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Long Term Coach

Assigning a Long Term Coach

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Long Term Coach

Assigning a long term coach to the family is the right thing to do. People think they know what it’s like to go thru this journey as a family member.

You don’t. I thought I knew. I did not know.

You simply do not understand this until you actually go through it yourself.

System Navigation

The number of unresolved questions and the system navigation issues are staggering.

Freaking unbelievable.

And the family should be guided. Not the individual. The entire family unit receives guidance and support.

The average family will get chewed up and spit out by the system.

And the Insurance reimbursement process is exceedingly sickening. Disgusting.

Long Term Support

Long term family support provided by high quality professional staff supervised by family therapist/clinician or highly experienced/qualified peers.

Thank God I know who to call and what comes next.

How to advocate and “figure it out”.

But I am a 20 year veteran of this field. Working on the treatment and recovery side of the fence.

I can’t imagine what it’s like for your typical family dealing with this.

That’s how these Facebook ass-clowns take advantage of people.

In the midst of confusion and chaos these ridiculously unqualified people wind up guiding families. And … disaster follows.

Real Solution

We need to provide families with constant access to a qualified system consultant.

I don’t care if you call it a “recovery coach” or case-manager or family coach or whatever.

Long term, consistent support.

Family Recovery Coach

Considering The Family Recovery Coach

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Better Than Bottom

We can do better than “hit bottom”. The Family Recovery Coach is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s battle with addiction.

You walk into a support group, your mind is racing and you are scared to death.

The terminology may be hard to follow. It comes at you from all angles.

Angles & Terms

  • Detach…
  • Don’t rescue…
  • Don’t worry…
  • Pray…
  • Set boundaries…
  • Don’t enable…
  • Wait until they hit bottom and want it…
  • You can’t control it…
  • You can’t cure it…
  • And you didn’t cause it…
  • Let go and Let God…

Good advice! But, many of us need more.

We leave the meeting. Keep coming back and it will get better.

But in the meantime? Please consider the following.

Points to Consider On Family Recovery Coaching

  1. Every family should have a family coach attached to them. Regardless of the status of the addicted individual.
  2. The family should be able to self-referral and receive long-term, unconditional support. Without “intervention” being the end game.
  3. A family coach should be supervised by a clinician(s).
  4. There should be an evidence-based model guiding the coach.
  5. Family coaches are not Alanon or Naranon sponsors.
  6. Family coaches are not marriage and family therapists.

Qualified Recovery Coaching

They have lived experience to build on. They should meet certain qualifications and should be held to high expectations.

This is a professional discipline.

Families should shop around for services.

Be careful, the “Facebook Superstars” are NOT qualified to support families.

Family coaches should be reimbursed by 3rd party payers.

And the entire family should be the “identified patient(s)”.

Commercial insurance should step up.

That may not happen quickly or easily. But, progressive, forward-thinking partners are stepping forward.

The future will bring a paradigm shift.

Additional Info – Family Intervention Consultation

When a family situation is complex and the loved one’s addiction presents particular challenges. A formal family intervention may be helpful.

FAVOR Greenville’s Executive Director, Rich Jones, is an ARISE Interventionist. Offering consultation and support services at the FAVOR. Using a compassionate Invitational Intervention™, the ARISE Continuum of Care is a gradually-escalating process.

A process that leads your loved one into appropriate treatment and recovery.

The addicted individual is invited to join the process. Join in from the beginning with no surprises, no secrets, no coercion, and absolute respect and love.

For more details and information about the “Family Recovery Coach” , please visit – https://favorgreenville.org/recovery/family-support/

Coach Lombardi

THE JOY IS IN CREATING—NOT MAINTAINING Vince Lombardi

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THE JOY IS IN CREATING—NOT MAINTAINING – Coach Lombardi

I stumbled across this quote last night and I strongly agree with Coach Lombardi.

I came out of the public treatment system (with a couple years of private treatment work thrown in there). 13 plus years in very traditional clinical settings.

Systems that were focused on maintenance rather than creativity.

Is the “recovery support system” focused on maintenance or creativity?

Hundreds of “peer support staff” all trained via the same model. A “Medicaid approved” manual.

Tons of “trainer the trainers” all following the same protocols.

People training others out of some manual. With little personal experience or intuition involved.

The movement is moving into “maintenance.

I Would Contend:

  1. We have NOT arrived at best practices in recovery coaching. It’s still a new discipline in need of continuous evolution.
  2. Recovery coaching should have “sub-specialties”.
  3. Recovery coaching requires different skills across different settings.
  4. There is still an over-emphasis on a willing participant. Action-stage of change. Complete and follow a recovery plan.

