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DENTON – September is National Recovery Month, and several organizations and county agencies are joining forces to bring awareness to the Caroline community about substance use and abuse – but more importantly, to assist Caroline countians in helping others and getting the help that can transform lives.
Events planned for Caroline Goes Purple are a Purple Paddle, a Memory Walk, Purple Sunday, and a high school volleyball game between the county’s two high schools. A family-friendly mid-Shore outdoor fair is planned, as well.
The color purple is the color of recovery,” said Social Worker Jessica Tuel, director of behavioral health for Caroline County and the Caroline County Local Addiction Authority, and chairperson of Caroline Goes Purple. The purpose of National Recovery Month is “to bring awareness to those who are in recovery and want to achieve recovery.”
Caroline Goes Purple offers an “opportunity for us to bring awareness, education and recovery resources to the community,” Tuel said.
Visit Drug-Free Caroline on Facebook for more information about these events for Caroline Goes Purple:
The problem is real, but progress is being made
National Recovery Month began in 1989, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It is “observed every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery possible.”
Caroline County State’s Attorney Sloane Franklin has seen the damage caused by substance abuse, but he’s also seen success stories as a result of multiple intervention efforts since he joined Caroline Goes Purple in 2022.
“My hope is it brings more awareness that we still have a drug problem in Caroline County, and more people that become aware will, in the long run, hopefully help those in need,” Franklin said.
The correlation between crime and substance use is high. “I would say approximately 95% of all crimes committed are by persons who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” Franklin said.
“Property crimes are usually committed by persons looking for quick money for their fix. You have domestic violence” and driving under the influence cases, Franklin said. “We've even had attempted murder where the person was highly intoxicated” in a dispute between two friends.
The county’s Problem-Solving Court focuses on rehabilitation and drug treatment. “I think the program that we have here is outstanding,” Franklin said. “Judge Heather Price does an amazing job with that.”
Substance use and abuse “affects everybody,” Franklin said. You might not know somebody right this minute, but somewhere down the line, you're going to know somebody (who is affected by someone) abusing drugs or alcohol. It's one of those things that nobody wants to talk about.”
The main drugs being used in the county are methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl, Franklin said. While much comes from Mexican drug cartels, “a lot of people are self-medicating. They make their own, in what we call shake-and-bake labs.” While organized crime from big East Coast cities are culprits, “there are meth labs” around the Mid-Shore area, as well.
The federal response to address the issue is ramping up. For instance, SAMHSA announced “$43 million in new supplemental funding available to State Opioid Response (SOR) program grantees to expand recovery housing services for young adults, ages 18-24. The funding advances President Trump’s Executive Order, Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” according to a Aug. 25 press release.
“There is a drug task force that is actively involved in Caroline County, and they do a fabulous job,” Franklin said, “but you can't watch everybody.”
County statistics record progress. “We have done a lot of work over the last couple of years,” Tuel said. “In calendar year 2023 we had 18 fatal overdoses in Caroline County, and in calendar year 2024 we only had four, which we still think is too much. We would love to get that down to zero, so we do a lot of Narcan distribution throughout the county to do harm reduction services. (The term Narcan is often used interchangeably with naloxone, the generic term for the opioid-overdose antidote; Narcan is the brand name for a device that delivers naloxone.)
“The whole mission of harm reduction is to keep people alive long enough that they will seek treatment and achieve sobriety in recovery,” Tuel said. “We are really working hard to bring awareness to reduce our numbers.”
For the loved ones of those who have lost their lives, the Memory Walk “is a very moving event, and I’m so glad we have it here” she said. Photos of those who have not survived their substance abuse are placed all along the walk.
Fostering nonjudgmental encouragement, relationships
Pastor Doug Morley of Greater Impact Church in Greensboro and president of the Caroline County Christian Clergy Association, which has about 45 members, is challenging Caroline congregations to participate in Purple Sunday to wrap up National Recovery Month.
“Jesus himself said that … he came to seek and save those who are lost, and that's our job,” Morley said.
He said a role of the church is building connections with those seeking recovery and helping them “find that mutual support and encouragement … (and) to overcome addictive behaviors (by finding) a community where there are people who will support and encourage them through the process.”
The same philosophy of support guides the behavioral health staff, Tuel said.
“Our motto at the health department is that 80% of recovery is human connection with others,” she said. “We feel that when you connect with others and you see people who care, you will achieve recovery.”
Greater Impact Church is one of several congregations in the community who sponsor Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step, Christ-centered recovery program.
Prayer as well as action is needed, Morley said. “I think the important thing is awareness. That we're praying for something is bringing it to our awareness. … Prayer is not just speaking to God, it's God speaking to us. And so, it opens up the opportunity for us to maybe sense what we need to be doing … to help those in need.”
Ultimately, what's going on in our community – as far as addiction and drugs and alcohol – impacts everybody,” Morley said. “It has an impact on the whole community.”
Interested persons are encouraged to attend either in-person or virtually monthly meetings of Drug-Free Caroline, which are open to the public. They are held at 8 a.m. on third Thursdays at the Chesapeake Culinary Center, 512 Franklin St., Denton. The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18.
