Lenawee Community Mental Health Authority

Dec

2022

WLEN Interview with LCMHA / Pathways Engagement Center Program Manager Kellie Niese & Community Outreach Coordinator Dawn Finney

Woman’s Voice: This special program is brought to you by the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Guests provide information about upcoming events, resources available, and the many ways to help reduce substance use and promote a healthy Lenawee.

Kathy Williams: This is Kathy Williams and with me on tonight’s program is Kellie Niese, she is the Program Manager for Pathways, and Dawn Finney, who is the new Community Outreach Coordinator for Pathways. Ladies, thank you for coming in and talking to us today.

Kellie Niese: Hi Kathy. It’s always nice to be in to talk to you.

Dawn Finney: Thanks for having us.

Kathy Williams: So, one of the things that we want to highlight today is the new Lenawee Recovery Network. Kellie, can you tell us a little bit about how that got started?

Kellie Niese: Yeah. So, out of the Lenawee County Prevention Coalition, we formed a work group specifically looking at what resources are in Lenawee County for substance use disorder or for people that suffer from addiction from substances and we realized there’s not really one place that people can go to get those resources or an easy place to go.

Kathy Williams: Right.

Kellie Niese: So we created a website called the Lenawee Recovery Network. You’ll probably hear us call it LRN to be easier.

Kathy Williams: Okay, right.

Kellie Niese: And it is really a website that has all of the resources in Lenawee County that someone might need that suffers from substance use disorders. So, housing help, transportation assistance, and connection to peers at Pathways Engagement Center. So it’s a really cool resource that we just developed here for our community.

Kathy Williams: So, Dawn, when they go to the Lenawee Recovery Network site, what kind of things are they gonna find there?

Dawn Finney: Well, we have our Peer Profiles. You get to read a story about each of our peers and see who you could possibly be talking to. The phone number to reach Pathways is there. You’re also going to be able to see the times for our SMART meetings. You’ll be able to see, you know, we give out Narcan freely to anybody who needs it, and there’s just a lot of information that you can, you can gain. There’s also some nice YouTube videos up there talking about harm reduction and just some education that I think that os really nice for people to see and understand.

Kathy Williams: You know, I love a site like that too, because not just the person going through the issues, but their family members and their support people can also go on there and maybe get some good ideas on how to help the individual.

Dawn Finney: Oh yeah. You can learn a lot from it.

Kathy Williams: Yeah. So, it’s Lenawee Recovery Network. On Facebook?

Kellie Niese: Well, it’s its own website so you can…

Kathy Williams: Oh, it is its own… Not, it is not Facebook then?

Kellie Niese: Well, I mean, I put a link on the Pathways Engagement Center page, a QR code, so people can head over to the Pathways page.

Kathy Williams: Okay.

Kellie Niese: And they can scan that QR code and get right on the website. Or you can just search “Lenawee Recovery Network” and hopefully it will come up in your search.

Kathy Williams: Is it a “ dot com” or a…?

Kellie Niese: Just Lenawee Recovery Network?

Kathy Williams: Oh, there you go. Alright. So, we make it easy!

Kellie Niese: We make it that easy, but mostly we’re handing out, Dawn’s job will be to go out into the community and offer a lot of resources to organizations and our community partners about the website. And in those resources will be QR codes that people can easily scan and get onto the website. It’s a really new project. So, the… one of the things that I also wanna highlight on there that’s near and dear to my heart, I think what’s great about the LRN is that you can go there and find hope and find out that you’re not alone, which is an important message. And so on this website is a memorial page or “In Memorium” page for families affected by substance use disorder to express the loss of their loved ones and how that’s impacted them and share that with our community. You’ll see my memorial in there to my sister, and I’m hoping that more people will share and we can send that message that this is a battle we can fight together and that you’re not alone.

Kathy Williams: So, Dawn, you would be interested then in going to speak in front of service organizations, classrooms, any kind of other groups in our community that would be interested in finding out more information then?

