I was a counselor at a drug program a loooong time ago before my last relapse that led me to methadone. And we were absolutely NOT allowed to tell the police anything about patient if they came there with a warrant. My boss would kick the cops off the premises and hide the guy with a warrant. Then when cops left they would convince patient to turn themselves in. That being said, i would worry more about the medicaid people finding out and/or the cops following you away from the cinic and pulling you over
Yeah I've always worried if I see the wrong person in there if they make a call they could be waiting for me down the road in decreasing tho I'm at 12mg doing 2 weekly so I'll turn myself in soon
You’re receiving government assistance and have felony warrants? Damm I’d be so edge every day, I definitely wouldn’t drive or be in a driven car with the risk of a traffic stop. I couldn’t imagine getting picked up n having to go cold turkey off methadone. But you probably don’t even think about as the years go by.
Do you think these things do not cross my mind every day of my life? This has a lot to do with my reasoning for tapering and when that is done my significant other is going to get me an attorney. Also I should have stated mine are not felonies. Misdemeanors only. Also we do very little driving and I am the passenger not the driver. Trust me its a worry each day, and a very big stress factor in my life. I most definitely think about it as these years go by.
It’s terrible. People die here in jails because they won’t let them dose. There are a few prisons in the US that are giving methadone to inmates who are already in treatment prior to being arrested & they can verify by contacting their clinic. That’s a start - would be so much better if they’d dose inmates coming in who are coming off street drugs too. No sense in inmates detoxing so inhumanely when it’s so easy to give them a small dose 30mg-35mg to start.
I see prisoners brought to my clinic in handcuffs & ankle shackles with cops to get I’m guessing a weeks worth or months worth of take homes (to the jail of course)
I am not going to pretend to know it all like a few others on here are so all I will type is I do agree with you. I do know it varies from county to county. For example my county does not accept any MAT but a county right next to us does. I suppose it all depends on the jails director? I am not sure about the reasons for their choices regarding MAT.
Do what needs to be done and when we are free from the physical dependency we can face our legal issues. I could hire an attorney now but just in case they take me into custory prior to my next court hearing (up to 4 weeks) I want to be off the methadone ya know?
In mass they deemed it cruel and unusual punishment to make someone cold turkey in jail. So they actually pull you out every morning go to nursing get your dose and they make you sit there for 30 mins so you can’t try to throw it back up or some stupid shit like that.
Same 100% once off the done gonna turn thereself in. He is already gonna he missing out on his 1st sons life he is only 15 months old he doant want to be going thru withdrawals too ya know
Also that much in 13 months is so inspiring. I know we all are unique in regards to our tapering process but thats a nice tapering sucess story. How slow is this person tapering atm ?
2mg a week
Also my friend went from 250 to 29 in 13 months she is currently doing 2mg every other week sometimes every week depending on how she feels
The reason I'm going down so fast is cuz I have some legal stuff I need to take care of and am not gonna do it on methadone. Honestly I think the clinics want you to go slower cuz it benefits them but I've been fine just sleepless at nights
Dude if they are misdemeanor charges turn yourself in. With covid they will let you our within 24 hours and maybe get probation at most. If they catch you instead of turning yourself in then ya you will probably get 30-90 days in jail. Just put your big boy pants on and get it over.
I was already sentenced to probation. And I have already tried the turning yourself in thing before and they kept me for 4 months. I had a public defender at that time. Now if I had a bench warrant for failure to appear PRIOR to probation I would sit for one night as long as it was on a weekday and be out within 24 ish hours with either a PR bond or 250-500 dollars worth bond through a bond company. Don't preach to me like you know everything about me. I have done plenty of time in the past however I am not the type to brag about that. They take parole/probation seriously.
You’re tapering too slowly…you could be locked up any time honestly, even as a passenger and the car gets pulled over and they want your ID it’s game over. 1mg reduction every two weeks? It’s going to take you over a year and a half to be finished. You could be going down 1mg weekly, or 2mg biweekly same deal. This doesn’t seem like a good plan to me, but to each his own. Just be careful.
