At Regional Recovery Day, attendees find resources, experts and support

At the second annual Regional Recovery Day Sept. 3 in Glen Allen, community resources, experts and those with lived experiences rallied to discuss addiction, the toll it takes on users and the community, support and solutions.

Held at the Henrico Sports and Event Center, the event drew about 800 people to mingle with more than 75 organizations presenting their services and resources at the venue’s large hall.

Keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Loyd (who was portrayed by Michael Keaton in the film Dopesick, which focused on the Opioid epidemic) told attendees that there are more people currently in recovery in the United States than those using controlled substances.

Loyd detailed the case of one of his patients, a young mother named Brook Anna Sargent who sought assistance and then died of an overdose, while paralleling his own road to recovery, personalizing the struggles of his patients addicted to substances and the challenges they faced.

“I'm proposing a recovery ecosystem where people get the care that's right for them, not what that place happens to do,” Loyd said. “I stepped into a system of care that has a 95% success rate at five years. Brook stepped into a system that has about 80% success rate, and the only difference between those two things is what we do for a living. And that's hard to swallow.”

Loyd, who serves as the vice-president of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, said he is currently responsible for the care of about 3,500 people with opioid use disorder.

“We have available dollars now that we have a chance to build a system,” said Loyd, who also separately addressed judges, police and attorneys focusing on the criminal justice system. “If you care about this issue, it's your job to make sure those dollars go for what they're supposed to go through and not build another jail and not buy police cruisers and not buy cameras and not build an ice rink. This is blood money, and we will honor the people that have lost their lives by how we spend this money.”

Overdoses impact more than just the deceased, Floyd said, citing a statistic that 42% of children in West Virginia are being raised by somebody other than their parents, setting these children up for numerous health risks, including addiction. Overdose deaths are decreasing for every demographic except for Black and brown communities, he said, asserting that spending on prevention has a strong impact.

Wednesday's event included representation from organizations that serve people throughout the region, such as Lakeside-based recovery organization McShin Foundation, as well as Henrico-centric agencies and organizations, including the Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition, Henrico Area Mental Health and Developmental Services, Henrico Empower Task Force/Actively Aging, Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services, Henrico Police Prevention Services Unite and the Henrico Sheriff’s Office.

Attendees were able to participate in Revive! training to learn how to administer naloxone, a nasal spray medication used to temporarily revive someone following an opioid overdose. They also could try AcuWellness, a form of acupuncture that promotes relaxation and treats cravings.

Benefits of a recovery eco-system

Deputy Henrico County Manager for Public Safety Michael Feinmel felt validation in Loyd's presentation, which detailed the recovery eco-system. Feinmel serves as co-chair of the Empower Henrico Task Force, which coordinates across county agencies as well as community partners to devise strategies to combat substance use.

“Those that work within the Empower Henrico Task force have been collaborating for years to develop a strong recovery eco-system, both in Henrico County and in conjunction with our neighboring jurisdictions,” said Feinmel, one of the main Regional Recovery Day event organizers. “Sometimes we didn't think of what we were doing as a part of an eco-system, but seeing that slide as a point of organization validates our years’ worth of efforts.”

In a panel featuring four Peer Recovery Specialists working in Richmond-area jurisdictions, Henrico Fire CARE Outreach Case Manager Amber Harris shared personal insights, resources and hope for those struggling with a substance use disorder.

Harris, who worked as a nurse, started using addictive substances when she was 24 and continued for about 15 years.

“I was evicted from my home right before Christmas,” she said. “And I got a letter from the Board of Nursing; because of those things, I sought help and asked to go to treatment. It was a terrifying and difficult experience. Nursing was the only thing I knew how to do at the time and it’s how I supported my family. When I was actively using, I was so full of shame and guilt, I hated myself.”

Because of that personal experience, Harris responds with the Henrico EMS and Division of Fire to substance use disorder calls, overdose calls and sometimes belligerent calls because people have consumed too much alcohol.

“I understand how they feel upon meeting them, and I think that is so powerful,” Harris said. “It is the greatest honor of my life to be able to help other people like me around the county. And that can be from meeting people in doing outreach or to going to the jail to meet with them.”

 Harris connects the people she meets with treatment and resources.

“I also follow up with every individual in our county that overdoses. I share some of my story. I give them Narcan test strips and connect them with the treatment of their choice,” Harris said.

Law enforcement connection

Harris also speaks with Henrico County firefighters, EMS and police about stigma.

“I share about my own experiences with stigma,” Harris said. “When I was in active addiction, I was treated pretty poorly by a local hospital system and police officers. And I share that with them. It is a job and just another day. But for these folks, it could be the worst day of their lives. And to remember that these are human beings that need help and not further stigma.”

Feinmel said the strong representation from Henrico Police and Henrico Sheriff's Office, as well as several judges, made a strong impression on Loyd.

“He was clearly invigorated by the energy that the criminal justice professionals brought to his meeting,” Feinmel said. “The education that Loyd provided was extremely well received and will go a long way in working towards an improved criminal justice system that uses the tools that the system allows to provide a supportive environment to encourage recovery.

“The professionals in the room all came away the better for the experience, and I am hopeful that this talk will lead to even more conversation about those in the criminal justice system can take a more supportive approach to people who intersect with the system due to their substance use disorder.” 

Henrico Area Mental Health and Developmental Services Substance Use, Forensic and Prevention Services Director Leslie Martin Stephen co-organized the Regional Recovery day with Feinmel to present a more uplifting venue to address a serious and sizable problem.

“There is a huge opioid epidemic,” Martin Stephen said. “We have made tremendous strides in that, but it's still an issue. We're also seeing cocaine, methamphetamine, xylazine, and there's new drugs that are out there that are starting to make their way down here.

“The emotional cost is massive. We're seeing people that are losing custody of their children, and their children are going into foster care, then they are so much more likely to develop a substance use issue, and then therefore the cycle just repeats. The cost of watching someone that you love suffer with this illness is incredible. It impacts and fractures a family.”

There also is a financial toll.

The Henrico Area Mental Health and Developmental Services annual report showed of the more than 10,000 people served, 650 (or about 7%) were adults with substance use disorder and 13% were adults with drug dependency.

Of the more than 2,000 people being treated for substance abuse through Henrico County programs, more than 700 had cannabis dependence, 650 abused alcohol, more than 200 were dependent on cocaine, more than 200 were dependent on opioids and nearly 300 were addicted to other substances. Through jail services, 1,665 of them were served.

In 2024, Henrico saw a decrease in drug overdoses compared to 2023. HCPD’s Criminal Offenses statistics showed there was a 40% decrease in total drug overdoses from 2023 to 2024; a 42% decrease in total non-fatal overdoses and a 29% decrease in fatal overdoses. As in past years, most drug overdoses (88%) in 2024 were from heroin and opioids. Repeat overdose victims accounted for 31% of all overdose victims in 2024.  

“There isn't a person in our community who doesn't know someone or love someone who has had their lives affected by substance use disorder,” Feinmel said. “We want to build on the past two events to introduce the resources and education to all members of our communities.”

Dina Weinstein is the Citizen’s community vitality reporter and a Report for America corps member, covering housing, health and transportation. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.