EXCLUSIVE: South Jersey Officials Using ‘Operation Helping Hand’ Outreach Blitz To Combat Opioid Crisis

Cleve Bryan reports.

MAST PAST.SOUTH JERSEY COMMUNITYMAKING THE ROAD EASIER IN THEOPIOID VISIES "EYEWITNESSNEWS" EXCLUSIVE.TREATMENT WITH COMPASSION,AUTHORITIES ARE WORKING TOBREAK THE CYCLE.OVERDOSE, NARCAN."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERCLEVE BRYAN LIVE IN WASHINGTONTOWNSHIP WITH THE EXCLUSIVEDETAILS FOR US, CLEVE?WELL TODAY I WENT OUT WITHADDICTION EXPERTS AND LOCALPOLICE TOGETHER.AS THEY TRY TO TACKLE THEOPIOID EPIDEMIC, ONE PERSON ATA TIME.HOW ARE YOU?MY NAME IS MICHELLE.SOMETIMES FRIENDLY HELLO ISTHE TINY STEP PEOPLE TRAPPEDIN ADDICTION NEED TO BEGIN THELONG ROAD TO RECOVERY.HI, HOW IS EVERYTHING?ALL RIGHT.WE'RE BACK OUT TODAY SEE IFANYBODY NEEDS HELP.WE WANT TO CHECK IN WITH YOU.WEDNESDAY TEAMS AFTERDICTION RECOVERY COACHES ANDOUTREACH EXPERTS HIT THESTREETS OF SEVERAL GLOUCESTERCOUNTY TOWNS TO BRING HELP TOTHOSE WHO MIGHT NOT SEEK ITOUT ON THEIR OWN.HERE TO HELP THEM NOT LOCKTHEM UP.THE GLOUCESTER COUNTYPROSECUTOR OFFERS BROUGHTTOGETHER LOLA DICTION EXPERTSFOR NEW OUTREACH BLITZ THEYCALL OPERATION HELPING HAND.IF YOU WAIT AND THEY SHALLCOME, THAT'S NOT GOING TOHAPPEN.MOST OF THE PEOPLE YOU COMEINTO CONTACT WITH THAT AREADDICTS, THEY WANT HELP, THEYDON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO BEADD GLICK NOT STRUGGLING WITHNOTHING?DO YOU KNOW ANYBODY AROUNDHERE WHO IS, HOE WHO WE CANHELP?WHILE WE TRY TO OBSERVE ONEOF THE OUTREACH TEAMS ALONG AHOTEL ON THE BLACK HORSE PIKEMOST OF THE GROUPS THAT WENTOUT WEDNESDAY DROVE TO PRIVATERESIDENCES WHERE POLICE HAVERECENTLY RESPOND TODAYOVERDOSES.THE THE STORE OF IS A TEENINGI CAN APPROACH ONE WAYADDICTION EXPERTS AND LAWENFORCEMENT CAN HELP EACHOTHER.THEY ARE EMBRACING ALL OFIT, THE COLLABORATION THATWE'RE GETTING WORKING TOGETHERON THESE DIFFERENT OPERATIONS,IT IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.BECAUSE THEY'RE RILEY ABLE TOHELP A LOT OF PEOPLE.A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE INDENIAL, DON'T WANT TO COME OUTTHERE ASHAMED OF HAVING APROBLEM, DON'T AGREE TO DO.JUST A KNOCK ON THE DOOR,SAYING HEY, MAYBE THATPARTICULAR MOMENT, MAYBE ALLOF THE STARS ARE ALIGNED, ANDTHAT POINT IN TIME THEY'LL ASKFOR HELP.GLOUCESTER COUNTYPROSECUTOR'S OFFERS TELLS USAN OPERATION HELPING HANDS ISREALLY JUST BEEN GOING ON FORTHE PAST SIX MONTHS, SO IT ISJUST STARTING, THEY NOON DOANOTHER OUTREACH BLITZ IN THESPRING, AND THEY ARE ALSOWORKING ON ANOTHER PILOTPROGRAM TO BRING ADDICTIONEXPERTS TO LOCAL POLICESTATIONS TO HAVE OPEN