We are focused on National Recovery Month
Reach Out – Strengthening California's Inland Empire
We connect policymakers, organizations, and the community to promote equity and strengthen the core of the Inland Empire
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Hello friends,
As we move through National Recovery Month, Reach Out is focused on the various programs we offer and collaborate on that help the Inland Empire communities battle the ongoing epidemic of substance abuse.?
We emphasize the education and rejuvenation of sufferers of this disease, and are actively building programs to offer resources to expand our ability to help. One of the ways we are helping is through the training and employment of Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) throughout the Inland Empire. We are expanding the focus of our CHWs in the coming months, and will be growing the ability of these critical health workers to help combat some of the most concerning aspects of the substance use issues in our community.?
If you or someone you know would like to get involved or would like to learn more about our CHW program, please don’t hesitate to reach out.?
We also wanted to remind friends that it is National Drug takeback month. Dropboxes for over the counter and prescription drugs are available across the Inland Empire.?Search for a dropoff location here.
Warmly,
Diana Fox - Executive Director at Reach Out
Reach Out Insights
SUBSTANCE ABUSE?
??4 minute read
Substance Use Navigators (SUNs): Bringing Hope to Dark Places
Recently we chatted with one of our collaborative partners, Lisa Molina from?Solid Ground Wellness in Riverside?about the critical role that Substance Use Navigators (SUNs) play in the community. Lisa is the SUN trainer in the Community Health Worker (CHW) training program here at Reach Out. There is a growing need for CHWs in the Inland Empire, and?Reach Out is working with the counties to meet that need. CHW classes taught in English and Spanish are forming for new cohorts.?
Once an individual becomes a CHW, the Substance Use Navigator training is another layer that Lisa teaches, drawing on her unique experiences with substance abuse. Learn more about her story and the important role SUNs play in the Inland Empire in this month’s blog.?
COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE
??4 minute read
The Transformative Role of Community Health Workers
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Community Health Workers (CHWs) are increasingly essential in providing comprehensive healthcare support across our communities. Their work spans educational outreach, healthcare advocacy, and specialized healthcare programs, including substance misuse treatment assistance.
Reach Out trains and employs CHWs throughout the Inland Empire, and hopes to see these critical healthcare workers utilized more widely across the potential spectrum of applications. This month’s post explains:
Part of Reach Out’s work involves a comprehensive training program for CHWs in our local areas. To learn more,?please visit our site.
Industry News
A recent study published in Neuropsychopharmacology showed that men die at higher rates from drug overdose than women do in the US. “While both men and women are being exposed to the fentanyl-contaminated drug supply, something is leading men to die at significantly higher rates. It may be that men use drugs more frequently or in greater doses, which could increase their risk of death, or there may be protective factors among women that reduce their risk of death compared to men,” said Nora Volkow, M.D., director of NIDA and one of the co-authors on the study. “Understanding the biological, behavioral, and social factors that impact drug use and our bodies’ responses is critical to develop tailored tools to protect people from fatal overdose and other harms of drug use.”
Data have consistently shown that the rate of drug overdose deaths is significantly higher for men than women. While this finding doesn’t change the need for substance abuse awareness and prevention across the gender spectrum, it does indicate that treatment and prevention options might need to differ between men and women in the future.?
If you have a friend or family member that is using opioids, always have Narcan on hand, which is a life-saving nasal spray that counteracts overdose. Reach Out offers Narcan trainings and can provide free Narcan to you or your organization. Please get in touch for more information:?[email protected]
Talking to a friend or loved one about addiction is not an easy thing for any of the parties involved. But the Partnership to End Addiction and the?University of Rochester Medical Center?offers some tips for approaching this conversation in a way that preserves dignity and doesn’t alienate anyone or make the problem worse.?
Partner Corner
Solid Ground Wellness
Solid Ground is an individualized substance abuse treatment center that has positively affected lives over the last 26 years. Operating in Riverside and sometimes in surrounding areas, Solid Ground specializes in emotional wellness and utilizes techniques that are relevant & effective in the healing process.?
Many families struggle with addiction. It is Solid Ground’s mission to provide comprehensive, individualized attention to participants and their families in an effort to positively impact future generations. Their innovative drug rehab process allows each individual to have a chance at true success.
Solid Ground founder Lisa Molina provides the Substance Abuse Navigator (SUN) instruction for Reach Out’s Community Health Worker training program.