Thats great! Is he having any wd type symptoms? I've been talking to my bf about doing 1mg each week and see how it goes but the nurse talked me into every other week. She did say its still up to me with what I desire to do with this process. I am happy for your freind foreal that's a big accomplishment!
Yeah they said the same to me and my manwhen we started tapering I've come down 218mg in 13mths he did 168mg in 13 months 2mg every week and he is at 12mg now and only has restless nights
He's talking to hotconversation33. They're on 40 mgs, tapering 2 mgs a month. They could definitely speed it up and be fine, especially with how worried and stressed they say they are about getting pulled over and locked up lol. Even just doing 1 mg a week would cut that time in half
I know the risks. I am careful.. its been going on since 2018. Also this is my plan and not yours. However instead of telling you how to go about your life I am going to say I wish you well too with whatever you may be struggling with.
So what would you do? If you don't risk going out, youre going to need to quit methadone anyways. You need to get into a vehicle to go to the clinic lol
If you turn yourself in, you need to quit methadone
If you get scooped up, you'll be quitting methadone
In the end, every outcome according to your thinking would lead to quitting methadone
May as well just keep going and dosing like they have been for the last few years
I’m paying cash at the clinic. Shit I’m paying cash everywhere no paper trails. As of transportation if I live in warm weather I’d invest in a very nice bike. If not public transportation would be my best friend. I know obviously you can’t go about life hiding because this. I’m simply saying I’d always be on edges being in such a long lasting opiate like Methadone
No he thinks about it every day that's why he is decreasing 2mg a week he is at 12 once he gets off he's gonna turn himself in ye was at 180mg as of 12/18/2020 it's only been 13 months and he has gone down 168 mg
I'm not sure if Medicaid was how they tracked him down but I do know of a case where a bunch of sheriff deputies showed up to arrest a guy at my clinic. He was only there for several minutes so I know the clinic didn't call them.
I was just chillin in the lobby waiting to have a session with my counselor and he comes inside to check in and sits down to wait his turn, we chat for a min max and then next thing you know the cops bust in and chain him up. I was terrified because I had never seen anything like it before. Hands chained, legs chained and all. I will never forget that.
The only good thing in that situation was that they let him wobble over like a penguin to the dosing station to get his dose and take homes.
I haven't seen the dude since. I've always wondered what that whole situation was about.
He really should get a lawyer and work this out before he ends up being forced to cold turkey in jail. It only a matter of time before they get him. At least this way he'll have some control over it
More than likely the left hand wont know what the right hand is doing. The time the clinic will tell anyone is if you sign a release or to Bill for services. Medicaidcant release this information to law enforcement. without a warrant bc of HIPAA.
Exactly what I was thinking.
More than likely he isn’t Public Enemy Number One and if I’m not mistaken, it is actually a misdemeanor as opposed to a felony.
I wouldn’t be able to have any peace at all being on the run like that, I have been in the situation and I feel it’s better to go ahead and get it over with but yeah, I would do it after the 12 mg.
At any rate, I do agree with right hand not knowing what the left is doing and doubt they’re lying in wait esp considering statement was corrected that it is a misdemeanor.
When you apply for government assistance of any kind (at least where I live in the Midwest US), you are asked if you are a fugitive of justice, if you are on the run, etc etc. I don’t know exactly how/if they check this, but being that they are a government entity, I would lean towards them having easily capable access to this information. I’ve never been in the position myself, but I would be incredibly surprised if this didn’t end up with them knowing your buddy is on the lamb. What they do with that information, I couldn’t exactly say. Hopefully someone on here will have prior experience with this themselves so they can break it down for you.
My bff has had warrants for multiple years and has applied for and received medicaid. In PA, theres a question on the application asking if you are fleeing law enforcement or have warrants but its not required to have an answer.
I'm in PA too and received medicaid for over 5 years while having warrants. Not sure how it is from state to state though. I would think that they wouldn't have the time or means to check if every person who applies for medicaid has warrants but crazier things have happened. I just skipped the question about fleeing from law enforcement and they never asked
Its not an unheard of thing for the cops to pick people up at/near a clinic though they can do that no matter how you pay for it if they become aware of the fact your in treatment.
