Mother and son spoke little that night as they drifted from the teenager in the coffin toward her family in the corner......
Roger Pacheco arrived at his son’s Billerica apartment early Saturday night, where he met local police. Stephen’s mother had called them.
Stephen hadn’t been heard from since Thursday, hadn’t responded to two-dozen messages — and hated being alone.
Still, no one talked of a relapse — Stephen had been too strong. Too happy. Too focused on the future.
The door of the third-floor apartment was cracked, so his father entered first, calling his son.
Signs of life abounded. A lunch had been packed. Lights were on. The television. And the air conditioner — set so high it had chilled the room.
But atop the kitchen table sat the mark of death — baggies speckled with a brown granular substance.
Heroin.
Water ran in the bathroom.
On the floor near the sink, Stephen Pacheco lay dead.
His father fell to his knees, but knew from the first touch.
His son was gone.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
71 Inmates Released Early from Santa Barbara County Jail
22 inmates were released from the jail and another 49 in the jail’s Alternative Sentencing Program were taken off of electronic monitoring and the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program (SWAP). Sugars indicated that by the end of this month, the County Jail will release a total of 128 inmates (50 from the jail and 78 from Alternative Sentencing). Before yesterday’s release, there were a total of 980 inmates in the jail system and an additional 200 inmates enrolled in the Alternative Sentencing program.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
2 Recent Deaths Maybe Related to Methadone Overdose
In response to 5 recent deaths on the streets of Santa Barbara, homeless advocates held a press conference Monday night, 1/25/10 in the home of Chuck Blitz, who funds local efforts to help the homeless. The advocates want the county to help fund an emergency warming shelter.
As details of the deaths emerge, it appears that illegally obtained Methadone may have been involved in 2 of last weeks deaths.
Families ACT has been calling for closer collaboration between law enforcement, criminal justice and treatment providers and the creation of a residential treatment center to address the needs of county residents with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Families ACT initiated the creation of the Task Force on Co-Occurring Disorders to bring the various agencies, providers family members and clients to the table to find solutions to this complex challenge. We welcome the participation of concerned members of our community who can help create and fund a residential treatment facility with detox beds.
Call 637-1339 if you can help.
As details of the deaths emerge, it appears that illegally obtained Methadone may have been involved in 2 of last weeks deaths.
Families ACT has been calling for closer collaboration between law enforcement, criminal justice and treatment providers and the creation of a residential treatment center to address the needs of county residents with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Families ACT initiated the creation of the Task Force on Co-Occurring Disorders to bring the various agencies, providers family members and clients to the table to find solutions to this complex challenge. We welcome the participation of concerned members of our community who can help create and fund a residential treatment facility with detox beds.
Call 637-1339 if you can help.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Unitarians Open Their Doors to the Homeless During the Storm
Considering the hard rains, pelting winds, and plunging nighttime temperatures, two South Coast churches opened their doors to the homeless as short-term temporary shelters. That’s in part because Santa Barbara’s the main shelter, Casa Esperanza, had maxed out at 200 people four nights in a row; according to its conditional use permits, Casa cannot legally accept more than 200 guests.
In response, the Unitarian Church in downtown Santa Barbara opened its “warming shelter” Sunday night, accepting 25 overnight visitors. Because of space limitations, some were turned away. Monday night, another 25 stayed, but none were turned away. Some slept outside under the eaves. One had walked shoeless—wearing only socks—from the County Jail, where he’d been released earlier that night.
Paul Wellman
Dr. Lynn Jahnke and John Buttney outside the warming center at the Unitarian Church Monday night Jan. 18, 2010
The rains pose a special challenge. Since a homeless man, Freedom, froze to death in December, many serving the homeless—both in and out of government—have been acutely concerned that no one else suffers the same fate. But many homeless people want nothing to do with the confinement and rules imposed by any shelter. Some of the people showing up at the Unitarian Church typically stay out of any shelter unless forced to by the extremity of weather conditions. The University Religious Center in Isla Vista has also opened its doors to the homeless during the rains.
