Month: July 2019

What to look for on Smart Talk, Thursday, July 11, 2019:

Drug addiction affects thousands of Pennsylvanians every year. Emergency rooms across the state saw 13,499 opioid overdose-related visits in less than two years, from Jan. 1, 2018 to June 8, 2019.

The Get Help Now hotline, which connects people experiencing addiction with treatment services, received 23,707 calls from Pennsylvanians during the same period. If you or someone you know is experiencing addiction, you can call the Get Help Now hotline at 1-800-662-HELP.

The death toll of drug overdoses remains high, even with opioid prescribers erring on the side of caution. There has been a 30% decrease in opioid prescriptions written per capita nationwide since 2012.

A local initiative is working to provide hope to people in recovery from addiction. Lancaster County Recovery Alliance aims to shift the conversation from the doom and disaster of opioid addiction to the possibility of recovery.

Members of the alliance include people in recovery, friends and family of those in recovery, service providers, legal/law enforcement, church/faith-based organizations, corrections, the business community and other allies.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss local resources for people in recovery are Brett Hambright, spokesperson for the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, Scott Theurer, a recovery specialist at the Opioid Center of Excellence at T.W. Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services in Lancaster who is in long-term recovery from addiction, James Severson, recovery specialist supervisor at Gate House Behavioral Health Services and vice chairman of the Lancaster County Recovery House Coalition, and Rachel Skinner, a recovery specialist in recovery herself and author of There is Hope.

Also, Transforming Health reporter Brett Sholtis joins Smart Talk. Sholtis has been traveling the state covering involuntary commitment, the legal process that can require individuals with severe mental disorders to undergo treatment. Join our discussion to hear about involuntary commitment policy in Pennsylvania.

For more on drug recovery and involuntary commitment — plus a deeper look at the changing tide of healthcare — check out WITF’s Transforming Health. Online at Transforming Health.org. A partnership of WITF, WellSpan Health and Capital Blue Cross.

The United Way of Pennsylvania uses the ALICE report to gauge financial hardship. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed. People who fall into the ALICE category are earning money above the federal poverty level, but don’t make enough to pay for essentials like housing, food, childcare, transportation, or future savings. ALICE households across Pennsylvania struggle to find affordable housing and community resources in the same county where they work.

The United Way of Pennsylvania brought the ALICE report to the state. Local groups like the United Way of the Capital Region are using ALICE data to launch community programs to support ALICE households in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties.

When combined with households below the poverty level, in total, 1,856,785 households in Pennsylvania ⁠– 37% ⁠– struggled to meet their basic needs in 2017.

Small business owners and workers often fall into the ALICE category because small businesses are more vulnerable to changes in demand, price of materials, transportation costs, cyberattacks and natural disasters.

Joining us on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the ALICE report and helping Pennsylvanians living in the financial margins are Kristin Rotz, president of United Way of Pennsylvania, Tim Fatzinger, president of United Way of the Capital Region, and Gene Barr, CEO of the PA Chamber of Business and Industry.

What to look for on Smart Talk, Tuesday, July 3, 2019:

The Supreme Court concluded its latest term last week, releasing decisions on controversial issues including the census and gerrymandering.

In total, the Court heard arguments in 69 cases this term that broached subjects from religious symbols on public property and federal power on Native American land to the limits of federal agency power in interpreting laws and federal regulations.

As always, many of the rulings attracted significant attention, but some cases that could have an impact on how government functions flew under the radar. And, as the 2020 presidential election approaches, candidates are beginning to discuss their vision for the federal judiciary.

Joining us on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to break down the most important rulings from the term and to discuss the role the Supreme Court and federal judiciary could play in the 2020 presidential election is Scott Boddery, a constitutional scholar and political scientist at Gettysburg College.

Also, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, WITF is presenting a Summer of Space programming on both WITF-TV and WITF 89.5 FM. Appearing on Smart Talk to share his recollections of the moon landing is retired WITF Senior Vice President and current Senior Advisor Mike Greenwald, who witnessed and reported the launch of Apollo 11 at Cape Kennedy, Florida. See Mike Greenwald’s 1969 report here.

We also would like to hear your memories of one of America’s greatest scientific accomplishments. Call 1-800-729-7532 during the show to share your memory or leave a message any time before the show airs.

If you or someone you know is in need of help or someone to talk to, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 800-273-8255 (TTY at 800-799-4889) or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

What to look for on Smart Talk, Monday, July 1, 2019:

When a person dies by suicide their family and friends are left wondering how they could have prevented it from happening. Their feelings of helplessness and despair can be overwhelming.

 

But imagine realizing that your loved one wasn’t “alone” when they died but were given instructions on how to kill themselves and encouraged to follow through.

 

A York family is dealing with this reality, after the death of their 25-year-old daughter in May.

 

Chip and Jackie Bieber’s daughter, Shawn Shatto, died by suicide last month with the help of an online chat room. They want to raise the alarm that these internet sites exist and are legal in Pennsylvania and much of the country. The Biebers join Smart Talk to share their story.

 

Also, the statewide Suicide Prevention Task Force formed on May 29 develop a long-term strategy to reduce suicide in Pennsylvania. On average, one person dies by suicide every four hours in Pennsylvania.

 

Appearing on Smart Talk to talk about their vision and prevention strategy are Govan Martin, chair of the Prevent Suicide PA Board of Directors and a member of the Suicide Prevention Task Force, Dr. Perri Rosen of the PA office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and Caitlin Palmer, special adviser to the secretary of the Department of Human Services and lead agent on the Suicide Prevention Task Force.

If you or someone you know is in need of help or someone to talk to, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 800-273-8255 (TTY at 800-799-4889) or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.