I hope there is more to come. I hope we have another huge evolution in care.

Also, I have zero interest in maintenance of systems. Create new things or quit and start an coffee shop.

Maybe both 😎

Rich Jones | Recovery Cartel

Recovery Cartel Blog - Recovery Coach

The Needed Evolution of Recovery Coaching

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RECOVERY COACHING IS UNSETTLED

Recovery Coaching is not fully cooked yet …. I do not accept the idea that the evolution of recovery coaching is anywhere close to being complete…

The training and supervision of recovery coaches is even more unsettled.

There has not been enough experimentation and innovation.

THE FINAL VERSION?

We need people trying new things before we settle on a training model that is essentially an offshoot of clinical trainings. Why are the trainings so similar to clinical trainings??

Also, there are relatively few practicing coaches and providers.

Such a small pool and small cross section.

I just don’t accept the idea that this current model is the “final” version of coaching.

We will continue to iterate and we fully intend to rewrite the training we use to reflect the needs of our community.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Another thing… being open to “multiple pathways to recovery” involves a behavior change on the coach’s part and an attitude shift.

Not just a tacit verbal agreement.

If you say you are “multiple pathways” and then coach the same as when you wear your “sponsor” mask, you should just go be a sponsor.

Being anti MAT “behind closed doors” won’t cut it… many people are on point in public and talk differently behind closed doors.

UNSPOKEN MESSAGES

You can see it in the unspoken messages.

I’ve gone to many events where MAT was clearly marginalized.

There were multiple pathways mentioned, but there was clearly a “preferred” pathway.

I went to one event that strongly emphasized peer support and, in theory, multiple pathways.

However, if I wouldn’t have known what the event was, I would have thought I was at an AA regional convention.

ONE SIZE FITS ALL

A person in MAT supported recovery would be completely marginalized at such an event.

And this was a “national” event focused on recovery.

This is where the world gets to see what recovery support entails.

It just reinforced all the existing stereotypes of one size fits all recovery.

DISGUISED AS COACHING

If recovery coaching is going to be established as a new and necessary professional service we are going to need to go all the way.

We can’t continue to accept sponsorship disguised as coaching.

A week long training does nothing to prevent the above mentioned reality. It’s just a training.

A necessary part of the equation. But only a training.

This profession will fade away unless we get our act together. People outside the echo chamber are not impressed. I spent a lot of time with healthcare organizations nationwide and they are skeptical.

There is an entire world out there who is put off by sponsorship in disguise. Stop it…. you make us all look bad and you are violating the traditions.

COMMITTED TO MULTIPLE PATHWAYS

FAVOR GREENVILLE is committed to the highest caliber coach and we won’t tolerate the alienation of any pathway.

Multiple pathways recovery coaching is an issue of organizational culture…. training does not influence culture.

Training gives you a foundation of understanding and gets you certified.

MORE ABOUT FAVOR GREENVILLE

Based on successful peer-based recovery center models around the country, FAVOR Greenville Center offers a variety of recovery support programs provided by trained and supervised volunteers.

Examples include Recovery Coaching, Outreach Meetings Leaders, Administration, Public Relations, Awareness Ambassadors, and Telephone Recovery Support.

PLEASE VISIT FAVOR GREENVILLE

Bob Dylan

The Times They Are A Changin’… Bob Dylan

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A NEW DISCIPLINE IS ON IT’S WAY

This is required reading for all our FAVOR Greenville Staff.

Also the YouTurn Staff and Wellness Partners Staff….

AND MY KIDS…. Read this: ***

From Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Witmark Demo – 1963)

Come Mothers and Fathers – Throughout the Land
And Don’t Criticize – What You Can’t Understand
Your Sons and Your Daughters – Are Beyond Your Command

THINGS ARE A CHANGING

Things change whether we want them to or not. One can always lament the loss of the “good old days” and we love to talk about how much better things were “back in the day”.

We also apply revisionist history when discussing our systems and our institutions and conventional wisdom around how to best do life. Further complicating things is the psychological phenomenon of perceiving one’s personal experience as a universal fact.

PARENTING

Let’s examine parenting for example.

For some reason people wax nostalgic for the days when parents could beat the hell out of a kid and call it discipline rather than abuse.

Things are never as good as we remember them. Nostalgic misrepresentation.

Corporal punishment causes much more harm than good, overall. Statistically speaking.

When this topic (corporal punishment) is brought up someone will inevitably make the statement:

“My Dad beat my ass and thank God he did because I turned out the way I am cause he beat my ass”…..

