DBHDS + co,

The department already makes a career for any recovery coach with a barrier crime literally impossible for people with minor and non violent barrier crimes to gain employment.

I spoke with Melinda, who runs the background investigation unit, back in November of 2021, who stated that the state has the most STRINGENT and impossible barrier crimes in the COUNTRY.

Guess what my barrier crime is? Trying to fill someone's prescription without permission. This has barred me for a LIFETIME of working as a recovery coach when the crime was relatively minor, non violent, non confrontational, and I didn't actually get a prescription refill. Clearly the crime was drug related. This barrier crime doesn't even have a time limit when it drops off from barring me entirely. The state wants recovery coaches because they are cheap, but they don't want what comes with a PEER recovery coach and that is a past of drug / alcohol abuse. 

It's time to change the barrier crime laws in the state! Now! yesterday! Let's get going on this. Less regulation is the answer. When we have the most strict regulations in the country, it's time to scale back and not keep adding onto the problem, making things more and more impossible.

Would it kill you to change the barrier crimes laws? What are we afraid of here?

Thank you,

Taryn Fletcher

804-625-0245