To the editor:

On behalf of the people seeking treatment for Substance Use Disorder from Catholic Charities, and the dedicated employees who provide compassionate care to them, I am grateful to US Senator Chuck Schumer, Assembly member Aileen Gunther, Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff, and other elected officials for continuing to call for Sullivan County to be designated a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). As an agency that has been serving this vulnerable population for more than four decades, it’s imperative that we continue to press for this critical designation.

In April 2022, Senator Schumer hosted a press conference at Catholic Charities’ Monticello campus to call on the Office of National Drug Control Policy to approve Sullivan County’s request for HIDTA designation. He returned to Sullivan County in March 2023 to renew that request. Since the Senator’s visit to us in April 2022, nearly 1,300 individuals have come through our Monticello campus for treatment and recovery support including detox, residential rehabilitation, outpatient rehab, and medication-assisted treatment. Yet, the need significantly outpaces the available resources.

According to a New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) report published in January 2023, in 2021, Sullivan’s opioid overdose death rate was 108% higher than the statewide average. In 2022, Sullivan County reported 218 overdose incidents, including 24 fatalities. Additionally, high drug use and availability have contributed to Sullivan County’s consistently low health ranking as 61st of New York’s 62 counties.

HIDTA designation will bring critically needed funding and resources to law enforcement in this underserved community. in order to curb the opioid epidemic that is killing our loved ones, friends, and neighbors, federal, state, county, and local partners must work together to secure increased funding and support the organizations that are on the frontlines of this battle.

If you, or someone you care about, are struggling with alcohol, drugs, or other substances, call our HELPline at 845-794-8080 HELP (4357) to speak with a substance use treatment professional, peer advocate, or learn about life-saving Naloxone training. Help is available and recovery is possible. Please call on your local officials to continue the demand for HIDTA designation. Lives depend on it.

Shannon Kelly

CEO of Catholic Charities of

Orange, Sullivan & Ulster