Within the homeless service community, there’s considerable discussion about who and what government entity should be providing this short-term emergency care. According to some activists, volunteers, and medical care providers, the County of Santa Barbara is legally responsible for providing emergency shelter. But thus far, the county has been content to let others make the necessary arrangements of finding shelter and securing volunteer nighttime staff. Part of the issue stems from the fuzziness of a “protocol” hammered out three years ago. Under the terms of this arrangement, the county would intervene only when all existing shelters exceeded their capacity.
But that hasn’t happened yet. While the Casa is full, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission has yet to fill all its 134 shelter beds—110 for men, 24 for women. There is a belief among some in the homeless community that the Rescue Mission requires guests to subject themselves to religious indoctrination in exchange for shelter. Nothing could be further from the truth, stated Rolf Geyling of the Rescue Mission. “To me it’s unconscionable that some would extract a religious confession from some of the homeless at a time of acute need,” he said. “We do not do that here.” Geyling said the Rescue Mission did have rules, but that religious participation in chapel services was strictly optional. “We offer it,” he said, “but no one is required to attend.” Geyling added that the Rescue Mission could squeeze more than 134 guests in, if need be; the Rescue Mission chapel could provide a warming shelter for about 30 people.
In response, the Unitarian Church in downtown Santa Barbara opened its “warming shelter” Sunday night, accepting 25 overnight visitors. Because of space limitations, some were turned away. Monday night, another 25 stayed, but none were turned away. Some slept outside under the eaves. One had walked shoeless—wearing only socks—from the County Jail, where he’d been released earlier that night.
Paul Wellman
Dr. Lynn Jahnke and John Buttney outside the warming center at the Unitarian Church Monday night Jan. 18, 2010
The rains pose a special challenge. Since a homeless man, Freedom, froze to death in December, many serving the homeless—both in and out of government—have been acutely concerned that no one else suffers the same fate. But many homeless people want nothing to do with the confinement and rules imposed by any shelter. Some of the people showing up at the Unitarian Church typically stay out of any shelter unless forced to by the extremity of weather conditions. The University Religious Center in Isla Vista has also opened its doors to the homeless during the rains.
Within the homeless service community, there’s considerable discussion about who and what government entity should be providing this short-term emergency care. According to some activists, volunteers, and medical care providers, the County of Santa Barbara is legally responsible for providing emergency shelter. But thus far, the county has been content to let others make the necessary arrangements of finding shelter and securing volunteer nighttime staff. Part of the issue stems from the fuzziness of a “protocol” hammered out three years ago. Under the terms of this arrangement, the county would intervene only when all existing shelters exceeded their capacity.
But that hasn’t happened yet. While the Casa is full, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission has yet to fill all its 134 shelter beds—110 for men, 24 for women. There is a belief among some in the homeless community that the Rescue Mission requires guests to subject themselves to religious indoctrination in exchange for shelter. Nothing could be further from the truth, stated Rolf Geyling of the Rescue Mission. “To me it’s unconscionable that some would extract a religious confession from some of the homeless at a time of acute need,” he said. “We do not do that here.” Geyling said the Rescue Mission did have rules, but that religious participation in chapel services was strictly optional. “We offer it,” he said, “but no one is required to attend.” Geyling added that the Rescue Mission could squeeze more than 134 guests in, if need be; the Rescue Mission chapel could provide a warming shelter for about 30 people.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Cluster of Homeless Deaths
Just three weeks into 2010, five homeless deaths have already been reported. The grim new year’s toll comes on the heels of 28 deaths among Santa Barbara’s homeless in 2009.
“It’s just unheard of,” social worker Ken Williams told Noozhawk on Sunday morning.
Williams said Sunday that another body had been found Saturday night. The homeless man was discovered under the same bridge where another homeless man, Mike, had died just hours earlier Saturday.
Williams reported the year’s first homeless death on Jan. 13. A man named Greg had collapsed and died on Stearns Wharf that day, he said.