FLAWED ASSUMPTIONS

This statement is flawed on 2 levels:

  • You assume we all want to turn out the way you did. You may have turned out to be an asshole and your report merely reinforces the fact that corporal punishment is a bad thing.
  • You assume that your experience in some way represents a universal fact applicable to the entirety of humanity. As if what worked for you (getting beat) will work for everyone. This is a very arrogant way of thinking.

Furthermore, I got my ass kicked on a regular basis and it sucked and it made my life horrible.

And by your logic…if your “experience” speaks for all of humanity…well then, my experience speaks for all of humanity as well.

This clearly violates the law of non-contradiction, therefore invalidating your original assumption that; “experience equals fact”.

EXPERIENCE DOES NOT EQUAL FACT

We can do so much better. WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EXPERIENCE DOES NOT EQUAL FACT.

We can embrace progress and we are allowed to change our mind.

We can risk bringing new ideas into our consciousness and we are permitted to have a different opinion from the group.

We can even debate difficult things without devolving into a childish fit of rage.

IT’S INEVITABLE

Progress and change is inevitable.

It’s coming fast and furious in all areas of life. All societal institutions are subject to be reconceived and reconstructured.

Education, healthcare, military and even the government (we will have more than 2 viable political parties in the near future) are going to overhaul.

If we base our opinion on our own personal experience, reinforced by the opinions of all the other people in our homogeneous tribe, we will resist change.

A ENTIRE COUNTRY IN PERIL

We will get steamrolled.

Technology is not slowing down. Problems are not going away.

Social problems, such as ever increasing overdose deaths and gun violence are not going to magically go away.

The crazy political turmoil and division,  the unprecedented suicide rates (both adolescent and adults) other substance misuse related deaths, and the unchecked mental health crisis are all “trending” in the wrong direction.

This will continue to escalate until our society responds with the full force and urgency consistent with a country in peril.

THE PAIN AND SUFFERING

“When the pain gets great enough” all solutions will be on the table.

“When the pain gets great enough”, “they” will have little concern what our personal experience was and what “tradition” dictates as a solution.

The pain is starting to get great enough!!!

Our beloved addiction treatment industry and recovery services system is going to change as well.

This includes the way we have structured and positioned “Recovery Coaching”.

THE HOLY GRAIL

The preoccupation with making peer support mimic clinical counseling has been part of the challenge and one of the reasons professional recovery support and coaching is not more widespread.

Recovery coaching as a branch of already existing services may help in some ways but it is not transformational.  It is an adjunct.  It’s not different enough.

The “Holy Grail” of a “reimbursable code”  so that recovery organizations can get reimbursed by medicaid and commercial insurance is a chimera.  Furthermore, why do we assume that reimbursement from the existing infrastructure will lead to scalable services?

QUESTION

Why does “Peer Recovery Support” or “Recovery Coaching” or whatever you want to call it,  automatically assume that the insurance reimbursed “Business Model” is the best model?

ANSWER – BECAUSE “THAT’S THE WAY CLINICAL TREATMENT IS REIMBURSED”?

For sure, some isolated organizations in select states will thrive under the current model.

There are some places where the state system is more amenable to supporting independent recovery support.

I believe South Carolina is going to be one of those places.

Furthermore, recovery coaching will continue to be promoted across the country.  But it won’t scale.

Because it’s not paid for by the public system in a manner that promotes growth.

IT’S NOT UNIQUE

Recovery coaching is not a desired service within the private marketplace (businesses, other enterprises, general consumers etc..) aside from some very isolated initiatives such as what we have developed here in Greenville, South Carolina.

But Greenville is just a small piece of the pie.

We want to see a nationwide sea change.  It’s difficult to say this but recovery coaching, on the whole, is not attractive enough to the private market to warrant widespread adoption.

Partly because it’s not unique.  It’s not differentiated.

CONSIDER THIS

  1. Why are all the “Recovery Coaching Training” curriculums essentially the same?
  2. Why do they so closely resemble many of the things we are taught in “Clinical Training”?

In addition to that, the overwhelming majority of people trained as “Recovery Coaches” across the country are not working.

NOTE: ARE WE CREATING A WORKFORCE FOR THE SAKE OF CREATING A WORKFORCE?

A NEW DISCIPLINE

In my realm of influence (FAVOR Greenville and beyond) “Recovery Coaching” will continue to be a core service.

We run recovery centers.  We facilitate all recovery meetings.  We provide one to one coaching.  We do outreach to treatment centers and detox programs.

Of course we will lean on this foundation.

In truth, the majority of our services will be traditional recovery coaching.  It works in these traditional environments. We do this very well and we are committed to continuing our efforts in this area.

20 MILLION PEOPLE

But there are 20 million people out there who are not into the “Traditional” environment.

