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| Casey’s Law training coming to Mt. Sterling |
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6/21/2019
By Tom Marshall
Senior Advocate writer
The Montgomery County Health Dept. will host a Casey’s Law Training session Wednesday, June 26, in the community room at the health and civic center on East Locust Street.
Organizers are encouraging all the key partners in the community, including district judges, city and county government, law enforcement, EMT/paramedics, therapists, counselors, doctors, pastors, rehabilitation facility representatives, potential volunteers and the public at large to come out to the event, whåich starts with a meeting at noon, said Lisa VanHoose, a Casey’s Law advocate with Spark Ministries.
The Casey’s Law training begins at 1 p.m. and is expected to last until about 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Casey’s Law provides a means of intervening with someone who is unable to recognize his or her need for treatment.
This law allows the parents, relatives and/or friends to petition the court for treatment on behalf of the person who has a substance use disorder.
“Often rock bottom means death to many battling addiction but now there is a hopeful option that lights the way for those we dearly love,” according to fliers promoting the event.
VanHoose said Spark, which is based in Stanton, has also hosted training events in Georgetown and Hazard, both of which attracted more than 20 people. She said organizers are hoping for even more than that in Mt. Sterling.
The Spark Advocacy Center will be providing assistance on how to navigate the system when filing a Casey’s Law petition.
VanHoose suggests that anyone concerned about a loved one’s substance abuse who may potentially benefit from Casey’s Law to come to the training.
VanHoose said it’s important to dispel some of the falsehoods about the law.
“This can rally a community together and answer some of the questions. Some people have some false ideas about Casey’s Law,” she said. “It can really benefit everyone.”
VanHoose said the event will allow community partners to network and have questions answered about how exactly the law works.
“The more people we have on board the greater our chances of success,” she said.
VanHoose encourages anyone with a drive to help others to come out and learn more.
“When people start hearing about it, it really brings out the people that have a heart to serve in that capacity and step up,” she said.
Matthew “Casey” Wethington died at 23 years old from a heroin overdose.
Casey was an energetic young man who enjoyed life until it was “taken” by drugs, according to the Casey’s Law website.
As a boy, he participated in a variety of sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball and wrestling. He enjoyed collecting baseball cards, playing video games, playing the guitar, riding bikes and skateboarding. All of that changed when he “didn’t know” what he liked to do to have fun anymore and turned to drugs, according to his biography on the site.
Casey’s middle-class upbringing did not matter in the least when it came to the disease of addiction. Casey never intended to become addicted to drugs when he used the first time, his bio says. What he did not realize was that his using would progress from abusing to dependence and then to the disease of addiction, the bio adds.
Casey’s early drug use caused his development to halt at the age of 14 or 15, according to his bio.
Regardless of that fact, and the fact that he suffered from an ultimately fatal disease, he was expected to respond as a normal, healthy young adult and choose treatment for himself, the bio says.
Parental intervention was discouraged and denied. Now it is too late for Casey but because of him, there is hope for others who suffer from addiction, the website says.
You can learn more about Casey’s Law at caseyslaw.org.
Anyone planning to attend the training should RSVP to Carissa Adams at 497-2426 or carissan.adams@ky.gov or April Smith, 497-2455 or jessicaa.smith2@ky.gov.
To learn more about Spark Ministries, visit www.sparkpowell.com or call 606-612-5125. The founder is Jenell Brewer.
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