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Delaware County Sheriff Ray Dudley has watched the meth problem grow here over the past few years and contends a local residential rehabilitation center devoted to meth users would help addicts cope with everyday life.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things I\u2019ve heard from people is that they\u2019ll work for a little bit and then they\u2019ll go use drugs,” he said. “The problem is they just work for their addiction; they\u2019re not working for anything else.”<\/span><\/p>\n Dudley believes addicts need intervention as soon as they leave jail. “We\u2019re going to help them cut that drug addiction that they have. During this time we need to start trying to get them an education, get them with a job skill trade,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Dudley said his vision would include an educational program that family and friends also can attend so that they can be informed about the issue in case their loved one relapses.<\/span><\/p>\n There are two rehab centers like what he describes in Hamilton County<\/span><\/a>, one in Madison County<\/span><\/a>, and four in Allen County<\/span><\/a>. Although there are no rehab centers in Delaware County, there are behavioral health specialists that offer different kinds of treatment to addicts. Amanda Whitten is a clinical supervisor for Delaware County Adult and Addictions Services at Meridian Health Services. <\/span><\/p>\n “Nobody just wakes up one morning and says, \u2018I want meth to run my life, or I want heroin to make all my decisions,\u2019” said Whitten. “We know that it\u2019s been a process to get them where they are today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Meridian Health Services has several programs addressing addiction,including one-on-one therapy, group therapy ranging from individuals who are in early recovery to intensive outpatient treatment (IOT), and a third group called relapse prevention that is supposed to help addicts transition out of the group setting. There also is one program that is specific to opiate dependence. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cVery few people start out using meth. Meth is considered very Dudley said a rehab center would give addicts a chance to recover before returning to the same environment they were using in. <\/span><\/p>\n Article continues after video.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"6x0a6500\"](\"http:\/\/stigmaunmasked.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/6X0A6500-1024x576.jpg\")
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\nintense. Even within the using community there\u2019s a lot of stigma against meth: It\u2019s dirty, that it\u2019s not safe, that it\u2019s just not a good avenue to go down,\u201d Whitten said. <\/span><\/p>\n