They all deserve help!

They all deserve a “Solution”!

THEIR FAMILIES ALL DESERVE SOME HOPE.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Therefore, we need to devote a certain amount of time to “Research and Development” as well as “Product Innovation”.

We have developed another venture that will focus on these breakthroughs.

This company does not resemble anything you have previously seen in the recovery support services or addiction treatment space.

NOT ANOTHER REHAB BUSINESS

We aren’t getting into the rehab business (never again) or the recovery housing business or other typical programs that may expand our reach.

I respect those programs and I’ve worked in all those models.

However, it’s not my jam any more and it is not what our companies are focused on.

We are going to pivot to meet the demands of the market and respond to the customer.  We will listen to the customer.

First by identifying who our actual customer is.  Most assume it is the person in need.

But we know that’s ridiculous because the person in need is running from the service.

The customer is the family system (all individuals are part of a family system), the workplace, the school, the community etc…

We work from the customer out to the program.  Fit the program around the customer. Not the customer around the program.

We will develop a new product with the service to back it up and we will approach continuous improvement with the same zeal Zappos approaches “happiness”.

BENCHMARKS AND MENTORS

Our benchmarks and our mentors will come as much from the business world as the addiction treatment and recovery services world.  Actually, probably more from business.

We are obsessed with customer service.

A product and a service that will be judged based on the response from the customer.  Imagine that?

The market will guide our product and the associated service and we will invent a solution.

It will not be called Recovery Coaching so there will be no confusion.

SOMETHING NEW – NOT RECYCLED

Interestingly, the treatment infrastructure is likely to benefit from our efforts.

Since we are hell bent on differentiating ourselves from the historical solution we will go to great lengths to lean on our clinical partners.  We will work closely with clinical providers and partners to maximize the experience for the customer.

This includes private providers and public providers.  We want to strengthen our relationships with state systems.

However, this doesn’t mean we roll people into rehab over and over.

TREATMENT GOES WAY BEYOND REHAB

Our value add is the invention of a new product and service not the reapplication of a legacy product.

“Recovery Coaching” integrated with and supervised by clinical treatment staff is essentially the same as a “Behavioral Tech”.

Techs have existed for 50 years.

We want to provide something that produces ZERO confusion.  Something new…. not recycled.

Our clinical partners will thrive because of our venture into this brave new world.

I may even get invited back to the cool kids table at the annual conferences…..

NOW THAT’S AN OUTRAGEOUS IDEA!

RECOVERY COACHING NEEDS TO BE RE-EXAMINED

Remember, the current “recovery support system” was not ordained by God.

Relatively speaking, its very new.

It’s completely logical that everything needs to be reevaluated and, probably, needs to undergo major adjustments.

First off, who are the experts guiding this?

How many people have even actually provided recovery coaching and/or successfully run an organization?  Not very many.

Relatively speaking we are talking about a very small insular group of people. I would put myself in that group.

FAVOR GREENVILLE IS THRIVING 

That doesn’t mean I’m the authority, and just because there are handful of other places thriving doesn’t mean they are the authority.

We need to acknowledge that we have not even reached adolescence in terms of our field’s development.  Yet we act as if this stuff is stone cold fact.

We can do better. Much better.

It’s completely clear that this is an evolving profession. An evolving service.

Is “the approach”  we currently have the gold standard?  If so who decided that?

Should this model be “locked in” at such an early iteration?

THE NEXT VERSION ???

We have all heard of version 1.0 ; version 2.0 ; version 3.0…when it comes to technology and other industries.

Could that same thinking apply to recovery coaching and recovery services?

Recovery Coaching 1.0 has been the universal approach.

HOWEVER, I challenge the idea that the current manifestation of recovery support/coaching is the most effective version.

Look around, all the stuff that you take for granted in life was invented by someone no smarter than you.

You are permitted to invent a solution…. “They” won’t tell you that.

If you become aware that you are allowed to solve this problem….well then….what would “they” do?

 

find a good corner-man

FIND A GOOD CORNER-MAN – OR ELSE…

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Finding a Good Corner-Man
by Richard Jones

Finding a good corner-man has always been important.  Having someone to talk to and process tough times is essential to emotional health.  Today, however, it is becoming harder and harder to find a confidant.  Natural supports used to exist within tight knit communities where people were more open and available.

Robert Greene, NY Times best-selling author, expressed it well when he wrote all of life is a hologram all that we see in people is not real.

It’s not quite as wonderful as FACEBOOK would have you believe.

However, we have pulled the curtain back and we know the reality of life backstage.  People are dealing with real deal problems and emotional distress is more the rule than the exception.

