(Note: This article is a paid placement and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Billy Penn at WHYY.)
The opioid epidemic has left no community untouched, with families across Philadelphia devastated by the grip of addiction on loved ones and neighbors. While there is no such thing as a simple solution for a crisis of this magnitude, one thing is critical to tackling it — collaboration.
Addiction and opioid use disorder (OUD) are influenced by many societal factors, and therefore require many diverse groups to work together across the continuum of care to support and advance meaningful change. Policymakers, community groups, healthcare systems, and many others play important roles in meeting people living with addiction where they are and ensuring that all doors are open for recovery.
Bridging gaps in resources and ensuring holistic care
Recovery from addiction often requires a multifaceted approach, addressing not only the physical aspects of the disease, but also the psychological, social, and economic factors. While different organizations may address different aspects of the issue or individual recovery journeys, they all share a common goal — helping people fight addiction.
The power of peer resources and recovery specialists cannot be understated. Having an advocate or an individual available to help you navigate the system is a critical component to helping those dealing with substance use disorder reclaim their lives. As Dr. Joseph D’Orazio, Addiction Medicine Specialist at Cooper University Hospital, says, “Often times people are dealing with other issues, either related to or unrelated to their addictions. For example, people that are unhoused are much more likely to experience a recurrence of use, so we really need to concentrate on engaging those individuals and securing stable housing.”
However, housing is just one piece of a very complicated puzzle that needs to be addressed to bridge critical gaps in the community. “Having organizations come together to support people in need will only be accomplished by partnering together,” says Kali Lamb, a paralegal with Community Legal Services, Inc., who applies her own journey with addiction, incarceration, and homelessness to help others in recovery with record expungement. “Connecting resources that are available in the community, whether it be housing, legal representation, or employment and making sure that individuals that need support have the support they need is really the missing link.”
Pair data with real and diverse stories
One of the most timeless ways we can think about collaboration and connection is through storytelling. Authentic stories have the power to transcend our personal biases, shift our perspectives, and empower us to act.
“We need to be able to show diverse stories from different perspectives of what recovery can look like, and what the struggles of a substance use disorder can really mean,” says Harry Cunnane, Vice President of Business Development at Caron Treatment Centers, where he received treatment more than a decade ago. “If we can highlight that, we can change minds and change opinions. And if we can change our public perception, then there’s no policy we can’t change.”
By working together, organizations can improve data collection and research efforts – and connect the big picture data to the personal stories. Together, we’ll see they provide a more comprehensive understanding of addiction trends and the impact of care strategies.
Storytelling also serves as an anecdote to stigma. The more the general public understands the realities of living with addiction, the greater the acknowledgment and acceptance of addiction as a treatable disease. By sharing stories, we can reframe the way we talk, think, and ultimately understand OUD. Through concerted collaboration across the community, we can bring forward solutions that help those living with OUD to create a very different chapter in their life story.
Learn more about the inspiring initiatives already underway and the local Philadelphians who are helping people with OUD “Reframe and Reclaim” their recovery stories in a docuseries at BraeburnRX.com.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