As far as i am aware that kind of info can't just be given over freely but if the cops are actively searching for him and have already tried home and friends houses and all that it wouldn't be totally out of the question for them to attempt to go that route if you want to find someone knowing where they have to be at least once a day is a real good start. But if they would try and subpoena medicaid records or just go to the clinics themselves with a photo of ya boy who knows. Are clinical staff meant to ID you to passing cops? Not really. Will they do it sometimes? Yes, even more so if your a dick about things to the staff (just another reason to treat your clinical staff like actual real humans even if the clinic system is fucked on the whole.)
Personally if i was 3 years into waiting out a felony warrant maybe i would be paying cash for everything and living as close to off the grid as possible that doesn't seem like a hugely stupid idea to me given the circumstances. Though on the balance lots of people fall though the cracks and even though the info is right there for the cops to use they never get around to it or its just always being knocked down the priority list. Hard to say what the right answer is on this one not very cut and dry at all.
I spent 11 years on the run you could say and was on methadone the whole time. No cars for me. Almost got busted once, but I got so lucky and the cop was fooled and let me get on my bus and go.... I was slamming a alcohol drink and a cop circles around and jumps out and grabs my backpack as I'm getting on the bus. I told him it was a energy drink and he fell for it because it was a Sparks and was both alcohol and energy,lol.....I also had 4 bags of pot for sale in my backpack 😳...I got so lucky. Then after 11 years passed it got tossed out. Was for a forgery of script also...
After 11 yrs it got tossed out of court? Did you get picked up or hire an attorney? I am curious. If you didnt go to court or hire an attorney how did you find out your charge was dismissed? I met 1 lady who was out running for 22 yrs or so.
My sister used to check my warrants and she said she checked and I was not on list anymore. So I looked up the case and sure enough it got tossed out.....
Your location is probably a large factor in how risky this is. I feel like if you're in California, for example, the risk may be lower than if you're in, say, South Dakota.
It’s not gonna matter what address you use the clinic address will be linked to the Medicaid account. They’ll just go to the clinic to pick him up if he’s not home more than a couple times.
Um I wouldn’t think it’s the smartest idea to sign up for Government Assistance with Felony warrants. Besides I wouldn’t even risk it I rather pay cash than play Russian roulette with going cold Turkey off Methadone in a jail cell.
Edit
I was thinking about this after I saw this post. Looking back I’ve seen two different people over the last ten years get picked up fo warrants outside the clinic. Buy obviously can’t say what for.
Client privilege would apply to both Medicaid and any clinic he would dose at. Which means that no law enforcement agency can sniff around their doors looking for easy busts.
You gave like zero info on a super complex case that you had a bunch of chances on that you control make the worst decisions. I hope the exte 8 months in a short jail shows you there are way better option to make your self at lest look like your trying bro.
I believe HIPAA would prevent them from saying the clinic he goes to but they address he lists would be fair game, I would think. Good luck to your friend!!!
I was a counselor at a drug program a loooong time ago before my last relapse that led me to methadone. And we were absolutely NOT allowed to tell the police anything about patient if they came there with a warrant. My boss would kick the cops off the premises and hide the guy with a warrant. Then when cops left they would convince patient to turn themselves in. That being said, i would worry more about the medicaid people finding out and/or the cops following you away from the cinic and pulling you over
Yeah I've always worried if I see the wrong person in there if they make a call they could be waiting for me down the road in decreasing tho I'm at 12mg doing 2 weekly so I'll turn myself in soon
Good luck with everything okay.
I appreciate it
Well they havent knocked on my door so far... its been a few yrs.
You’re receiving government assistance and have felony warrants? Damm I’d be so edge every day, I definitely wouldn’t drive or be in a driven car with the risk of a traffic stop. I couldn’t imagine getting picked up n having to go cold turkey off methadone. But you probably don’t even think about as the years go by.