Dawn Finney: Oh, absolutely.

Kathy Williams: What would be the best way for them to contact you then?

Dawn Finney: You can actually get ahold of me through the Facebook page.

Kathy Williams: Okay.

Dawn Finney: Or through the LRN website. You can get a hold of me.

Kathy Williams: There you go. Well, thank you, ladies, so much for coming in and getting us a little bit more acquainted with the Lenawee Recovery Network. We hope you have great success with it.

Kellie Niese: Well, thank you so much for having us and at the end of the day, if anyone’s in crisis or needs help, they can also reach out to Lenawee Community Mental Health, anytime 24 hours a day: (517) 263-8905

Kathy Williams: Thanks, Kelly.

Woman’s Voice: The Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition supported by funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Thank you for listening. New messages air on the second and fourth Monday each month at 6:15 PM. You can listen to this program as a podcast under the “on air audio” tab on WLEN.com and get more information at DrugPreventionLenawee.com.

Nov

2022

WLEN Interview with LCMHA / Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition Coordinator Madeline DeMarco

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Kathy Williams: I’m Kathy Williams. And with me on tonight’s program is Madeline DeMarco, and Madeline is with the Lenawee Community Health Authority as well as the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Madeline and I are going to talk about issues of the holidays that have to do with safe holiday driving. This is an interesting topic.

Madeline DeMarco: Thanks for having me, Kathy. It’s good to be here. And we’re here to talk about the holiday season and the roads because the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is working with the U.S Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to really raise awareness around safe driving habits to help keep impaired drivers off the road. We know that the end of the year can bring about, you know, lots of merriment with the holiday season. And we want to make sure that Americans are safe on the roads as we’re traveling to and from our holiday get-togethers and vacation destinations, and really just remind people that if you plan to go out and those plans include alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs in your celebrations that you don’t drive.

Kathy Williams: Exactly. Have a DD. You know, I think sometimes people don’t realize how much effect, you know, just a small amount of marijuana even, or a small amount of alcohol plays into their reaction times with driving, especially when you pull in it the effect of winter road situations and things like that. And just the slightest hesitation can be the difference between an accident or safe driving.

Madeline DeMarco: Even if you only have one drink or just a small bit of something and you don’t think that you’re impaired, we actually know that even just that small amount, like you said, can affect those important mental skills that we need for driving, like your reaction time and your critical thinking. And so even if you think you’re okay, if you’ve been consuming at all, it’s really not safe for you to get behind the wheel. And especially this time of year, when we have more drivers on the roads than ever, it’s really just an accident waiting to happen. Quite literally.

Kathy Williams: It really is. And you know, we need to look out for each other and maybe somebody takes a time out and the other person has their holiday cheer, so to speak. But you have to think about all the rest of the people that are dominoes like that are affected by one of your bad decisions. It’s not just you, it’s all the other people that are impacted by a crash or you know, the other people that are in their car that could be hurt.

Madeline DeMarco: Yeah. We know that in the U.S. during the holiday season, one person is killed every 52 minutes. So that’s more than one person every hour due to some sort of drunk driving-related crash. And that’s not just necessarily the driver. That can be passengers, that can be pedestrians, that can be people in the other cars. And so we really need to look out for our friends and family and keep our community safe.

Kathy Williams: Yes, exactly. Because, you know, we’ve talked before about mental health issues, but if you’re that driver the amount of guilt and devastation that you’ve put on other people in your community is forever.

Madeline DeMarco: Yeah. And there are some real financial impacts as well of getting in, you know, a drunk driving incident. You know, if you get a DUI that can set you back more than $10,000 in addition to other, you know, insurance, settlements and things. And you could potentially do jail time, you could lose your driver’s license… I mean, those are not things you want to talk about at the holiday table with your loved ones.

Kathy Williams: No, and even lose your job in many instances!

