In March 2022, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus spending bill that included Congressionally Directed Spending items. We are excited to announce that 2 projects Liberation Programs applied for was included in that bill. President Biden signed the bill into law on Friday, March 11th. We are grateful to Senator Richard Blumenthal for pushing our projects through and championing our life saving work.

The first project to receive funding will provide Family Recovery Coaching at the Pelletier Wellness Center in Bridgeport. These family-focused Recovery Coaches will conduct group sessions and work with Recoverees and their families during treatment and after discharge to connect them to recovery supports and impart their recovery knowledge as a peer. A support network that involves family is vital in ensuring successful long-term recovery. Family therapy groups will allow Recoverees and their families to communicate in a recovery-friendly setting and learn how to support one another while addressing pre-existing issues. The Coaches seek to have the family become a recovery-friendly unit to both aid their loved one in recovery and to recover for themselves, as families recover independently of their loved ones.

Coaches will also aid Recoverees and their families during treatment and after discharge to ensure they continue to receive necessary recovery support, especially during the first year of treatment and the first six months after discharge. The Coach will act as a source of support and encouragement to Recoverees and families, serving as a mentor with lived experience of recovery’s challenges and complexities. They may attend recovery and medical meetings with Recoverees, help the Recoveree secure work and housing, and assist families in their own recovery process through tailored service and support during their loved one’s treatment and after they discharge.

The second project is part of our response to the pandemic. We hired more frontline staff to help stagger shifts and reduce overall exposure to potential COVID-19 infection. This led to the need for increased office space which was created by refurbishing the lower level of the Pelletier Wellness Center to provide more offices. In addition to the necessary increase in office space, this funding allowed us to construct a gender-neutral bathroom for staff to utilize in the lower level.

On April 14th, Senator Blumenthal visited the Pelletier Wellness Center to announce the approval of over $150,000 for these projects. We had the opportunity to show the Senator and News12 Connecticut our program as well as our Mobile Wellness Van which provides harm reduction supplies and connections to care throughout Lower Fairfield County. Our goal is to do whatever we can to save lives and keep people alive until, and if, they are ready for treatment. As Joanne Montgomery said, “If we do more, we can save more lives”.

You can see more of the story here.

By Maggie Young

As the world re-opens after months of feeling isolated and disconnected there will likely be strong desires to engage in celebratory events over the summer. Summer fun could be a challenge for those in early recovery. A personal commitment, support from others and diligence is important for sustained recovery. I recall how much time and energy I wasted concocting reasons not to join family and friends for gatherings such as a barbecue, beach day or other family events during the summer months for fear of being triggered to drink. When gathered the majority of my time I spent pondering and plotting ways to steal away for a quick drink without anyone noticing. The energy that was required to appear present with love ones, while pre-occupied with how to get the first drink was exhausting. That first drink always led to seven or eight more and days and weeks later sheer remorse, guilt and shame.

My addiction consistently called for 100% of my time and attention while my heart yearned to be enjoying the company of those whom I love and love me.

I know things now that I did not know before landing in recovery; one realization is that gatherings during summer months triggered me to want to drink and use other drugs more than any other time of year. Summertime meant the three B’s, Beach, Barbecue and Beer. The smell of charcoal and lighter fluid, crackling flames, taste of grilled food, cooler filled with ice and beverages, sound of a cap popping from a bottle, hissing sound as a beer can was opened, were all par to the course and seemed like fun for some, yet not for everyone.

During the summer, fun and laughter is typically present and consistent; however, there may be one or two individuals fighting to be present, where laughter and fun is absent. Present is fear that departure would mean being judged and labeled uninterested, disrespectful and selfish. However, that same individual may be experiencing anxiety because their insides are rapidly peaking and dipping while the struggle to be present where their feet are out weights where their head is, which is in a totally different place. A place where they long to escape and consume alcohol to settle their nerves, if only long enough to murmur a few words and to appear connected while their mind remains in the far distance. Never quite where their feet are, never quite present always distant, distracted and preoccupied.

The COVID19 pandemic in 2020, forced us all to dig deep into our reserve for sustainability and to maintain mental, physical, emotional and social health, and to add another layer the daily task to stay sober.