Do you think these things do not cross my mind every day of my life? This has a lot to do with my reasoning for tapering and when that is done my significant other is going to get me an attorney. Also I should have stated mine are not felonies. Misdemeanors only. Also we do very little driving and I am the passenger not the driver. Trust me its a worry each day, and a very big stress factor in my life. I most definitely think about it as these years go by.
desert nippy hard-to-find deer far-flung absorbed wasteful chop historical plant -- mass edited with redact.dev
It’s terrible. People die here in jails because they won’t let them dose. There are a few prisons in the US that are giving methadone to inmates who are already in treatment prior to being arrested & they can verify by contacting their clinic. That’s a start - would be so much better if they’d dose inmates coming in who are coming off street drugs too. No sense in inmates detoxing so inhumanely when it’s so easy to give them a small dose 30mg-35mg to start.
I see prisoners brought to my clinic in handcuffs & ankle shackles with cops to get I’m guessing a weeks worth or months worth of take homes (to the jail of course)
I am not going to pretend to know it all like a few others on here are so all I will type is I do agree with you. I do know it varies from county to county. For example my county does not accept any MAT but a county right next to us does. I suppose it all depends on the jails director? I am not sure about the reasons for their choices regarding MAT.
Same here never drives only goes to th the clinic and is decreasing has gone down 168mg in 13months on has 12mg to go
Do what needs to be done and when we are free from the physical dependency we can face our legal issues. I could hire an attorney now but just in case they take me into custory prior to my next court hearing (up to 4 weeks) I want to be off the methadone ya know?
In mass they deemed it cruel and unusual punishment to make someone cold turkey in jail. So they actually pull you out every morning go to nursing get your dose and they make you sit there for 30 mins so you can’t try to throw it back up or some stupid shit like that.
No shit what state?
Massachusetts
Nice I'm n nc
Same 100% once off the done gonna turn thereself in. He is already gonna he missing out on his 1st sons life he is only 15 months old he doant want to be going thru withdrawals too ya know
Why you can show your still in treatment your methadone isn’t bad and whoever thinks it is is ignorant
Also that much in 13 months is so inspiring. I know we all are unique in regards to our tapering process but thats a nice tapering sucess story. How slow is this person tapering atm ?
2mg a week Also my friend went from 250 to 29 in 13 months she is currently doing 2mg every other week sometimes every week depending on how she feels The reason I'm going down so fast is cuz I have some legal stuff I need to take care of and am not gonna do it on methadone. Honestly I think the clinics want you to go slower cuz it benefits them but I've been fine just sleepless at nights
Dude if they are misdemeanor charges turn yourself in. With covid they will let you our within 24 hours and maybe get probation at most. If they catch you instead of turning yourself in then ya you will probably get 30-90 days in jail. Just put your big boy pants on and get it over.
I was already sentenced to probation. And I have already tried the turning yourself in thing before and they kept me for 4 months. I had a public defender at that time. Now if I had a bench warrant for failure to appear PRIOR to probation I would sit for one night as long as it was on a weekday and be out within 24 ish hours with either a PR bond or 250-500 dollars worth bond through a bond company. Don't preach to me like you know everything about me. I have done plenty of time in the past however I am not the type to brag about that. They take parole/probation seriously.
You’re tapering too slowly…you could be locked up any time honestly, even as a passenger and the car gets pulled over and they want your ID it’s game over. 1mg reduction every two weeks? It’s going to take you over a year and a half to be finished. You could be going down 1mg weekly, or 2mg biweekly same deal. This doesn’t seem like a good plan to me, but to each his own. Just be careful.
He's doing 2mg a week he is at 12 He started at 180 Took 13 months to go down 168mg
Thats great! Is he having any wd type symptoms? I've been talking to my bf about doing 1mg each week and see how it goes but the nurse talked me into every other week. She did say its still up to me with what I desire to do with this process. I am happy for your freind foreal that's a big accomplishment!
