The addiction field in Lancaster has lost one of its guiding lights. Deb Bard, most recently of the Lancaster County Drug & Alcohol Commission, passed away suddenly over Thanksgiving, surrounded by family.
Deb will be remembered for her encouraging, positive spirit and her unwavering commitment to serving our community. She was a tremendous advocate for all of us in the field of prevention and treatment. Her work included:
🪷 Providing counseling for those who experienced sexual assault at the Rape Aid & Prevention program starting in 1986
🪷 Addiction counselor board certification from the Pennsylvania Certification Board since 1993
🪷 A bachelor’s in psychology from Millersville University in 1994
🪷 17 years at HSA Counseling as an addiction counselor & supervisor
🪷 10 years as counselor & director of the addiction unit at Ponessa Behavioral Health
🪷 A year working with survivors of sex trafficking at the North Star Initiative
🪷 2 years at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health providing harm reduction services & training to prevent opioid use disorder and overdoses
🪷 Most recently, the Prevention Supervisor at the D&A Commission, providing leadership and oversight of the prevention and intervention services for substance use & gambling disorders in Lancaster County
Deb’s work will live on. She was instrumental in creating scholarships for Millersville University’s upcoming Summer Institute on Sports Betting & Problem Gambling in order to prepare Lancaster County’s workforce to respond more effectively to gambling problems. She recommended speakers and topics for the Positive Change Virtual Conference in April. And she was ensuring that addiction prevention in Lancaster County remains effective, accessible, and funded.
A Colleague’s Memories
Scott Theurer, an advocate for recovery, shared with us his memories of Deb and the important role she has played in his life.
“I first met Deb in 2016. She heard me speak at a town hall about the realities of people and families dealing with opioid use disorders and overdose death. I was very new to advocacy and had only just begun in the D&A field.
Deb was the first person who ever told me my ideas were important.
Scott Theurer, CRS
Deb approached me after I spoke and asked me to interview for a new position her agency was creating that aimed to change the way people could access treatment and recovery. It was a person-centered template guided by people in recovery, like me.
I was a guy with a past criminal record a mile long, 6 years into my own personal recovery, unsure of how my voice mattered in a flood of suffering and negativity surrounding a seemingly insurmountable illness.
But Deb was persistent—calling me every week, encouraging me to interview; and once I finally did, she advocated to get me hired even though I had a record. She consistently said that my voice had to be heard. She was the first person who ever called my ideas important and necessary for change to occur. She encouraged me to keep going when I felt like quitting because I was overmatched or out of my league (and I felt like that often.)
Deb taught me how to shape my passion into professionalism, and when I got frustrated with our system or with the stigma that permeates within all of us, she would take time to sit with me and help find the confidence to keep pushing.
She was a quiet person. The work she did went without fanfare or social media posts or much attention at all. But she absolutely shaped the way people thought of those of us in recovery who were breaking into a field of professionals.Â
I remember the day Deb had set up a meeting with an established colleague of hers. I was taken back by the number of degrees and certifications on this person’s office wall, and told Deb that I felt out of place. Deb responded by looking me in the eyes and reminding me that no amount of letters could make up for the value of experience. . . and that this colleague had wanted to meet me for weeks to hear my ideas.
When I got frustrated, Deb would take time to sit & help me find the confidence to keep pushing.
Scott Theurer, CRS
There are just people in your life sometimes who believe in you when you can’t. Deb Bard was that for me. She supported so many projects—so many ideas. But she also had the honesty to kindly tell me when I was off the rails a bit. I can’t imagine what things would have been like for me if hadn’t had the chance to meet and learn from her. She was a good friend and she changed my life. I will always love her for that.”
Thank, you, Deb, for your warm smile, your love for people, and your willingness to help your community. We are all better off because of you, and you will not be forgotten.