WASHINGTON COUNTY - More than 150 community stakeholders working to address the opioid epidemic gathered Wednesday at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum for the third annual Road to Recovery Symposium, hosted by the Washington County Department of Human Services.
The annual event brings together individuals with lived experience, community organizations, service providers and local leaders to share ideas, strengthen partnerships and identify solutions in the ongoing fight against opioid addiction.
“The people in this room are the boots on the ground getting the work done. The thing I love about this event is we do not sit around and have the conversations in this room and that is the end. We leave here and the collaboration continues,” said Vice Chair Electra Janis.
Washington County continues to play a role in addressing the opioid epidemic through the distribution of opioid settlement funds, which support programs and organizations working to prevent substance use, expand recovery resources and strengthen community support.
Several symposium speakers represented organizations that have received settlement funding since it first became available in 2023.
“Recovery is not always an easy journey, but no one should have to do it alone. We need to be a community that believes in second chances,” said Commissioner Larry Maggi.
Presenters included Teresa Burroughs of the Lemoyne Community Center; Pastor Tom Ravasio of Shekinah Ranch Camp; Nicole Masur of the Washington County Department of Human Services Housing and Homelessness division; Margie Ratay, social worker for the Peters Township Police Department; and keynote speaker Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski of the Common Ground Teen Center.
“We as adults have the capacity to take the young people we are calling at-risk and make them at-promise. Generational trauma, we can stop that. It takes connection, connection means you are there. It doesn’t cost a lot of money, it takes commitment,” Podgurski said.
The symposium also featured the presentation of the Eugene Vittone Award, now in its second year. The award honors the legacy of the late Washington County District Attorney, who dedicated years of service to addressing substance use and supporting efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
“He went beyond in the courtroom. He understood you were not going to arrest your way out of this problem we were having and understood what we needed to do. What we celebrate today is that Gene’s mission lives on through us as we are here based on the work he put into drug and alcohol. This award allows his legacy to live on,” said Chair Nick Sherman.
This year’s award was presented to Tim Grealish, who is the Owner and President of TEG, LLC Interventions where he works to connect people with recovery resources whenever they need help. He also serves as the Board President for Harmony Life Center, and holds a board position with Oasis Recovery Center, Onala Recovery Center, Association of Intervention Specialists and CLEAR. That community commitment to recovery stems from his own personal journey as he celebrated 39 years of sobriety this year and has dedicated much of his life to helping others find their own paths to recovery.
“It’s been my mission to put people in a position where they can celebrate too, even if it’s just three months or a year or decades down the road,” Grealish said.
Through events like the Road to Recovery Symposium, Washington County continues to bring community partners together to share resources, build connections and support individuals and families affected by substance use.
