Behind the Badge
One after another, young, smiling faces scrolled on the screen.
A football player. An honor student. A lacrosse player. A musician.
The happy faces belonged to dozens of teens and young adults who died of an overdose — the result of an opioid addiction.
It’s an epidemic that has grabbed hundreds of Orange County’s teens and young adults in recent years, prompting law enforcement, health care workers and mental health clinicians to strategize on how to best solve the issue.
Nearly 500 people gathered to take up the topic in October at the annual Community First Conference — a free seminar that tackles pressing societal and mental health issues.
“It has become a chronic problem within the county with more and more people becoming addicted to heroin and opioids,” said Anaheim Lt. Craig Friesen, a conference committee member. “It is so widespread and it is affecting so many people.”
Anaheim PD Lt. Craig Friesen during the 12th Annual Community First Conference.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
After the smiling faces of those lost, came the sobering statistics.
From 2012 to 2015, 972 people have died from opioid related overdoses, said Lisa Bartlett, chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
Last year, 88 teens and young adults died from an opioid-related overdose.
“Policy makers and law enforcement … need to prioritize this issue and discuss what we can do together to make a serious change,” Bartlett said.
Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett at the 12th Annual Community First Conference.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Opioids are narcotics many first start using in the form of pain killers (think OxyContin, Vicodin and Hydrocodone).
For those who get hooked, they often are at risk for progressing to more dangerous versions of the drug, such as heroin.
“(Heroin) is no longer the dirty, back-alley drug we knew from the 70s,” said Don Barnes, Undersheriff for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “Now, it’s the affordable alternative to Vicodin and other pain killers.
“We have created a manmade problem of addiction in the U.S. and it’s going to take good people to solve it.”
Orange County Undersheriff Don Barnes talks about heroin and opioid trends in the community during the 12th Annual Community First Conference.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Facts and figures pointed to an undeniable problem in Orange County, which were only further underscored by the personal story of a mother who lost her son to opioid addiction.
Jodi Barber has become a well-known advocate in the county for educating teens and young adults on the dangers of opioid use.
Her son, Jarrod, died in 2010 at age 19.
His addiction started with smoking marijuana and taking prescribed drugs to treat anxiety and insomnia.
That progressed to soliciting other pills, such as Opana, from an Orange County doctor who was later convicted of 30 counts of second-degree murder for overprescribing narcotics.
“I was not going to keep quiet and say that my son died of a heart attack,” Barber said. “We all need to do whatever we can to stop these preventable deaths from happening.”
Barber talked about the pain of losing a child, the signs she missed and how she has made it her mission to educate others.
She then called on the 500 people in the room for help.
“We need government-mandated treatment and we we need stronger regulations in sober living homes,” Barber said. “We need to be holding these doctors accountable … and we need to be reaching children early.”
Jodi Barber, child/parent advocate, receives the Community First Compassion Award from Sgt. Brian Gunsolley, left, during the 12th Annual Community First Conference.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
This is exactly why College Hospitals started the Community First Conference in Orange County in 2005 — to help, collaborate, brain storm and problem solve.
“The dynamic of this conference is unique in that it brings a hospital group, the Orange County Heath Care Agency and law enforcement to the table,” said Westminster PD Cmdr. Mike Chapman. “We try to address relevant topics and think about how they affect all of us so that we can deliver timely, relevant training.”
The conference aims to equip law enforcement officers with better training and more education on how to handle those battling mental illness or addiction as police have become the frontline in dealing with those in crisis.
“Law enforcement has made it a priority to have a better understanding of the signs and symptoms of mental illness and how to effectively interact with people in need of mental health care,” said Gail Jones, of College Hospitals, Community Services/Law Enforcement Liaison & Conference Coordinator. When officers and mental health clinicians have the opportunity to interface with one another, they can share experience and knowledge; which greatly benefits all concerned.”
The conference has covered how to handle active shooters, psychotic episodes, suicide by cop, veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and mentally ill homeless.
Workplace violence, trends among at-risk youth and violence prevention programs also have made the billing at the annual forum, among many other topics.
“This is a great opportunity for us to identify and discuss critical issues that impact our county — to be educated together, to network and to learn about the resources available so we can face these critical issues,” said Mark Lawrenz, Division Manager of Prevention & Intervention at Orange County Health Care Agency.
In an ever-evolving social climate that continues to present new challenges for law enforcement, the forum is a valuable resource, said OCSD Lt. Jared Dahl.
“Mental health issues still need a lot of attention and hopefully they will receive a lot of attention in the coming years,” Dahl said. “This is going to take a village because the issues is systemic. We all need to work together.”
More than 500 people turned out for the 12th Annual Community First Conference at the Wyndham Anaheim hotel in Garden Grove.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Jodi Barber, child/parent advocate, talks during the 12th Annual Community First Conference about alcohol and drug use by kids and about her son, Jarrod, who died from drug use.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Attendees of the 12th Annual Community First Conference listen closely as Jodi Barber talks about her son who died from drug use.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Della Lisi, health educator for OC Health Care Agency, talks about opioid use among kids during the 12th Annual Community First Conference.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
DEA Blaine Bridenball talks about opioid trafficking trends during the 12th Annual Community First Conference.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
