Ulster County leaders say opioid-related deaths are up 171% compared to this time in 2019. The county sheriff and others said they will try to address the spike with the help of a more than $1 million grant for the county's Opioid Response as County Law Enforcement (ORACLE).

Kevin Lundell, certified recovery advocate for the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, battled substance abuse for many years, but within the past 5 1/2 years, says he turned his life around.

“Being a certified recovery peer advocate, that just really means that I’m somebody who has lived experience, meaning a person in long-term recovery,” said Lundell.

What You Need To Know

  • Ulster County leaders say opioid-related deaths are up by 171% compared to this time in 2019

  • Fentanyl-related deaths increased from 58% in 2018 to 89% in 2020

  • Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine

Lundell credits the ORACLE program for helping turn his life around. The sheriff’s office runs it. A crisis and incident response unit is specially trained to deal with drug and substance abuse issues.

Lundell said he wants to help others. He signed up and has been working in the program a little over a year now.

“It's not really so much a job, but it's more of like a calling for me, because I remember what it was like feeling rock bottom defeated, you know, really didn't like my life too much,” said Lundell.

Lundell said he is able to connect with the people he goes out to meet with.

“It really gives me hope to, you know, break down barriers, break down stigma, try to show people that there is a way to live a life absent from drugs,” said Lundell.

Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa started the program in 2019 to raise awareness and help people get rehabilitation, rather than the county jail.

“What we're trying to do is make people a productive part of society,” said Figueroa.

He said the $1.3 million grant obtained through the state’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program will be used to hire more individuals.

“Part of that is going to be a salary of a police officer or hiring additional peer advocates," he said. "We're hiring an actual director of community services and incarcerated services. So, it's both dealing with the county jail and reentry, and then following up, so this team is going to be working with every entity in the county.”

Between January 2021 and August 2022 , ORACLE has received nearly 700 referrals.