Madeline DeMarco: Exactly.

Kathy Williams: So, you know, let’s, let’s celebrate with a plan then. So, you know, give our listeners an idea of some different things to help them with planning ahead.

Madeline DeMarco: The biggest thing is really that if you’re planning to head out for any sort of holiday festivity to make sure, like you said, that you have a plan for a safe ride home. So, if you’re planning on using any substances like alcohol or marijuana, that you are not the one driving, that you have a sober driver that can take you home. And if you don’t have a sober driver, we have some other options in our community. Things like the Ride Lenawee shuttle can be a great option – that runs between downtown Adrian and Tecumseh on weekend evenings. And we really encourage folks too, that if it’s your turn to be the designated driver, to take your role, seriously: your friends and family are counting on you to get everybody home safely. And again, like we’ve said, even just one drink can be too many. If you’re the driver, it’s just not worth the risk.

Kathy Williams: You know, and at the same time, you have to be keeping an eye out for other drivers who may be driving impaired. And I know it’s uncomfortable maybe to let authorities know, but if you spot someone who’s really driving impaired, you need to notify someone.

Madeline DeMarco: Yes. You can call your local law enforcement if you’re driving on the roads and you see someone that you might suspect is driving under the influence. But even before then, you can take action too. If you’re at a gathering and you notice someone’s about to get in their car and maybe, you know, they’re not walking so straight, it doesn’t seem like a good idea, say something and take those keys away. That person might be upset in the moment, but they’ll thank you in the morning. Trust me.

Kathy Williams: Exactly. So, Madeline, some other ways that they can learn more information is of course, is the Facebook page: LenaweeVsAddiction and the website.

Madeline DeMarco: Yes. The Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition also has a website. It’s www.Drug PreventionLenawee.com. So, you can access either that or our Facebook page for more information. We’ll be sharing some tips for keeping our roads safe this holiday season all month long.

Kathy Williams: We want everyone to have a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year, but let’s drive safely.

Madeline DeMarco: Absolutely.

Aug

2022

WLEN Interview with LCMHA / Pathways Engagement Center Program Manager Kellie Niese

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Woman’s Voice: The Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is a diverse group of dedicated community members united around the goal of reducing substance use in Lenawee County. LSAPC members work collaboratively to engage and educate the community in order to promote a healthy Lenawee.

Kathy Williams: This is Kathy Williams. And with me on tonight’s program is Kellie Niese, and Kellie is the program manager at Pathways here in Adrian and she is also the HRSA grant recovery coordinator. We’re going to be talking about an event that’s coming up. It’s called Day of HOPE. Kellie, thanks for joining me tonight.

Kellie Niese: Hi, thank you for having me.

Kathy Williams: So Day of HOPE, this is the second year that you’re having this event,

Kellie Niese: Right.

Kathy Williams: And it’s August 31^st.

Kellie Niese: August 31st, two to six at the Farmer’s Market in downtown, Adrian.

Kathy Williams: So tell us, what does Day of HOPE stand for?

Kellie Niese: So, Day of HOPE is health ownership, education and prevention. Really though, I love the word “hope” because with something like substance use disorder or addiction, hope is the one thing that can get someone across to the other side and into recovery. So I really like that we highlighted hope. Day of HOPE started out as a Narcan event and has grown into like a community collaborative where we really kind of open up to the community with all the resources that we have for behavioral health, overall wellness, and substance use disorder treatment, and bring all our community partners to the table for the community to come out and ask questions, and discover ways that they can get into recovery or sustain their recovery or support a loved one who’s working on getting into recovery. So it’s a really great day.

Kathy Williams: Well, I remember last year you were hoping to just get a few people.

Kellie Niese: Yes.

Kathy Williams: And hand out a possibly a few right doses of Narcan and it went crazy. You had a great turnout.

