Reducing Stigma

Aug

2022

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

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

Show the Transcript

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.

Aug

2021

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

Show the Transcript

Kathy Williams: This is Kathy Williams. And with me on tonight’s program is Kellie Niese. We’re going to be talking about an upcoming event called the Day of HOPE that’s happening the end of August. And Kellie is the HRSA Recovery Coordinator, and so she’s been in charge of this huge event. And Kellie, I know it started out small, but it’s getting bigger…

Kellie Niese: It did. This all generated from work that I’m doing to get Narcan out and the community educated and get Narcan in their hands, where I thought I was going to set up a little table and hand it out downtown. And then I’m just overwhelmed with how many community partners wanted to be a part of this event. So, it’s turned into the Day of HOPE which stands for…

Kathy Williams: Health Ownership, Prevention, & Education.

Kellie Niese: Yes.

Kathy Williams: And so, you’re going to have all kinds of different booths there, different local organizations that are all promoting owning your own health and helping with prevention and education as far as drug and alcohol abuse.

Kellie Niese: That’s right, it’s addressing substance use disorder as well as behavioral health issues. And it really is a collaborative in our community where we’re working to promote overall individual wellness and tools for people and resources for people to help them be well. So things like Narcan, obviously that’s what started it all…

Kathy Williams: Right.

Kellie Niese: The Mobile Recovery Unit, which is literally what it sounds like – a mobile clinic to help people with health care needs as well as addiction needs. And they are going to be there for a meet and greet so you can kind of take a tour of the bus and meet them. WLEN is going to be there at the event so it should be fun. And we’re hoping to get other community partners like massage therapy, yoga instruction, anything that you can think of that promotes overall Wellness.

Kathy Williams: I think that’s great that a lot of the local businesses are also wanting to come on board, aside from the nonprofits. I mean, the nonprofits, we tend to help each other, we try to make sure that there’s not duplication of services, and things like that, but I think it’s going to be exciting to see the different local businesses that are going to participate that are promoting healthy lifestyles: healthy eating, healthy products that they sell, you know, all those kind of things.

Kellie Niese: Right, right. Because overall health is complicated and it takes a lot of factors to maintain your health. So, we want to kind of put that all on display for folks that may not know all of these opportunities and places are around in our community.

Kathy Williams: Yep.

Kellie Niese: So, for example, Pathways will be there, peer recovery coaches will be there – you can meet them, learn what they’re all about. And then we’ll have things like food trucks for people to eat and enjoy everyone’s company. So, I’m really excited about this coming up because I think, I feel like substance use is something that’s kind of put in the corners of the community sometimes. So, we’re putting it out there, shining light on it, and showing that there’s hope and that there is a pathway to wellness.

Kathy Williams: I think they’re going to find mind, body, spirit.

Kellie Niese: Yes.

Kathy Williams: We’re going to encompass the whole person in all the different levels of addiction that you might be in, and even for people that aren’t in an addiction position, but just need that little of bit extra compassion for whatever their journey is.

Kellie Niese: Right. The goal is to connect all the dots for people, right? And so even there, you know, CMH will be there with the e-Race: you can sign up for the e-Race the Stigma, which I think this event really does address stigma.

Kathy Williams: Right.

Kellie Niese: And again, lets people know that there’s hope out there which is the message we really want to put in our title and like extend to everyone that visits us.

Kathy Williams: That’s why it’s called a Day of HOPE.

Kellie Niese: That’s right!

Kathy Williams: So, the event itself then is happening August 31st, and Kellie, it will be going on from what, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. it looks like?

Kellie Niese: Right. 2 to 6.

Kathy Williams: How will they be able to find out additional information?

Kellie Niese: I just want to add that August 31st is National Overdose Awareness Day. So that’s really the, what started this whole event, is we wanted to acknowledge that. For people that are interested in coming to the event, you can contact customer service at CMH at 263-8905.

Kathy Williams: And you said that about the Overdose Day and that’s why the Narcan was so important…

Kellie Niese: Right.

Kathy Williams: That started the whole thing.

Kellie Niese: That started the whole thing.

Kathy Williams: Because that is an essential part sometimes for stopping deaths.

Kellie Niese: It’s absolutely life-saving. Life-saving. It can have an immediate impact and save someone’s life and give them hope of rehab and recovery.

Kathy Williams: Also, they can find updates at DrugPreventionLenawee.com on the LSAPC site. So, Kellie, appreciate your time, appreciate all the work you’re putting into the Day of Hope. And again, it’s August 31^st.

Kellie Niese: 2 to 6.

Kathy Williams: Thanks again.

Kellie Niese: Thank you.