Tioga County Mental Health offers drug-assisted treatment

In 2017, there were 76 reported overdoses in which 28 of those involved opioids in Tioga County. According to data provided by the Tioga County Sheriff’s office, there were also two fatalities, and narcan was administered in 13 instances. 

These statistics reflect data from Jan. 1 through Nov. 30 of this year, and that number continues to climb.

And with the number of overdoses and related fatalities, agencies from around the county and region are working hard to find ways to combat heroin and opioid abuse, and are searching for ways to administer effective treatment.

At Tioga County Mental Health, Medical Director Dr. John Bezirganian is able to prescribe a medication, Suboxone, to treat heroin addicts and to assist patients withdrawing from opioids.

In a recent meeting with staff members from Tioga County’s Mental Health Department, they talked about the treatment that is available to those wanting help, and discussed the success rate found with Suboxone as a drug assisted treatment option.

According to Mental Health officials, Suboxone works like heroin, yet it isn’t heroin, thus allowing those coming off heroin or opioids a chance to detox without the withdrawals. 

They did state, however, that Suboxone in itself is addictive, but the withdrawals are much less severe than that of heroin.

In Tioga County, they explained, most heroin users are in their twenties and thirties, whereas older persons who became addicted to opioids, such as hydrocodone or oxycodone, often switch to heroin. 

Deena Schwartz, nurse practitioner with Tioga County Mental Health, stated that patients often experience more pain when they are taking the pills, and that one can become addicted in as little as two weeks to opioid pain medications.

Today, practitioners are prescribing a seven-day supply of pain medications to prevent abuse. 

As for heroin, the relapse rate for people that go through a detox program is very high. And the draw to heroin for some, according to Mental Health officials, is its cost and accessibility. They also noted that heroin and opioid abuse is prevalent in any socio-economic situation.

For the professionals at Tioga County Mental Health, they treat individuals with mental health issues as well as those with substance abuse problems. Dr. Bezirganian stated that approximately 20 percent of their clients are addicted to heroin. 

The challenge, however, for mental health and substance abuse professionals is reaching those that might need help. Under their license, they can only treat people who are interested in recovery.

If interested, however, an individual can visit the Tioga County Mental Health office for outpatient assistance, or referrals can be made for treatment. They also offer treatment for families.

As for the epidemic that seems to be in the spotlight around the region, Schwartz stated, “There isn’t one answer.”

Dr. Bezirganian referred to the cycle of addiction as a pendulum of drugs. “Some people back away, but then go back to heroin.”

As the opioid overdose epidemic continues to surge, public health officials and first responders have turned to naloxone, the drug that reverses overdose, to help combat the rising tide.

Narcan, an FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone, can be administered to an individual that overdoses on heroin. With Narcan available to the public for home use, it can save a life until Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel arrive.

Schwartz stated that an EMS experience might open an addict’s eyes, and fast-forward them into treatment. But that isn’t always the case.

“When you have an addict, it’s like dropping a stone in water – it trickles,” said Schwartz of the far-reaching and damaging effect that addiction has on the addict and their family.

For drug-assisted treatment, Suboxone, which comes in pill form and will soon be available as an injection, offers a bit of hope.

Schwartz described Suboxone as a partial agonist as it partially blocks opiates. A prescription is needed, however, for Suboxone, and is available from a specially licensed practitioner. Dr. Bezirganian is able to prescribe Suboxone, and walk-ins at the Mental Health Clinic are welcome. 

With Suboxone as a form of drug-assisted treatment, the success rate is at 50 percent. 

Dr. Bezirganian is confident that Suboxone will work, and he would like to see more individuals come in for help.

To learn more about treatment, you can call Tioga County Mental Health at (607) 687-4000, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also call (607) 687-1010 after hours, and on weekends and holidays and ask to speak to the on-call crisis worker.

Tioga County Mental Health is located at 1062 State Route 38 in Owego and at 80 William Donnelly Parkway in Waverly.