Judge Michael J. Barrasse to speak at King's College on April 25

Bill O’Boyle, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Apr. 22—WILKES-BARRE — According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fewer than 12% of those with substance use disorders receive treatment, many stating that stigma gets in the way.

To remove the stigma, experts say it is important to talk about addiction and recovery, which is why King's College's About-Face campaign introduced "Talk Tuesdays" in 2023.

"Talk Tuesdays" is a series of online and in-person talks featuring guest speakers who share their stories about addiction and recovery.

The last talk of the semester will feature Judge Michael J. Barrasse, and will take place on Tuesday, April 25 at 12:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center.

Judge Barrasse will speak about his role at Lackawanna County's Treatment Court Program. He is presently on the Board of the National Drug Court; teaches for the National Drug Court, as well as on the National Drug Court Institute Veterans Curriculum Committee for 2010. Recently, he became an inductee into the Stanley Goldstein Drug Court Hall of Fame, which is denoted the highest honor in the Treatment Court field.

The Lackawanna County Treatment Court Program is a court-supervised comprehensive treatment program for non-violent offenders. This voluntary program involves working with the court, drug/alcohol counselors, mental health professionals and the entire treatment court team to help participants achieve and sustain sobriety/drug-free life.

After successful completion of the program, which is on average a minimum of 18 months, participants may be eligible to have charges dismissed six months after graduation as long as all restitution is paid in full.

Thanks to a grant from the AllOne Foundation, King's College has begun an educational campaign called "About-Face," to educate and remove the stigma around opioid and substance use disorder.

Bill Bolan, director of the Shoval Center and member of The About-Face team at King's College says, "This campaign is essential, especially now that Luzerne County has witnessed the highest number of substance use disorder deaths in our history — 205 people in 2021 alone. As we come out of the pandemic, college-age students and the larger community need to make connections and get the help we all need to get through life. Reducing stigma and making resources available without shame is a crucial part of this task."

Prior speakers at King's College's Talk Tuesdays' series have included: James Monahan, returning student and Board Vice President at the John Malvizzi Foundation; Dylan Fredricey, founder and Executive Director of NEPA Pride Coalition; and Lyndsay Guirin and Kerri Scheitrum, staff members at New Roots Recovery Support Centers.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.