From left, Timothy Reed of the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office, Recovery Specialist Siobhan Lopez, Lindsay Dragon of Legacy Treatment Services, Atlantic County Sheriff Eric Scheffler and Scott Gras of AtlantiCare.
NORTHFIELD When Atlantic County Freeholder Board Chairman Frank Formica heard that Sheriff Eric Scheffler was having a hard time finding a part for the disabled Hope One van, he got on it right away.
The 12-year-old van, which delivers treatment resources on-the-spot to those with substance abuse, had been out of commission for weeks, but the Hope One team was still setting up its mobile unit in tents twice a week at locations around Atlantic County, Scheffler told the Board of Chosen Freeholders Tuesday, Dec. 4.
We wound up putting $25,000 into it from in-kind donations, he said.
Scheffler said a machinist was hired to build the part for the retrofitted Ford 350 passenger van, but the part did not work, he said. The water pump was also on the fritz, he said.
We're trying to keep the truck moving as best we can, Scheffler said.
Freeholder Ernest Coursey remarked that pumping money into an older vehicle is not prudent and that the money could best be spent on a new vehicle.
At some time, we need to cut our loss. Where do we go from here? he said.
It will take 12 months to get a new vehicle built at a cost of $246,000, but Scheffler said U.S. Department of Agriculture has already approved a matching grant for 55 percent of the cost. The remaining 45 percent will be shared equally between the Sheriff's Office and its partners at AtlantiCare and The Hansen Foundation.
One thing I'm pretty expert at is fixing trucks., said Formica, who owns the Formica Brothers bakery in Atlantic City. I have 20 of them. I guarantee you I can get you that part.
Within 24 hours, the part was located, installed and the van was back on the road.
Scheffler also obtained the board's approval to transfer funds remaining in a Sheriff's Office salary and wages line item to pay for its share of the cost of the new vehicle.
The Hope One program, which Scheffler implemented on Sept. 1 after months of planning, has been successful in getting 70 people into addiction treatment programs. Additionally, the unit has provided 90 Narcan trainings and made more than 400 referrals to other social service agencies that can ease the transition from addiction to sober living.
We're reaching people when we go out into the community, Scheffler. Just last week, two brothers living out of a dumpster in Somers Point were put into treatment within 24 hours, he said. We want to continue making an impact on the addiction problem.
On Wednesday, Dec. 19, Hope One was stationed in front of the Wawa store in Ventnor. Members of three partner agencies were on board to make connections to treatment for anyone who asked.
It's like a giant billboard and really attracts attention," said Chief Warrant Officer Timothy J. Reed, who is the former police chief in Brigantine. "We usually get at least seven people a day."
The van includes a kiosk of information materials from more than 22 agency partners, telephones to make the connections on the spot, and a computer that can play educational videos.
Our partners provide the resources and we make the match, Reed said.
One Wednesday morning, someone who wanted anonymity approached the van to ask if a counselor could stop by their house to talk about treatment options.
We are sending one of our counselors over there today, Reed said.
The Sheriff's Office takes the Hope One van out twice a week, but partner agencies, such as AtlantiCare and Enlightened Solutions, may also schedule use of the van when they have staffing available.
We work together as a team to find what's best for the person. Sometimes it might be the need for treatment, food, clothing or sober living housing, and we get them what they need, Reed said.
Scheffler has been working to remove the obstacles to getting into treatment, including providing the personal identification needed to access treatment.
We vet them through the Prosecutor's Office, he said. If they've ever been arrested, and many have, we can readily obtain that information and create a temporary ID that's good for 30 days.
After that, another partner agency, Volunteers of America can get them permanent identification, he said.
We're looking to remove whatever obstacles are in the way to getting treatment and help them take the next step, Scheffler said.
People might need different things when they approach the van, including treatment or after-care, AtlanticCare Recovery Specialist Scott Gras said.
The van can also access the services of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help get veterans the services they need, Reed said.
Scheffler modeled the program after a Hope One project in Morris County, but customized it to the needs of Atlantic County, he said.
Ours is different in a lot of ways, especially because we have 22 partner agencies in the coalition, he said.
Starting in 2019, Hope One will be conducting a diversion program that can keep non-violent offenders out of jail, he said.
We can get someone being arrested for a non-violent, drug-related crime into treatment and hold their charges in abeyance for six months while they obtain treatment, Scheffler said. If they stay clean and complete the benchmarks, we can get the charges dismissed.
Hope One also has a 24-hour intake hotline, a chat line accessible through the HopeOneAC.com website and educational programs about opiate addiction and Narcan that can be offered at churches and community groups.
Hope One is making a positive impact in the community and we want to continue to grow it and help people overcome their addictions, Scheffler said.
The Hope One can be accessed:
