Sheriff Announces Accomplishment In Attack Against Opioid Addiction

MAYVILLE – Sheriff Joe Gerace recently announced that the Sheriff’s Office Jail Division has accomplished steps in a re-entry program for those challenged with opioid and other addictions.
The use of Vivitrol has been implemented successfully with an interdisciplinary collaborative approach by the Sheriff’s Jail Staff, Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services and the County’s Department of Mental Hygiene.

Stock Photo Credit: wmtv15 / Youtube

Vivitrol is a unique medication that’s used to curb the cravings associated with drug addiction. Gerace said Vivitrol was recently administered to an inmate, thus providing the individual with an opportunity toward recovery.
The Sheriff said that the use of the medication is merely the beginning step of a program that combines the medication with cognitive behavioral therapy, counseling, and linkages to community support, empowering the individual with the tools to recover from the use of opioids and/or alcohol.
Gerace said that the first recipient has been released into a rehabilitative program, having completed the first step in this program with the hope of reducing the likelihood of re-offending. Linkages to community counseling and support have been implemented successfully, and the steps to recovery have begun.