Kellie Niese: It did. It was a beautiful day. We had a lot of people from all over our community come out and see us. But I think what was really great is just the warm reception that all of our community members and partners in treating substance use disorder were out too. So we had, I think 20 different organizations represented with resources and different ways that people can kind of manage their health, manage their pain, manage their recovery. And it was just so cool to see everyone come together on a day that we recognized the epidemic of opiate use disorder and really come out to support our community. It was really awesome to see.

Kathy Williams: It was awesome. And I’m sure this year’s event’s going to be just as great.

Kellie Niese: Yeah.

Kathy Williams: I know even, you know, for people that maybe aren’t affected, but just want to learn more information, it’s a great venue to, you know, be able to talk to some experts in all these different areas. And even if you’re not the one in need with the opioid epidemic going on, like it is, we’re all going to be touched in some way.

Kellie Niese: Right. I always say addiction is something that doesn’t just affect the individual that’s struggling with it. It really is an entire family disease, an entire community disease. And so I’ve never met one person that is solely affected by addiction, right?

Kathy Williams: Right.

Kellie Niese: There’s a mother, a brother, a sister, a loved one, a spouse that is also affected and they need support and resources too. But really more than anything, we need to know, especially in Lenawee County, that it’s okay to talk about addiction.

Kathy Williams: Yeah.

Kellie Niese: It’s okay to admit that you have struggled with something like this, and the more we start talking about that as a community, the more we have things like Day of HOPE, the better equipped we are to manage this epidemic and hopefully treat it more like the medical and behavioral health condition it is, and not treat it with judgment and shame.

Kathy Williams: Yeah, we talk about getting rid of the stigma.

Kellie Niese: Yes.

Kathy Williams: With any kind of mental health issue, substance abuse and such, it is easier to talk about it to people who are going through it or have gone through it.

Kellie Niese: Right.

Kathy Williams: And this kind of gives you that open door, I think the Day of HOPE does, you know. The door’s open come and talk to us and see if you’re at that point where we can help you.

Kellie Niese: It does. You know, I’m a nurse by profession, but when I started working as the Pathways Program Manager, Pathways Engagement Center downtown is staffed by peer recovery coaches. So that is people that have recovered from a substance use disorder and are now working in recovery treatment. And I have never in my medical career seen someone get through to someone in a way that a peer can. Someone that has walked a similar road and has complete compassion, no judgment, and just wants to sit down and figure out where you are in life and what you need to live a happier, more well life. That’s what a peer does.

Kathy Williams: Yeah, and it’s so much easier sometimes to talk to someone like that rather than a family member.

Kellie Niese: Right.

Kathy Williams: Or your, maybe even your physician, that you can open up to somebody who really does get it.

Kellie Niese: Yeah. And doesn’t judge.

Kathy Williams: Exactly.

Kellie Niese: I mean, who else needs more judgment right? When you’re in a vulnerable position. So, that’s what peers do. And I think that that’s what the Day of HOPE brings is just a real, a platform for people to feel safe, a platform for people to feel comfortable enough to talk about struggles they may have encountered, or really just admit “I don’t know where to go for help”. And so at the Day of HOPE there will be peers and there will be people talking, maybe giving testimonials of how they reached recovery. And hopefully through that, we can find some hope.

Kathy Williams: There you go. Kellie for our listeners, if there they’d like to find out more about Pathways even, how can they do that?

Kellie Niese: So, lots of ways. So there is a Day of HOPE Facebook page, Pathways Engagement Center also has a Facebook page, and then the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, LSAPC, has a website as well. All of them have links to all the community events that we have going on in our county. In addition, Community Mental Health, that’s our organization that Pathways falls under. So anyone in need of immediate help can call Lenawee Community Mental Health and get more information about the Day of HOPE, about Pathways, or how to get connected to services.

Kathy Williams: Well, thanks so much, Kelly. And again, it’s Day of HOPE. It’s August 31st from two to six, and it’s at the Adrian farmer’s market, right downtown Adrian.

