Doug Huntsinger spoke at a roundtable at a K-CODE meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Text and Photos
By Madison Hart
InkFreeNews

PIERCETON — Doug Huntsinger, senior advisor to Governor Eric Holcomb and coordinator of the governor’s Next Level Recovery Initiative, hosted a roundtable at a Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education meeting at Bowen Health Psychiatric Hospital and Bowen Health Crisis Receiving and Stabilization in Pierceton on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Doug Huntsinger

Huntsinger is the executive director for Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement and Chairman of the Indiana Commission to Combat Substance Use Disorder. At the roundtable, he provided updates on successful initiatives in Indiana to combat substance use before opening up the conversation to Kosciusko County organizations.

K-CODE works to bring together three main sectors: intervention/treatment, prevention/education and justice. Connecting rehabilitation centers, prevention groups and law enforcement provides a unique opportunity to share resources, gather data and problem solve. Around 45 representatives of Kosciusko County drug prevention or recovery organizations participated in the discussion.

Huntsinger shared that there has been an 18-19% reduction in overdose deaths, which is the first time Indiana has reached pre-pandemic levels. He said Indiana has opened more opioid treatment facilities, reducing drive times for patients from around an hour to just 16 minutes. Indiana has drastically increased the availability of Naloxone, which has also driven down prices from $45 to under $16/dose. Huntsinger stated 37,000 Hoosiers have found care since launching Treatment Atlas.

A focal point of the discussion was how the state and local communities can use opioid settlement payouts that Indiana has received to improve local care for those with substance use disorder. Huntsinger stated that the settlements are split 50/50 between state and local units of government. He said the state has used $40 million so far to bolster state infrastructure, and $980 million is expected to be awarded over the next 18 years.

Kosciusko organization representatives discussed obstacles to receiving and distributing funds. The Warsaw Police Department shared that meth and fentanyl are the biggest problems in the county. Various officers and recovery centers shared a gap in services regarding where to take people to detox before they enter recovery houses. They said that detoxing, mental illness comorbidities and other health issues can be barriers to people getting a spot in recovery services. Administrative overreach was cited as a barrier to applying for funding. Kosciusko Cares also shared that it’s difficult to use the funds for preventative services. County council member Sue Ann Mitchell also stated that there are difficulties implementing funding opportunities due to lack of manpower and administration concerns.

Huntsinger stated that 80% of communities reported zero expenditures of the opioid settlement funds and only 16% created a committee to evaluate how to best use the funds. This is a compliance concern, and Huntsinger emphasized the importance of using the money.

“This is a model community,” Huntsinger said of Kosciusko County and K-CODE. “This isn’t happening everywhere: bringing all the stakeholders together … yielding results … Kudos to you guys. This is the hard work … This is not the norm across the state.”

Huntsinger said Indiana is looking to future initiatives to expand both transportation services and services for youth, black communities, pregnant mothers and spiritual services. He is also interested in transitional housing programs for individuals after leaving recovery houses.

Other updates included:

• Prescription Drug Drop Boxes collected 1,416 pounds of medication in 2024.
• Mom of an Addict meets Thursdays.
• Serenity House is at max capacity; new leadership is taking over.
• Rose Garden Recovery Community has two beds open.
• LITE, Living In Recovery Effectively, got a state contract for Region 2 and shared the success of recent parenting events.
• Fort Wayne Recovery/Allendale Treatment said they will have a new office at the Gathering Place starting Dec. 1.
• JCAP announced its eight people will graduate next week.
• CARES approved the Handle With Care memo for children in school who experienced a recent trauma.
• Boundless is offering bungee fitness, men’s boxing and will host ‘Hiking, Hot Chocolate and Headlamps,’ with a date to be announced.
• Reentry court received a grant to offer intensive services for those with substance use disorder in the justice system.
• Narcotics Anonymous meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
• Indiana Mental Health and Addiction Symposium will be Friday, Dec. 13, in Indianapolis.

K-CODE’s next meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Papa Vino’s in Warsaw.