ST. MARTIN PARISH — As the weather cools and the days get shorter, mental health struggles can sometimes surface—or get worse. In St. Martin Parish, local officials are taking a proactive approach to promote healing and address addiction before it starts.

The St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the St. Martin Parish Government, launched the S.T.A.R. (Substance Abuse Team for Addiction and Recovery) Program in July. The initiative provides free, confidential services for individuals and families facing mental health and substance use challenges.

“You are talking about in St. Martin Parish, over 400 people in the past year have been helped through this program, or we’ve helped or tried to put in the right track with this program, and that’s a lot of people for a rural p

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