Kellie Niese: Yeah.

Kathy Williams: Thanks so much, Kellie.

Kellie Niese: Yes. I hope to see everyone there.

Woman’s Voice: Thank you for listening. This information has been provided by the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Supported by funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration. New messages air on the first and third Monday of each month at 6:15 p.m. You can listen to this program as a podcast under the audio tab on WLEN.com and listen and gather more information at DrugPreventionLenawee.com.

Mar

2022

WLEN Interview with LCMHA / Pathways Engagement Center Recovery Coach Samantha Hollingsworth

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Kathy Williams: This is Kathy Williams. And with me on tonight’s program is Samantha Hollingsworth, and Samantha and I are going to be talking about how language matters. And what that involves is that how you talk to people that are in substance use disorder situations, the words that you use really are impactful. Samantha, welcome to the program.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Thank you, Kathy.

Kathy Williams: So, Samantha, what is it that you actually do involved with the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition?

Samantha Hollingsworth: I am a certified Peer Recovery Coach at Pathways Recovery Engagement Center.

Kathy Williams: Okay.

Samantha Hollingsworth: We’re closely involved with LSAPC, and it’s a program of the Community Mental Health.

Kathy Williams: And so at Pathways, you pretty much specifically deal with people that are suffering from substance use disorder or in a recovery position?

Samantha Hollingsworth: Yes, yes. We are recovery coaches who have long-term recovery. We find that it helps immensely get through to others going through addiction, and they’re more comfortable speaking with us rather than a counselor or someone who hasn’t been through the things they’ve been through.

Kathy Williams: Well, I think with any kind of mental health issue, it is more beneficial to know that the person you’re sharing with really does know exactly where you’re coming from.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Oh, yes, yes.

Kathy Williams: There’s so many different components that go into, you know, any kind of mental health issue and a substance use disorders are… they cover a broad spectrum right now. There’s so many different kinds of products, I guess would maybe be one word, that are available that cause people to go down these roads.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Yes. And it’s not just… a lot of people think that “Oh, we’re just talking drugs here”. We’re talking alcohol and anything that you could, that can be abused.

Kathy Williams: Right. So, when… the topic of course today is language matters. You know, we talk about bullying and kids and things like that and how words, you know, can cause a lot of harm, but in substance use disorder, it’s the same kind of thing. You have to watch what you say.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Oh yes. Yeah. It can be offensive. But I think the goal is to reduce stigma. It’s a negative bias. And addiction – it’s not a character flaw, it’s not a moral weakness. And that’s the hardest thing is that’s where we’re categorized right now.

Kathy Williams: Right. So give us some examples of what we should say compared to what we shouldn’t say.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Well, for example, instead of “addict,” you might say a “person with substance use disorder”. Instead of “user,” “person with an opioid addiction”. I know it sounds like it’s a lot more to say, but there are correct terms. A “junkie person”, a “person in active use”. A “drunk,” a “person who struggles with alcohol abuse”. Those are the types of words.

Kathy Williams: Right. And of course, a lot of people might be not yet comfortable, you know, you can shorten that up, you know, if you, if you choose.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Right.

Kathy Williams: They were… they choose not to be sober at this point or something like that.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Right. It’s just important to use like supportive, non-judgmental words when you speak of it,

Kathy Williams: Right. And so at Pathways then are there actual classes that help these people, or how does that work?

Samantha Hollingsworth: One of the major things that we do, we hold SMART Recovery Meetings. And a lot of people, we’ve had good feedback on that because a lot of SMART recovery is about not using those titles. We don’t use those words in that meeting if at all possible. It is hard to get around because myself being in active addiction almost eight years, I refer to myself as an addict. I, one of the things that I take pride in and that I’ve helped with is start Celebrate Recovery in Hudson.

Kathy Williams: Okay.

