing and employed.
Within public safety, we have a system/process in place for those who walk through our doors requesting treatment. All of our police officers and firefighters are trained on intake and finding a safe place for those requesting treatment. We realize that if we can find one person treatment, we are not only helping that person and their families, we are most likely reducing public safety calls for service. Our internal Public Safety Assistance Diversion program then finds them the appropriate treatment provider.
We have leveraged close to one million dollars in “free” treatment for those who are participating in the Angel Initiative. What we find very interesting is that treatment providers, almost all private and for-profit, are calling us and asking to be added to the list of providers and willing to provide scholarships to those who want treatment. And FWIW, public safety has not had to add one penny to our budget to make this all happen.
We believe the Angel Initiative is an example of how we can leverage the social capital in our community for the good of the whole. With our treatment providers, our Angel residents, our Angel employers and others, we believe we are sending the message to those struggling with addiction that, indeed, this community will embrace them, that their dignity can be restored, and they know that there is a safe place for them to reach out where they believe and feel their voice counts, their thoughts matter, and perhaps most importantly, their humanness is valued.
-Chief Mike Butler
For more information on the Angel Initiative Program visit Angel Initiative Page on the City of Longmont website.
