MISSOULA — January marks “Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month”, a month to support people who might be ready to find a way out of their addiction.
It’s a journey that is never easy. MTN learned about a group that can help an addict find their own pathway to recovery — and they’re just a phone call away.
There are faces you might see if you find yourself in the St. Patrick Hospital emergency room in an opioid crisis. They are the faces of hope.
We stopped by a training session that’s a step toward becoming a Certified Peer Support Specialist through theMontana Board of Behavioral Health.
Many of those who take part in the training will join the team at Beautiful Minds Recovery.
“If somebody comes in with opioids on board or as a result of an overdose or are in withdrawal, we’ll go to the ER and meet with them right there in the ER and find a way to support them on the other side of the door,” explained Zachary Cannada with Beautiful Minds Recovery.
The training session is a step toward becoming a Certified Peer Support Specialist through the Montana Board of Behavioral Health. Many will join the team at Beautiful Minds Recovery.
“Really what we want to do is be able to help somebody to get to the next steps, so they don’t have to revisit the ER,” Cannada told MTN. “We want to give them a chance to be successful in their recovery.”
Beautiful Minds Recovery is a relatively new organization that is supported through the Independent Emergency Room Physician Trust which was created after a legal settlement with an opioid drug company. The money goes to help people battling opioid addiction.
The peers truly understand the struggle because they’ve been there.
“I was a heroin addict for 13 years. Coming out of that and making a blueprint to go from where I was to get to this new person that I am — a lot of people don’t have access to these pathways. And so now I’ve discovered a pathway, and I feel like I need to pay it forward” explained Alain Lapham.
A patient can request a peer support response in the Emergency Room at St. Patrick Hospital and can also connect anytime through the organization’s 866-549-7337 phone number where a volunteer is ready to listen and support.
“We want to respect people’s agency and their autonomy and what they want their recovery to look like. We want them to be able to have a voice and a choice about what they want to do," Cannada said.
Bill Deavel, who is also part of Beautiful Minds Recovery, says it’s about helping those who might fall through the cracks.
“I really wanted to be able to provide peer support services to those that aren’t able to receive it based on the Medicaid rules that apply right now,” Deavel told MTN. “I really wanted to be able to reach an untouched section of the population of those that really do need peer support services but were unable to receive them.”
The peer support response is currently only available at St. Patrick's Hospital but the organization’s goal is to expand across the state.
Beautiful Minds Recovery is another tool available for those looking for a new way.