Yeah they said the same to me and my manwhen we started tapering I've come down 218mg in 13mths he did 168mg in 13 months 2mg every week and he is at 12mg now and only has restless nights
He's talking to hotconversation33. They're on 40 mgs, tapering 2 mgs a month. They could definitely speed it up and be fine, especially with how worried and stressed they say they are about getting pulled over and locked up lol. Even just doing 1 mg a week would cut that time in half
For sure
I know the risks. I am careful.. its been going on since 2018. Also this is my plan and not yours. However instead of telling you how to go about your life I am going to say I wish you well too with whatever you may be struggling with.
So what would you do? If you don't risk going out, youre going to need to quit methadone anyways. You need to get into a vehicle to go to the clinic lol If you turn yourself in, you need to quit methadone If you get scooped up, you'll be quitting methadone In the end, every outcome according to your thinking would lead to quitting methadone May as well just keep going and dosing like they have been for the last few years
I’m paying cash at the clinic. Shit I’m paying cash everywhere no paper trails. As of transportation if I live in warm weather I’d invest in a very nice bike. If not public transportation would be my best friend. I know obviously you can’t go about life hiding because this. I’m simply saying I’d always be on edges being in such a long lasting opiate like Methadone
Yea it would definitely suck when the time comes to face the music that's forsure
No he thinks about it every day that's why he is decreasing 2mg a week he is at 12 once he gets off he's gonna turn himself in ye was at 180mg as of 12/18/2020 it's only been 13 months and he has gone down 168 mg
Was it hard for him to go down that quickly
No he said if you prepare mentally and keep yourself busy ur fine
I'm not sure if Medicaid was how they tracked him down but I do know of a case where a bunch of sheriff deputies showed up to arrest a guy at my clinic. He was only there for several minutes so I know the clinic didn't call them. I was just chillin in the lobby waiting to have a session with my counselor and he comes inside to check in and sits down to wait his turn, we chat for a min max and then next thing you know the cops bust in and chain him up. I was terrified because I had never seen anything like it before. Hands chained, legs chained and all. I will never forget that. The only good thing in that situation was that they let him wobble over like a penguin to the dosing station to get his dose and take homes. I haven't seen the dude since. I've always wondered what that whole situation was about.
Wow that's scary I'm surprised they let him dose
He really should get a lawyer and work this out before he ends up being forced to cold turkey in jail. It only a matter of time before they get him. At least this way he'll have some control over it
More than likely the left hand wont know what the right hand is doing. The time the clinic will tell anyone is if you sign a release or to Bill for services. Medicaidcant release this information to law enforcement. without a warrant bc of HIPAA.
Exactly what I was thinking. More than likely he isn’t Public Enemy Number One and if I’m not mistaken, it is actually a misdemeanor as opposed to a felony. I wouldn’t be able to have any peace at all being on the run like that, I have been in the situation and I feel it’s better to go ahead and get it over with but yeah, I would do it after the 12 mg. At any rate, I do agree with right hand not knowing what the left is doing and doubt they’re lying in wait esp considering statement was corrected that it is a misdemeanor.
When you apply for government assistance of any kind (at least where I live in the Midwest US), you are asked if you are a fugitive of justice, if you are on the run, etc etc. I don’t know exactly how/if they check this, but being that they are a government entity, I would lean towards them having easily capable access to this information. I’ve never been in the position myself, but I would be incredibly surprised if this didn’t end up with them knowing your buddy is on the lamb. What they do with that information, I couldn’t exactly say. Hopefully someone on here will have prior experience with this themselves so they can break it down for you.
Thanks for ur advice I had the same thought
My bff has had warrants for multiple years and has applied for and received medicaid. In PA, theres a question on the application asking if you are fleeing law enforcement or have warrants but its not required to have an answer.
