Opiate addiction in our region has grown from a concerning local issue to a public health crisis and full-blown regional epidemic.

The number of Mainers seeking treatment for heroin addiction has more than tripled in recent years, from 1,115 in 2010 to 3,463 in 2014. This includes people from all backgrounds and walks of life – people with families and careers – who are desperate to fight addiction, reclaim their lives and become contributing members of their communities.

There is no question that this is a public health crisis, and there is no quick fix to this problem.

Addiction is a disease, and like all diseases, it requires treatment. In addressing the opiate crisis, no response will have a long-term impact unless it creates access to both inpatient and outpatient treatment for people in need.

Simply put, as the number of people seeking treatment increases, the availability of treatment has to increase to meet that demand. This is not happening in Maine. Numbers circulating in the state are showing that just over 10 percent of those in need of treatment have access to care.

If the people of Maine are serious about addressing the opiate crisis, this has to change. Expanding access to treatment is a serious challenge when the current environment cannot support existing services.

My organization, Spectrum Health Systems, a nonprofit addiction treatment provider, has a 50-year history of helping people work toward recovery and regain their lives. When we opened an outpatient facility in Sanford last year, we were proud to bring our knowledge and expertise to an area where we could make a positive impact on so many local people and families.

We invested in the community and helped hundreds of patients on the path to recovery. Unfortunately, we cannot maintain the clinic in an environment where access to treatment is not a state priority.

Currently, Maine has some of the lowest per-patient payments in the U.S. for outpatient clinics and has limited eligibility for low-income residents to access treatment through MaineCare. Despite the overwhelming community need, two treatment providers – first, Mercy Hospital’s Mercy Recovery Center in Westbrook and now Spectrum’s Sanford outpatient facility – have been forced to close because of a lack of support.

In order to keep recovery programs open and foster an environment where the number of treatment options grows to meet the needs of the community, there must be a greater focus on addiction as a disease and treatment as the solution.

The state of Maine must create an environment where an organization willing to invest in the state and improve access to treatment is given the resources and reimbursement needed to effectively care for their patients.

I have been working in addiction treatment for more than 45 years. I have seen the devastating toll that addiction has on people and families. For years, I’ve watched as communities focused on incarceration as the key to fighting addiction. Instead of people in need receiving support and treatment to help rebuild their lives, they are labeled as criminals, and the path to recovery becomes even more challenging.

Today, more and more people recognize the futility of that approach. Earlier this year, the chief of police in Gloucester, Massachusetts, created an initiative called the Angel Program.

In this program, an individual battling addiction who comes to the Gloucester Police Department for help will be paired with a volunteer “angel,” who will stay with them while a clinician works on a treatment plan and facility location. Participants in this program are not arrested, even if they have drugs or drug paraphernalia with them when they come to the police department for help.

To date, more than 100 people suffering from addiction have used this program to find treatment and begin their recovery. We are proud to be a treatment partner for this program. This is the type of mindset and approach that can help rebuild lives and communities.

Expanding access to treatment and reducing the demand for opiates will have lasting results for patients, families and communities. By expanding access to treatment, helping people reach recovery and reuniting families, we are investing in the long-term vitality of our community.

Given the scope of the problem, there is no real alternative to addressing this crisis. It is time to help the thousands of people in this community suffering from opiate addiction get the support and care they need to overcome their addiction and begin their recovery.