With 30 years in the profession and as chief of the Elizabethtown Police Department, Ed Cunningham has seen countless encounters between the police and people who are addicted to drugs. Most of these encounters ended the same way: with an arrest so the person could detox in jail, or with a dose of naloxone to rescue someone who was overdosing. He knew there had to be a better solution, and he found it by creating the SecondChancePA program.

"This grew out of an attempt to find a new way to deal with the overdose epidemic and particularly the opioid epidemic," he stated. "Everything we've always tried was not working. ... Arrest or the medics were our only tools. If the person didn't want to go with the medics, or if there wasn't a reason to arrest them, we could do our best to talk them into treatment, but if they didn't want to go, there was nothing we could do."

Through his job, Cunningham met the people who run Blueprints for Addiction Recovery, a Mount Joy-based organization. They started working together to create SecondChancePA.

SecondChancePA launched in January of 2019. The program features a team of interdisciplinary addiction treatment professionals, law enforcement and government officials, advocates and citizens determined to help turn the tables on addiction, relapse and needless death.

"What makes SecondChance unique ... is that this program uses certified recovery specialists as a point of contact between police and service providers," Cunningham said. "These are people who have specialized training on how to help someone who is suffering from addiction. They are also people who are in recovery themselves."

Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "A certified recovery specialist will come to the field, even if it's 3 a.m., and will take responsibility for the person to get them into whatever treatment or care is appropriate," Cunningham said. "Most other programs, the police will give the person a business card and it's up to the person to call in the morning for help. With our program, you get a real person who responds and can help you right now, where you are."

SecondChancePA also includes a training component for police officers. "The No. 1 priority for our officers is saving lives, but priority 1A is smashing the stigma that exists between police and the people who need our help the most," Cunningham explained.

Since its inception, the SecondChance program has spread to every police department in Lancaster County, and now Cunningham is looking to expand the program beyond the county. He said the program is working, noting that the majority of people served by SecondChance enter treatment. Last summer, the program expanded to include a mental health component as well.

SecondChancePA has also worked to turn police stations into safe spaces, Cunningham said, adding, "A person can walk in and say, 'I need help,' and we'll get them the help they need."

To learn more about the SecondChancePA program, visit http://www.secondchancepa.com. For immediate help, call 717-618-9628, ask a police officer for help or walk into a participating station and ask for help.