Welcome to the Behavioral Health Apocalypse

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BEHAVIORAL HEALTH APOCALYPSE 2020

For the record, during this behavioral health apocalypse, there is nothing pleasant about being the person who brings up the controversial stuff.

There are “Recovery Advocates” who wish I would shut up. They don’t want me to “rock the boat” …

Well, sad fact is, the boat is sinking.

And of course. I’m sure many people in the treatment system wish I would get hit by a bus. Really!

I don’t enjoy this. It is not comfortable being disliked.

I get it. I’m a pain in the ass. I don’t enjoy this. Not at all.

But I believe with everything in me that we will need RADICAL change if we are to find a way out of this horrible behavioral health apocalypse.

The only chance is reinvention. Things are not good. It’s broken.

CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND

  1. WHEN THE OVERDOSE DEATHS ARE FINALLY REPORTED.
  2. WE CAN EXPECT ANOTHER RECORD YEAR OF SENSELESS DEATH.
  3. MORE DEAD PEOPLE THAN EVER BEFORE.
  4. THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS MORE!

MANY PEOPLE AGREE

And there are people who work in the system who agree 100% with these statements.

And leaders in the system are entertaining new ideas. Shit can change.

It can happen. Lots of people, from the top down, are getting tired of these outcomes.

So many cemeteries are filling up.

But I get real freaking tired of bringing it up. It’s not fun.

CHURN & BURN

Many days I’m like … screw it. I feel like just going away and let the status quo reign.

I start thinking … if that’s the way they want it. Perhaps it’s best to let them have it.

Let them continue the churn and burn acute care model and get out of the way.

If everything is fine … well then. Let it be fine.

Have at it …

I really should just stand aside and watch it burn. Just keep my mouth shut and attend the next ROSC meeting like a good little recovering addict.

Stay in my place. Keep quiet. Don’t start trouble.

SORRY THAT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN

There is a new recovery coalition forming in South Carolina. And we will not be part of it unless radical change is the goal.

FAVOR Greenville is one of the premier recovery organizations in the nation. Maybe the world.

National awards from SAMHSA.GOV and the United States Department of Justice.

Our model is part of a clinical trial with National Institute on Drug Abuse.

We are about to open our fourth location.

We serve 8,000 to 10,000 people per year face to face —at least.

All of them for free …. no collection agencies or co-pays.

THE ATTACK PLAN OF ACTION

We will bring our influence to bear and bond with like minded groups in SC.

If we are part of any new recovery coalition we will be focused on forcing the hard conversations.

Recovery advocacy requires making people uncomfortable.

If no one ever gets mad at you. You probably aren’t really doing advocacy, as you might think you are!

How can you change the system without upsetting the system?