Walking into summer 2021 it is important to be prepared to do consistent work in order to be sober. Those who have not begun their recovery process, wants-to-want to be sober and/or are in early recovery may not know where to begin or how to proceed. You and I may be the start for someone who is in pre-sobriety or have a desire to start his or her recovery process, the window of opportunity only last a short time. Offer a supportive word or gesture, it may go a long way and save a life.

Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, the recovery community relied heavily on in-person meetings for connection, fellowship with one another, and spirituality as a foundation with consistent reminders that we were/are not alone. That reliance is crucial, the need for love and support, a non-judgmental listening ear, and stern hand to hold, as well as someone to lean on during times of need. Each decision to be sober requires the following ingredients; commitment, motivation, hard work and resources including peer supports and a spiritual foundation. Although the world is re-opening, there are still individuals who fear returning to in-person meetings and remain isolated and afraid to ask for or accept support, another ingredient that is required to be sober. To that end I challenge US all to be supportive, open our heart and mind and push beyond any belief (real or fancied) that someone else will be a sober champion so we do not need to.

Let us not wait until we see someone in crisis to act, we can all be a HERO or SHERO to someone who is struggling this summer. What if you are the missing ingredient, May all who choose, experience a SAFE, SOBER SUMMER!

Maggie Young, MSW, LADC, Chief Recovery Officer at Liberation Programs, Inc.

2020 has been an unprecedented year in so many ways.  Every day we see stories and news reports about COVID19 but that is not the only crisis we are facing.  The Opioid Epidemic continues and has only worsened since the Pandemic began.  Between March and May, 42 states and territories issued mandatory stay at home orders which led many Americans to begin work from home, virtual learning or unemployment.  For those deemed “essential workers”, work continued under uncertainty, fear and increased use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The effects of the Coronavirus vary from individual to individual but common experiences include feelings of social stress, isolation, fear, grief, concerns about job security, finances and health.  All these factors, plus countless others, have played a roll in what state officials predict will be a year of record overdose deaths in Connecticut.  The Chief Medical Examiner predicts the total number of overdoses in the state in 2020 to exceed 1300, over 100 more than last year.  Through October 2020, Connecticut reported a 13% increase in overdose deaths over the same period in 2019.  Fatal and nonfatal overdoses nationwide spiked in May 2020 with a 42% increase compared to May 2019.

It is impossible to know all of the correlations between COVID19 and substance use but some things we know for sure.  Alcohol and cannabis sales have both increased during the Pandemic as many individuals are reporting new or increased alcohol and drug use as a coping method.  Alcohol sales were deemed essential during the Pandemic as alcohol withdraw can be deadly.  So what do we know about why overdoses, especially fatal ones, have increased?  Isolation is a key factor.  Individuals who may have once used drugs with others were often isolated and using alone.  If an overdose occurs while someone is alone, there is no one to call for help or administer the lifesaving overdose reversal, Naoloxone.  Even if someone is present, the fear of going to the hospital during COVID19 may have prevented individuals from seeking help.  The existing stigma around SUD can impact willingness to seek treatment that could prevent a future overdose.

While organizations such as Liberation Programs were deemed essential and not forced to close, fear of leaving the house and being around others became a new barrier to treatment.  Fortunately, governmental mandates were changed to allow for an increase in take home medication such as Methadone which curbs opioid cravings.  Additionally, telehealth services were able to be implemented to provide treatment and support from an individual’s residence.  However, if someone has no access to a phone or internet, this was not an easy solution.  We have adapted and made changes to provide lifesaving treatment during the Pandemic, but there is much work left to be done.

Individuals with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) often have co-morbidities that can worsen symptoms in those who contract COVID19 as well as make individuals more susceptible to the virus.  Unfortunately, minorities have been disproportionately affected by COVID19 and Substance Use Disorders.  A study by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), found that African Americans with Substance Use Disorder and COVID19 had worse outcomes for hospitalizations and mortality.  Another study showed that Black patients had a larger portion of Opioid overdoses during the Pandemic.  This disparity in access and treatment must be addressed in order to save lives.

