Chester County proclaims Recovery Month; officials point to COPE warm‑handoff program as factor in falling overdose deaths

The Chester County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9 proclaimed September 2026 as Recovery Month and highlighted the county’s COPE warm‑handoff program as part of local efforts to reduce overdose deaths.

Jamie Johnson, director of the Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services, said the county’s interventions have contributed to a measurable decline. “We’ve seen a 20 percent year‑over‑year decrease in overdose fatalities,” Johnson said, crediting coordinated efforts by hospitals, certified recovery specialists, juvenile probation, the health department and community providers.

Don Altimus, a certified recovery specialist who works with COPE and identified himself as being in long‑term recovery, described the program’s front‑line work linking people in emergency settings directly to treatment and supports. “When this program began in 2018, Chester County had lost 144 individuals to overdose that year. Since then, we’ve seen a steady decline… Last year, that was 57,” Altimus said.

The proclamation noted the county’s commitment to prevention, treatment and harm‑reduction services and called on residents to support people in recovery. Commissioners said the decline in fatalities reflects a collaborative system rather than a single intervention and emphasized the need to maintain funding and staffing for treatment and peer‑support services.

The board accepted the proclamation and thanked COPE and county providers; no formal vote on policy or new funding occurred at the meeting.