Samantha Hollingsworth: And we announce ourselves during those meetings. And I prefer to say, you know, “and so I’m an addict”, or I say, “I am in recovery from prescription pill addiction”. So as you go farther into it, those kinds of words come to you or how you would like to be referred to as.

Kathy Williams: There you go. Right. Well, and it does take that edge off I think.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Yes.

Kathy Williams: Which people that are in, actively in addictions, it’s not because they want to be there.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Oh no.

Kathy Williams: And so by changing your focus of how you speak to people, it does show more compassion, I think too.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Yes. And a lot of people don’t see substance use disorder as a disease, but it is a chronic disease, but it’s also treatable.

Kathy Williams: Exactly. So there are lots of ways that anyone listening out there can find help for themselves or for a loved one. Can you tell us – where can they go for some help?

Samantha Hollingsworth: We’re trying to get our name out there. We’ve been, we’ve been open four and a half years and word is getting around. One of the major things that I had wanted to speak of today is the stigmatizing language in the medical field and the hospital settings. It reduces someone in addiction, their willingness to seek treatment because they feel less than, they feel looked down upon. And I experienced this in the emergency rooms. You hear nurses in the background talking about you. You get that vibe right away from an emergency room physician who may not be as familiar with addiction, but what they hear and what they see when people are coming in seeking pills and demanding, “give me something for pain”. They automatically picture you as that’s what you’re there for. That’s all you want. And I had done my share of shopping for pills. But the first time I went back out of addiction and said, “No opiates, flag me, red letters.” They look at you like, “Are you kidding? We never see this.” but that is a major thing. It… The words that are chosen to be used, it negatively influences the medical providers.

Kathy Williams: Okay.

Samantha Hollingsworth: I’m not for certain because I’m not one, but if they haven’t experienced that with a loved one or someone they know, that’s exactly the take, they, that they’re going to see on it.

Kathy Williams: So, we need to not prejudge how the person got to the situation they’re at.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Right.

Kathy Williams: And choose our words better to let them understand that we’re not prejudging, that we’re really there to just help.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Right. Because language has power.

Kathy Williams: It does.

Samantha Hollingsworth: And it, you know, the words we use frame what people think about that. And stigma… it’s all about discriminating against a group of people or a person for what they’ve gone through or what’s currently happening, and it’s just sad. I’ve tried to, ever since I’ve been in recovery is do anything I could to try to bring awareness to that language. And I mean, even close family members to me will slip up and say, “You know, my daughter’s an addict,” you know, and it’s just like, you kind of cringe after a while. But like I said, I looked at myself as an addict.

Kathy Williams: Oh yeah, right.

Samantha Hollingsworth: But until I started doing the trainings that I’ve done through CMH… But at Pathways, you know, we have a Facebook page. You can find us, the phone number, through CMH or anything. We’re there all through the week overnight and then 24 hours on the weekends. If no one answers, we call right back when we get in to check. We’re there to help with anything we can or point you in the right direction.

Kathy Williams: There you go. Thanks so much, Samantha. Thanks for sharing your story and helping us become more aware of how our, how to choose our words more appropriately.

Samantha Hollingsworth: Well, thank you for having me.

Feb

2022

WLEN Interview with LCMHA / Pathways Engagement Center Program Coordinator Christy Brugger

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Kathy Williams: This is Kathy Williams and with me on tonight’s program is Christy Brugger. And we are going to be talking about what to look for and what kind of action to take when there’s a possible opioid overdose happening. Christy, tell our listeners a little bit about you.

Christy Brugger: My name is Christy Brugger and I’m a member of the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. I also work for Lenawee Community Mental Health Authority as the Program Coordinator for Pathways Engagement Center.

Kathy Williams: So Christy, I know we keep statistical information on what’s going on in Lenawee County, as far as opioid overdoses. And you know, a lot of people might not even know what to look for. Sometimes this happens just out in public and takes people unaware. So, what kind of things are signs that there could be an opioid overdose happening?

