BC3 seeks to help fight opioid addiction
Butler County Community College on Thursday announced a new initiative intended to educate the community and help combat opioid addiction.
The new initiative, “Reset Your Brain,” includes a program next month, a series of classes in the spring and the formation of a 15-member advisory team.
The college has partnered with Steve Treu of Cranberry Township, a therapist and author, who published two books in 2016 drawing from 15 years of counseling.
About 75 percent of Treu's clients have opioid addictions, according to a news release, and he has developed a methodology that incorporates physical, mental or spiritual skills that trigger the brain's reproduction of endorphins and create “a natural high” through activities such as yoga, art and pet ownership.
The initiative will kick off with the free program, “Reset Your Brain: A Revolutionary Approach to Opioid Addiction & Recovery,” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at Succop Theater.
Speakers will include Treu and Shannon Gaiser, a former heroin-addict and counselor at Quantum Revolution.
The college's strategic plan directs it to educate the community in a variety of ways and the opioid crisis is something people need to learn more about, said Nick Neupauer, BC3 president.
On Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf declared Pennsylvania's opioid epidemic a statewide disaster emergency.
“This is a very important subject, especially with what came out with the governor just yesterday,” Neupauer said in an interview. “One of our goals is to educate the communities in which we serve; that can come in a variety of content areas and through a variety of mechanisms.”
BC3 last semester hosted author and reporter Sam Quinones, who has covered the opiate addiction around the country. That program was attended by about 250 community members representing a wide variety of backgrounds, Neupauer said.
Years ago, when Marcellus shale drilling first came to the area, BC3 had a similar response, scheduling speakers and seminars to help people learn about it, he said.
BC3 also will work with Treu to collaborate opportunities for clients to practice endorphin-producing activities through BC3 faculty or classes and in downtown Butler businesses that include Yoga on Main, Brushes and Barstools, The Art Center, All About Reclaimed, YMCA, Family Bowlaway, Butler Public Library, Downtown Sounds, Relentless Pursuit, Cummings Candy & Coffee, Rainbow Animal Refuge, Focused Fitness and Rapp's Bicycle.
The advisory team, which has 13 members with two more to be added soon, includes BC3 staffers, state and county officials, ministers and Treu, said Bill Foley, BC3 spokesman.
Four “Reset Your Brain” classes, based on Treu's writings, will be offered in the spring. The times, dates and a small fee to participate are to be determined, Foley said.