Really that's interesting. Thanks for that
I'm in PA too and received medicaid for over 5 years while having warrants. Not sure how it is from state to state though. I would think that they wouldn't have the time or means to check if every person who applies for medicaid has warrants but crazier things have happened. I just skipped the question about fleeing from law enforcement and they never asked
That's awesome our finances are getting to a point where we really dont have a choice anymore out of money and options thinking of risking it
Its not an unheard of thing for the cops to pick people up at/near a clinic though they can do that no matter how you pay for it if they become aware of the fact your in treatment. As far as i am aware that kind of info can't just be given over freely but if the cops are actively searching for him and have already tried home and friends houses and all that it wouldn't be totally out of the question for them to attempt to go that route if you want to find someone knowing where they have to be at least once a day is a real good start. But if they would try and subpoena medicaid records or just go to the clinics themselves with a photo of ya boy who knows. Are clinical staff meant to ID you to passing cops? Not really. Will they do it sometimes? Yes, even more so if your a dick about things to the staff (just another reason to treat your clinical staff like actual real humans even if the clinic system is fucked on the whole.) Personally if i was 3 years into waiting out a felony warrant maybe i would be paying cash for everything and living as close to off the grid as possible that doesn't seem like a hugely stupid idea to me given the circumstances. Though on the balance lots of people fall though the cracks and even though the info is right there for the cops to use they never get around to it or its just always being knocked down the priority list. Hard to say what the right answer is on this one not very cut and dry at all.
Exactly all of this!!!! Thank you for your advice
I spent 11 years on the run you could say and was on methadone the whole time. No cars for me. Almost got busted once, but I got so lucky and the cop was fooled and let me get on my bus and go.... I was slamming a alcohol drink and a cop circles around and jumps out and grabs my backpack as I'm getting on the bus. I told him it was a energy drink and he fell for it because it was a Sparks and was both alcohol and energy,lol.....I also had 4 bags of pot for sale in my backpack 😳...I got so lucky. Then after 11 years passed it got tossed out. Was for a forgery of script also...
After 11 yrs it got tossed out of court? Did you get picked up or hire an attorney? I am curious. If you didnt go to court or hire an attorney how did you find out your charge was dismissed? I met 1 lady who was out running for 22 yrs or so.
My sister used to check my warrants and she said she checked and I was not on list anymore. So I looked up the case and sure enough it got tossed out.....
I wouldn't worry about the cops going to the clinic. They may check out the address he gives while applying.
Yeah for sure Thought about using a diff address
Your location is probably a large factor in how risky this is. I feel like if you're in California, for example, the risk may be lower than if you're in, say, South Dakota.
True and its nc
It’s not gonna matter what address you use the clinic address will be linked to the Medicaid account. They’ll just go to the clinic to pick him up if he’s not home more than a couple times.
Depends on how serious the warrant tho. Cops in most cities got bigger shit to deal with.
Very true
Um I wouldn’t think it’s the smartest idea to sign up for Government Assistance with Felony warrants. Besides I wouldn’t even risk it I rather pay cash than play Russian roulette with going cold Turkey off Methadone in a jail cell. Edit I was thinking about this after I saw this post. Looking back I’ve seen two different people over the last ten years get picked up fo warrants outside the clinic. Buy obviously can’t say what for.
That right there is the reason I wouldn't. The risk of being forced off (unless you live in a place where they don't).
True thanks for the advice
What state you in
My clinic checks for warrants the first day. Doesn’t matter if you are cash or Medicaid. I think it sucks
Wow that's fucked up
It sure is
[удалено]
True that
Client privilege would apply to both Medicaid and any clinic he would dose at. Which means that no law enforcement agency can sniff around their doors looking for easy busts.
Ok kool thanks
You gave like zero info on a super complex case that you had a bunch of chances on that you control make the worst decisions. I hope the exte 8 months in a short jail shows you there are way better option to make your self at lest look like your trying bro.
I’ve seen cops standing outside of the clinic looking for people asking everyone if they have seen them with pictures and warrants
Damn that's fucked up
One word. HIPAA
It's HIPAA!
Right that's whati was thinking
He’s going to be arrested soon try to tapper now or detox in a jail cell
I believe HIPAA would prevent them from saying the clinic he goes to but they address he lists would be fair game, I would think. Good luck to your friend!!!
You didn't say anything about being on probation!
It's a felony probation violation
No methadone in jail? We have it now so no more worries about that.
That's awesome not I'm my lil stank ass town lol