For the past two-plus years, Shawn Johnson has been one of the main faces of recovery in Lawrence County.

However, come Sept. 30,the recovery support specialist with Lawrence County Drug and Alcoholwill be transitioning into a new role with Cray Youth & Family Services, where he will work with family reintegration.

I worked there before for three years in the shelter for dysfunctional and displaced juveniles, he said Wednesday from the state Department of Health office duringa free Naloxone giveaway. I am going back to work with family reintegration with people who need help transitioning into getting their children back, whether the visits are in-house or in the community.

Johnson said he is looking forward to working with families and networking with other professionals.

I will be meeting with them to hopefully link up with more substance abuse people so that I can connect and relate with them and provide the services drug and alcohol offer throughout the county, Johnson said.

Johnson said one of his best memories working for Drugand Alcohol was the Paint The Town Silver event held earlier this month at Riverwalk Park.

I was able to have that experience with my daughter and some of my best friends who I have seen grow with recovery, Johnson said of the event. That was probably one of the greatest moments I experienced with Drug and Alcohol. There lots of them. Even (the Naloxone giveaway), having interaction and telling people what is available is major. Paint the Town Silver, this year, was my biggest accomplishment.

He said the event gave him a sense of community as the event was well received.

It gives me a sense of actually being where I am, doing what I am supposed to do, Johnson said. People come to the event and want to be a part of it and participate. It gives me a sense of community, for sure.

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Contact with people is where I get my greatest reward.

Johnson said he is impressed with Gov. Tom Wolfs initiative to provide Naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug, mainly because this shows that people care.

It is amazing there are people who care about people who suffer from addiction and are willing to help, Johnson said. People have that stigma that people from addiction are no good. That is not the case. People who suffer from addiction are parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles-- they are humans that suffer from the disease of addiction. They are not bad people. They suffer sometimes.

I feel like this year from the numbers I have seen the overdoses are on the downfall. I feel now seeing the response they got from last year makes them want to bring more to the community, which is needed. It is sad that it is still happening, but it is good they are going to push it more to touch more people who need help.

He is also pleased to see big pharmaceutical companies being held accountable for the role they have played in the opioid epidemic.

I feel accountability is huge. It is hard to pinpoint-- from my end of it-- to place blame on a drug distributor or the government that is the reason, Johnson said. That is part of the equation. It is good they are getting accountability and do whatever they can to make a difference.

It has to start somewhere. It could have a ripple effect. It is good to see things are happening and progress is being made.

baddleman@ncnewsonline.com

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Recovery support specialist pleased with anti-opioid progress - New Castle News