Rep. Gina Mosbrucker discusses fentanyl crisis with Camp Hope Yakima homeless - Nov. 8, 2023

Washington state representative Gina mossbrucker is touring the communities in the 14th District that have been hit hard by the fenel crisis and last night she stopped at Camp hope in yaka to hear from people who' experienced with uh with homelessness and addiction Apple Valley News Nows Emily Goodell was there and got to hear their stories firsthand and what they told representative mossbrucker they need to address the crisis I've been through it all I've seen what this epidemic of banol is doing to our country and quite frankly I got to say it's a nightmare more than 250 people have died of an overdose in yaka County in just the past 3 years I prayed to God to save my life because I knew what I was doing was killing me it's a crisis that's leaving grieving family members behind right before he went to jail he was telling me Mom I want to go to treatment I really need help can you help me I should have said okay whenever never you're ready no I should have just stopped everything and took it right then but I didn't and now it's gone person after person stressing early and immediate intervention as a key to dealing with the crisis I was beat battered and broken I was ready to take except any help that I could but I had no place to go sitting in County Jail they asked him if he wanted help and made sure he got it when he was released I needed them to pick me up from the jail and take me straight to the treatment center and the treatment center helped me get into a home if we could just go to those people at a time when they're when they really need it and they might just accept it I feel like that just might help him the most it's something Camp hope is working on partnering with Comprehensive Healthcare to build a behavioral health center made of shipping containers right there at the shelter it's completely different when the services are coming to the individuals versus them trying to navigate this in the midst of a a substance use disorder a mental health disorder or co-occurring disorders and so for them to actually be able to be here feel safe and be able to build a relationship where they feel like they can walk into that Behavioral Health Center is going to be huge the center paid for by more than a million dollars in state funds that representative Moss Brer helped to secure we heard from people even tonight I need mental health help I don't have transportation I don't have insurance I there were all these barriers so actually putting that treatment center right in the heart of a very successful Camp hope breaking those barriers in order to make something happen mossbrucker says she'll be using what she learned at Camp hope to help her with legislation on the fenal crisis that she's working on for the upcoming session in Yakama Emily Goodell Apple Valley news now they say the goal is to have that Behavioral Health Center at Camp hope up and running next summer