While talking with Noozhawk on Sunday, Williams was in the middle of e-mailing an appeal to public health officials to declare an emergency and open up warming centers for the homeless. A series of powerful Pacific storms has been pounding the South Coast with rain, wind and frigid temperatures.
“We need to request, beg and demand that Public Health, or the city or county — hopefully, all three — declare a state of emergency,” the e-mail said. “Warming centers need to be professionally staffed and funded by the city and county.”
A homeless Vietnam veteran was reported to have died in Isla Vista last week and Williams also confirmed the death of a woman named Christin, two blocks from Pershing Park.
“There had been reported assaults against women in that park,” said Williams, who acknowledged he didn’t know Christin’s official cause of death.
Williams said he’s walked up and down State Street several times since the beginning of the year, and noticed a larger number of homeless than usual.
“I’ve never seen so many people outside the shelters,” said Williams, adding that many seemed to be suffering from mental illness.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will be listening to a presentation Tuesday about the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services Department, one of the agencies charged with addressing the mental health needs of the homeless.
ADMHS recently received a grade of “F” in an independent study conducted by the California External Quality Review Organization, which ranked mental health departments statewide.
The department reduced spending in 2009 by $8.4 million.
Michael Foley, executive director of the Casa Esperanza homeless shelter, 816 Cacique St., also implored city and county officials to address the needs of the homeless.
“At the Casa Esperanza homeless center this December, 43 homeless people came to the shelter for the first time and declared the need for help dealing with mental illness, compared to 27 the year before,” Foley said in an e-mail to county supervisors Friday. “The rate of suicide and suicidal ideation is on the rise. Millions of dollars are owed to the state of California due to bad billing.”
The supervisors will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Santa Maria at the Betteravia Government Center Board Hearing Room, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com.
“It’s just unheard of,” social worker Ken Williams told Noozhawk on Sunday morning.
Williams said Sunday that another body had been found Saturday night. The homeless man was discovered under the same bridge where another homeless man, Mike, had died just hours earlier Saturday.
Williams reported the year’s first homeless death on Jan. 13. A man named Greg had collapsed and died on Stearns Wharf that day, he said.
While talking with Noozhawk on Sunday, Williams was in the middle of e-mailing an appeal to public health officials to declare an emergency and open up warming centers for the homeless. A series of powerful Pacific storms has been pounding the South Coast with rain, wind and frigid temperatures.
“We need to request, beg and demand that Public Health, or the city or county — hopefully, all three — declare a state of emergency,” the e-mail said. “Warming centers need to be professionally staffed and funded by the city and county.”
A homeless Vietnam veteran was reported to have died in Isla Vista last week and Williams also confirmed the death of a woman named Christin, two blocks from Pershing Park.
“There had been reported assaults against women in that park,” said Williams, who acknowledged he didn’t know Christin’s official cause of death.
Williams said he’s walked up and down State Street several times since the beginning of the year, and noticed a larger number of homeless than usual.
“I’ve never seen so many people outside the shelters,” said Williams, adding that many seemed to be suffering from mental illness.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will be listening to a presentation Tuesday about the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services Department, one of the agencies charged with addressing the mental health needs of the homeless.
ADMHS recently received a grade of “F” in an independent study conducted by the California External Quality Review Organization, which ranked mental health departments statewide.
The department reduced spending in 2009 by $8.4 million.
Michael Foley, executive director of the Casa Esperanza homeless shelter, 816 Cacique St., also implored city and county officials to address the needs of the homeless.
“At the Casa Esperanza homeless center this December, 43 homeless people came to the shelter for the first time and declared the need for help dealing with mental illness, compared to 27 the year before,” Foley said in an e-mail to county supervisors Friday. “The rate of suicide and suicidal ideation is on the rise. Millions of dollars are owed to the state of California due to bad billing.”
