CBS Philly, September 2018 - There are many reasons people walk into police stations, usually to report a crime or because they’re accused of committing one. But since March, more than 50 people have gone to the Evesham Township police station ready to change their lives and deal with their drug addictions. It’s a program called “Straight to Treatment.” “There was one individual that they referred directly to us and within 15 hours we were able to get them into treatment and started on medication,” said Samantha Dowgin with Oaks Integrated Care. Oaks Integrated Care, a local addictions treatment provider, has partnered with Evesham Township as the first town in Burlington County to do the “Straight to Treatment” pilot [...]

SJ Magazine, July 2018 - Continuing their influential roundtable series on topics important to South Jersey, SJ Magazine’s Marianne Aleardi hosted 13 SJ leaders to discuss the widespread opioid epidemic. Participants shared passionate stories of their first-hand experiences working to combat the growing problem. On what people say about addiction… I hear this one a lot: “Didn’t they know better?” My message is: Look at me. I knew better. I treated probably 1,000 overdoses in my career as a paramedic. However, when it came down to an opportunity to numb hurtful things in my life, it just became an easy road to go down. If it was as simple as knowing better, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. -Stephen [...]

KYW News Radio, March 23, 2018 - Burlington County is kicking off a program next week that gives residents addicted to drugs a way to get the help they need in short order. The “Straight to Treatment” program will operate every Monday from noon to 7 p.m. at the Evesham Township Police headquarters. County residents can show up, turn in their drugs, and either go into treatment with Oaks Integrated Care or at least walk out with a plan. “Police are obligated to check on any outstanding warrants concerning the individual and must do their job as law enforcement if such warrants exist,” Coffina told KYW Newsradio. “However, Evesham PD is committed to working with the participant, the municipal [...]

Burlington County Times, March 23, 2018 - Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina on Friday announced the launch of his office’s “Straight to Treatment,” program, which will allow those struggling with addiction to turn in their drugs and paraphernalia at the township police department and meet with a drug and alcohol counselor from Oaks Integrated Care to be placed into treatment. After the initial screening, the person would then meet with a licensed drug and alcohol counselor from Oaks Integrated Care who would come up with a treatment plan. That could be finding them a detox bed, placing them in inpatient residential treatment, or referring them to an outpatient program, depending on their needs, according to Brenda Brown-Goggins, the vice [...]