So what are we doing at Liberation Programs to address the Coronavirus Pandemic and Substance Misuse?  We have never closed our doors to Recoverees and are fully utilizing allowances for take home medications and telehealth – something we hope to incorporate even once the Pandemic is behind us.  Our Mobile Wellness Van continues to operate throughout Fairfield County 5 days per week providing life saving Narcan (Naloxone), syringe exchange, harm reduction supplies, education and referrals to those seeking support.  We have trained all staff as well as many in the community and local government in Narcan, including providing Narcan kits, so that we can get as many people as possible equipped to save lives.  We remain committed to meeting people where they are, saving lives and showing that Recovery is Possible.

It all began in March, COVID19’s first case in the USA creating a rollercoaster of emotions such as anxiety, fear, stress and uncertainty! Isolation was encouraged.

At a steady and rapid pace, the Coronavirus pandemic forced us into our homes to “Shelter in Place” while we were encouraged to do our part to “Flatten the Curve”. Cities and states started to shut down as cases increased hourly and daily. Closings took on a life of their own; schools, churches, restaurants, malls, and theatres all closed. However, liquor stores were considered essential and remained opened along with grocery stores. Alcohol sales in stores and online increased at an alarming rate. Uber Eats and Uber Drinks thrived! What happened to those already struggling with substance use disorders?

With a universal time out, ensuing State orders and CDC guidelines were followed; how would those experiencing anxiety, depressions and isolation and already on the cusp for potential alcohol/substance abuse fare? Did parents relax rules at home for alcohol use among teens in order to appease and bond with their child(ren) and/or over compensate for their uncertainty as to what to do? With the first summer in history where sports and other activities were not available, how were young people able to exert energy? While sheltering-in-place and seeing family members differently than they ever had, how does one cope? How does a parent, who feels unprepared to read to their child(ren), cook meals, provide homework help, and experience food insecurities cope with their day-to-day stress? How does an individual whose only escape from an abusive partner was to work outside the home now survive? What does one reach for to deal with life on its new terms; is it alcohol? Legal, accessible and stigma free alcohol potentially start to look good to those looking for relief, even better to those who relied on it already and the best of all to those who could not cope with the responsibilities of their life during the pandemic. Did they resort to drinking, increase alcohol intake or excessive drinking?

There was no longer any place to hide, no place to run to, no dropping kids at day-care, school, work, extra-curricular activities, baptism, birthdays, catechism, bar mitzvah; it all happened under one roof, at home. The positive aspect of COVID19 created room for bonding, worship, laughter, game night, meals, academic, games and family story time. The decision for the school year’s end was distant learning. Pre COVID19 we navigated through life moving quickly from one task to the next and seldom saw one another for long periods because school, work, worship and extra-curricular activities were all outside of the home, oftentimes with people other than the nuclear family. The New Norm continues!

Waiting to exhale!

The August/September back-to-school plan for our precious young people had us hold our breath. Of course, young people deserve socialization, kinship, friendship, and the school experience – they also deserve protection and safety. How does the young person view the back-to-school decision and what does the parent/caregiver believe about their decision to send or not to send their child(ren) to school? Does that decision determine a “Good Parent” or “Bad Parent”? Hybrid/Virtual/Home Schooling, what is it to be? For the child(ren) headed to school, is it a bus or car ride or a walk? When students see their friends, how do they greet one another? Are they properly wearing their mask; fully covering their nose and mouth? How do parents focus in work or at home with the anxiety of if their child(ren) is safe? COVID19 (The Pandemic) has shifted our focus…..we question are we doing all we can, is there anything else we can do? While we consistently experience stress, anxiety and uncertainty, what is our retreat? Is alcohol a companion; is it one glass of wine, one cocktail or a few? Has a drink become what we reach for to calm our worry? Let us take a minute to exhale and assess how we made it through the past six (6) months, what was the “it factor” that offered a sense of sanity, what became your vice? How do you make it through safely day-by-day? Let us continue to do the best we can daily and be kind to one another by offering support and Love.

“Don’t wait for the storm to pass, learn to dance in the rain” (author unknown)

By: Maggie Young, Chief Recovery Officer