Road To Recovery Symposium Held At Trolley Museum

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 officials say they continue 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.  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