What resources are available in Goldfield to rehabilitate habitual drug users?

On December 3, Esmeralda County commissioners approved the first steps of a comprehensive plan to bring temporary housing, mental health services, treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder, and diversion training to the small town of Goldfield.

The Champion of the Cause

Although several non-profits, state agencies, health and wellness organizations and many more have come together to make this happen, it is the passion project of one woman: Esmeralda County’s Justice of the Peace Danielle Johnson. She started with a vision — to better all the lives of those affected by addiction, thereby improving the community this third-generation Goldfielder loves. But this wasn’t always her opinion.

With over 17 years of experience working in the criminal justice system, Johnson has seen her share of habitual repeat substance abuse offenders in her courtroom in Goldfield. She saw the same crowd being arrested over and over again, and never getting out of the system, with jail time the unavoidable resolution.

Johnson attempted to institute a semi-formal drug court program with no success, until one habitual offender this past April changed his life around and, proving her assumptions wrong, changing her mind. As she recalls, “He was a drug addict who now has a county job and his driver’s license and all of the things that us ‘normal people’ take for granted. He has really embraced [the drug court program] and shown that people can change.”

She says this was the spark that got her to realize that people with addiction most of the time suffer from a mental health issue or disorder, either caused by their addiction or unresolved mental health issues to begin with, and use drugs as their way to self-medicate. “He was the first to light the huge fire in me that I can help these people. I can create a program that supports them getting sober and being a productive citizen in Esmeralda County.”

The “Snowball”

“It’s snowballed and became something much bigger than I could have ever imagined.”

Johnson then learned that Bill Teel, a 24-year law enforcement veteran and current consultant in the jail industry, collaborating with the Department of Health and Human Services, was working with the sheriff’s office to develop a Medication Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program for the jail. “This is exactly what I’m trying to do with… my drug court. So let’s collaborate and make this a team effort.”

This also came with continuation of care resources from companies like Xceleration and WestCare, who will soon provide as-needed mental health services. “We don’t have any resources. There are no doctors here. We don’t have a clinic here. We don’t have mental health providers,” points out Johnson.

In her drug court, she’s also had program participants involved in non-violent domestic dispute incidents, where one party needs to be removed from the situation. With no good options available, that person ends up spending a night in jail under civil protective custody.

She reached out to her growing circle of supporters for a better solution, which lead to a tour of Boxabl in Las Vegas. Boxabl builds prefabricated, portable 361 sq. ft. homes that are affordable and can be unpacked and assembled in less than one hour, and are equipped with a fully functional kitchen, washer and dryer and full bathroom.

Soon after, private funding was secured to purchase five discounted units from Boxabl. The Board of County Commissioners approved the location and site improvements (electricity, water and sewer) for the five units. A lot of details still need to be worked out, it’s a work in progress, and there’s several “moving parts” that need to be discussed and prioritized.

Passion

This doesn’t intimidate Johnson in the least. What keeps her going is passion. “I’m passionate about what I do,” she explains. “My parent were both drug addicts, so I’ve been on the child side of drug addiction, and I have seen what it does.” It has also made her the person she is, and as she states, “I don’t think that I would feel so strongly about drug addiction and trying to get these people the help that they need.”

Although Johnson currently only has three participants in her drug court program, she says the entire family, even community, is affected by an addict’s condition. Her motto is “Just One.”

“Just one more day, just one person. If my drug court can help one person, it was successful. If one person gets their dad back or their mom back, it’s a successful day.”