Brunswick County commissioners giving update about substance use, mental health

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — Brunswick County Commissioners got an update about substance use and mental health during a commissioners meeting Monday afternoon.

During the meeting, commissioners heard from the Substance Use, Addiction, and Mental Health Commission.

Laura Trueman gave the presentation to commissioners which revealed that the current overdose rate in Brunswick County has decreased by more than 25 percent from 2023, from close to 30 overdoses per 10-thousand residents… to around 20 overdoses per 10-thousand residents.

Trueman said the decline is great after years of increasing numbers before the pandemic.

“What we can say with some degree of confidence is that we think after going like this with the opioid, with the pandemic, we’re starting to maybe see some turnaround and it coming down.”

Trueman added that anyone can overcome their issues as long as there is support.

“Recovery is possible,” Trueman said. “You read the news stories and you hear about so many overdoses, so much death that it can be discouraging. But recovery can be possible and we have a really strong set of resources.”

One such resource that could get approval from the commissioners is a new program for the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.

The ARROW program would offer recovery support services to people incarcerated at the sheriff’s office detention center.

Acacia Alston said the 90-day program could help reduce recidivism.

“They are committing crimes based off of their substance use disorder and what this program will do is this will help having these individuals, if they can get their services in the jail and addressed, then they won’t continue to come back into our facility,” Alston said. “So that’s the biggest benefit.”

County Commissioner Mike Forte has lost family members to substance abuse and said the county should do everything it can to help as many people as possible.

“You will always need this,’ Forte said. “Mental health, drug addiction, alcohol abuse. It’s there, it’s always going to be there. I’m profoundly in favor of doing anything and everything to help somebody. Give them 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th chances, I don’t care.”

A vote on the implementation of the ARROW program was not held Monday, but several commissioners including Forte supported it.

A vote is expected to be held at the Board’s next meeting on June 17th.