Christy Brugger: So, signs would be blue or gray lips or fingers – if someone’s darker complected, their skin might look ashen; pinpoint pupils; deep snoring or gurgling noises; they could have slowed or no breathing at all; and have been going as being unresponsive to pain.

Kathy Williams: Okay. And I don’t understand the logic of people using opioids other than I know some people use it as a pain medication from a severe accident or whatever, but of course we want to be sure that we’re prepared should we run into someone that’s going through something like this. So, what kind of actions should we consider doing?

Christy Brugger: So, I think everyone should carry Narcan.

Kathy Williams: Wow.

Christy Brugger: That’s a very important piece because even if you do come upon somebody and think that they might be overdosing and you administer Narcan, it will not hurt them if that’s not the case for them.

Kathy Williams: Okay. That’s good to know. And there are places where you can get the Narcan at no additional cost too. I believe there was a handout not long ago.

Christy Brugger: Yes. So the day of HOPE…

Kathy Williams: Which will be coming up later this summer.

Christy Brugger: Yes. That was a big one. There were plenty of people from the community that day. I do know soon come there will be other events that I will be able to let you know about in the future where we will be training people to administer.

Kathy Williams: Okay. Oh, there you go. And cause it’s kind of similar to an Epipen, isn’t it? Only it’s nasal?

Christy Brugger: Yes. It’s yes, it’s actually quite simple.

Kathy Williams: Okay.

Christy Brugger: Simple as that: one little spray in the nose and a couple of minutes later, a spray in the other nostril.

Kathy Williams: There you go. So I know there’s an acronym for action that you should take. Can you run us through that?

Christy Brugger: So the first one is arouse: it’s like the three S’s: you Shout their name, you want to Shake their shoulders, and it Sternal rub. So that’s when you realize if they’re unresponsive to pain or not. A sternal rub is simply taking your knuckles, putting it into somebody’s chest, rubbing vigorously up and down. That is painful. So most of the time people will arouse from that. The second is check for the signs of overdose, which we talked about, the, you know, the bluish lips and fingernails, the unresponsive pain, deep snoring… Third, you want to call 911.

Kathy Williams: Okay.

Christy Brugger: And then fourth would be giving that Narcan, whether it be intermuscular or through the nose. You can next, you can start doing rescue breaths. You can give two breaths initially, and then maybe a breath every five seconds for about 30 seconds or even start CPR if you know how to do that, and then you want to repeat giving the Narcan again. So you would give the Narcan in one nostril and you’d give it a minute or two and you would give it in the other. And then you want to make sure that you put them in the safety, the recovery position, which is on their side.

Kathy Williams: Okay.

Christy Brugger: And then it’s also really important to remember that Narcan only lasts for anywhere from 30 to 120 minutes, depending on how much the person has in their system. So if you find someone, it’s imperative that you call 911 because they can just, after 30 minutes they can go right back into overdosing again.

Kathy Williams: Even without administering more drugs, they could do that?

Christy Brugger: Yes.

Kathy Williams: So there you go. So you’re not done when you, when you’ve administered the Narcan, that’s just saved them temporarily.

Christy Brugger: Yes.

Kathy Williams: I did not realize that. Christy, you know, we talk a lot about how this particular epidemic has really grown nationwide. And so I know that there are support groups out there to help people that are having problems with opioid use or any kind of substance use. And of course they can always refer to the Lenawee Community Health, Mental Health for some help.

Christy Brugger: Yes.

Kathy Williams: And also for the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, they can get more information about overdose, opioid overdose and ways to take action on the DrugPreventionLenawee.com on that website.

Christy Brugger: Yes.

Kathy Williams: So lots of good information out there. Lots of ways that we can be more aware and help our, our neighbors and a family and friends to not have this be the end of their journey.

Christy Brugger: Absolutely.

Kathy Williams: Thanks so much, Christie. We appreciate you.

Christy Brugger: Thank you.