The supervisors will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Santa Maria at the Betteravia Government Center Board Hearing Room, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
OxyContin and the Opium Epidemic of the 21st Century
A Twenty First Century Drug Addiction
January 12, 2010 in DRUGS & ADDICTION, DRUGS & EDUCATION, TREATMENT | see www. DadOnFire.net for full story
OxyContin and the Opium Epidemic of the 21st Century. Larry G. of Prescription Addiction Radio wrote this piece early in 2009 to bring attention to the epidemic sweeping America; quite frequently culminating in street heroin addiction. Its not about responsible use of pain medication. Its about kids dying. A dozen young people died just in the NW part of Tucson this year! Evan Cueto was the 3rd overdose death at Canada Del Oro High School in just 3 months into 2009. Many Blessings to his family. This is an epidemic. If it were a terrorist incident, it would be all over the news. The death toll of opiate overdose barely gets print. Why is America silent? The carnage won’t end without communities demanding it stop. Opiate Addiction is a serious illness and is treatable if addicts want it and have an accessible support network behind them. Current estimates of opiate addiction in America is roughly 2 million and growing. 100,000 may die. The writing is on the wall. Parents can start by educating themselves. Time to Act.
January 12, 2010 in DRUGS & ADDICTION, DRUGS & EDUCATION, TREATMENT | see www. DadOnFire.net for full story
OxyContin and the Opium Epidemic of the 21st Century. Larry G. of Prescription Addiction Radio wrote this piece early in 2009 to bring attention to the epidemic sweeping America; quite frequently culminating in street heroin addiction. Its not about responsible use of pain medication. Its about kids dying. A dozen young people died just in the NW part of Tucson this year! Evan Cueto was the 3rd overdose death at Canada Del Oro High School in just 3 months into 2009. Many Blessings to his family. This is an epidemic. If it were a terrorist incident, it would be all over the news. The death toll of opiate overdose barely gets print. Why is America silent? The carnage won’t end without communities demanding it stop. Opiate Addiction is a serious illness and is treatable if addicts want it and have an accessible support network behind them. Current estimates of opiate addiction in America is roughly 2 million and growing. 100,000 may die. The writing is on the wall. Parents can start by educating themselves. Time to Act.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Opportunities to Help
Opportunities to help Santa Barbarans in tremendous need abound:
1. Become a mentor to a young adult stuggling with co-occurring disorders.
2. Help staff a shift at the Freedom Warming Centers that are being set up on an ad hoc basis at various participating churches and centers( including Trinity Episcopal Church and the Unitarian Society) to provide a warm place for a few homeless men and women to sleep. This program was created by Dr. Lynne Jahnke and fellow homeless advocates after a man named Freedom died in his wheelchair in December, 2009 , of exposure to the cold on the Santa Barbara pier.
3. Help fund Families ACT's new Video Documentation Project - based on interviews with Santa Barbara's young dually diagnosed men and women who are at risk for suicide, overdose, incarceration and homelessness and struggling to find recovery and a reason to live. They are empowered by telling their story and we benefit by witnessing their journey. Exactly what will it take to bring about much-needed changes in our local, state and national policies so that we can offer them a healing hand rather than a criminal record?
Call (805) 637-1339 to volunteer or make a donation.
1. Become a mentor to a young adult stuggling with co-occurring disorders.
2. Help staff a shift at the Freedom Warming Centers that are being set up on an ad hoc basis at various participating churches and centers( including Trinity Episcopal Church and the Unitarian Society) to provide a warm place for a few homeless men and women to sleep. This program was created by Dr. Lynne Jahnke and fellow homeless advocates after a man named Freedom died in his wheelchair in December, 2009 , of exposure to the cold on the Santa Barbara pier.
3. Help fund Families ACT's new Video Documentation Project - based on interviews with Santa Barbara's young dually diagnosed men and women who are at risk for suicide, overdose, incarceration and homelessness and struggling to find recovery and a reason to live. They are empowered by telling their story and we benefit by witnessing their journey. Exactly what will it take to bring about much-needed changes in our local, state and national policies so that we can offer them a healing hand rather than a criminal record?
Call (805) 637-1339 to volunteer or make a donation.
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