'Wellness Court' begins today in Kensington to combat opioid crisis

Hoping to combat the opioid crisis that has been ravishing parts of Kensington for years, Mayor Cherelle Parker signed an executive order Wednesday to create what she calls "Wellness Court."

This new program, which launched immediately upon her signing of the order, is designed to send individuals with drug addictions on the streets of Kensington to a treatment facility rather then sending them to jail. 

"We committed that we would end this opioid-driven humanitarian crisis once and for all," Parker said at a press conference.

The executive order allows for police officers to have an option when making a drug-related arrest, to make a summary arrest rather than a misdemeanor arrest for some drug-related offenses. 

Summary arrests are the lowest category of the crime code. 

These individuals would now be afforded opportunities for same-day health assessments, both physical and mental, basic medical care which would include management of withdrawal from the drug(s) they were using, have their judicial hearing and be fast-tracked to intake for treatment. 

This comes on the heels of the opening of the Riverview Wellness Center in Holmesburg earlier this month where individuals can go for recovery. 

"Philadelphia is attempting to build lasting infrastructure to compassionately and effectively get people who are suffering from addiction and substance use disorder off the streets and into long-term recovery," Parker said. 

Information from 6ABC was used in this report.