There are worries about kids, worries about parents, worries about school, worries about work, and WORRIES ABOUT WORRY.  Workloads are increasing and the fact we are always connected is adding to the problem.

Technology has an interesting way of transforming life for the better and the worse simultaneously.

The good news is that if you find an appropriate perspective anxiety and stress can actually become a friend.  Both can activate us into action and if kept in proper context the damage of chronic stress is minimal.

There are many ways to effectively deal with stress and other emotional concerns. Logic tells us that happiness trumps stress.  It is difficult for these two emotions to co-exist.

P.E.R.M.A.

The discipline of positive psychology teaches that 5 areas contribute substantially to subjective well-being (or happiness).

The acronym PERMA is an easy way to remember the “magic” formula:

  • P=Pleasure or what you do for fun, hobbies. Also the absence of pain and need.
  • E=Engagement or what you do that ignites your interests. Could be work or some other endeavor.
  • R=Relationships or who are the significant people in your life. Quality over quantity.
  • M=Meaning or greater good. Are you connected to something greater than you?
  • A=Attitude or your outlook on any given situation/event.

HAVING A CORNER-MAN CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE:

Finding a person you can trust is essential to coping with stress, worries, anxiety and their associated problems.  You may be familiar with the concept of venting.

Venting, the way it is traditionally conceived, has been disputed by many people as an effective way to relieve pressure.  However, I am encouraging something beyond the venting process.

Venting implies one person expressing frustration while another person sits passively by just listening.  Listening is essential part of the supportive relationship but I am encouraging a more strategic and proactive process.

We believe that a corner-man can help you address all aspects of PERMA.  This is a more effective process than merely venting:

  • P = A corner-man can help identify opportunities for fun, participate along with you, and help problem solve disconcerting situations.
  • E = A corner-man can help process work related issues and problem-solve other opportunities for engagement.
  • R = This area is self-explanatory as a corner-man constitutes a high quality relationship.
  • M = A corner-man can provide support, encouragement, and help explore this existential area of life.
  • A = A corner-man can provide clarification, reframing and support as you reevaluate situations and events in your life.

A Very Special Relationship

The term corner-man comes from boxing and signifies a very special relationship. The corner-man is a “coach or teammate assisting the fighter during the length of a bout”.

In life’s terms this means that the corner-man is there to go through the turmoil with you and coach you through the “fight”.  Please understand that a corner-man is not an easy find.

We have identified 5 essential qualities of a corner-man.  The more of these qualities an individual has the more productive the relationship will become.

A Good Corner-Man Is…

1.) Supportive

A good corner-man is supportive, accessible and present but doesn’t solve the problem for you.

In boxing the corner-man remain outside the combat area during the fight but is in close proximity to the action.  He provides assistance, advice, and instructions but doesn’t try to intervene in the action.

A corner-man in boxing waits until the opportune time to provide support, usually between rounds.  The same can be said for a corner-man in life.  If your corner-man becomes overly involved (for example engages in enabling behavior) the support can become counterproductive and problematic.

At the same time your corner-man in life needs to be accessible.  For example, if it takes two weeks to get an appointment to see a therapist you need to find a new corner-man.  You may keep your therapist, but you may want to get a corner-man.

2.) Has The Experience

A good corner-man has some direct experience with the battle. In boxing a corner-man is almost always an ex-boxer, trainer, or coach.  Rarely will somewhere just come in from the sidelines without the lived experience of the sport.

The same can be said of a corner-man in life.  Your corner-man doesn’t need to have identical experience to your current struggle, however, he should have some history of overcoming something.

If he presents himself as void of past difficulties than I would run the other way.  That would be the equivalent of having me as a boxing corner-man.  Someone will get hurt real bad.  It is very much an issue of experience versus theory and we encourage you to lean heavy on the experiential end.

3.) Provide Support and Instruction

A good corner-man will provide individualized support and instruction. In boxing a corner-man will vary his approach according to the individual needs and characteristics of the boxer.  A right handed boxer is not handled the same way as a left handed boxer.

A “technician” is handled differently than a “brawler”. Rocky was handled in a different way than Apollo Creed.  The same can be said of a corner-man in life.

Unfortunately, most “helpers” prefer to give rote instructions and a manual on life.  They seem to maintain an attitude of “if it worked for me and/or I read it in a book than it will certainly work for you”.

The essence of human motivation lies in the unique needs, values, and psychology of each individual person.  A one-size fits all approach is destined to yield little positive return.

4.) Is the “Cut-Man”

Occasionally the corner-man has to perform “cut-man” duties:

In boxing there will be times when the boxer’s eyes and face will swell due to getting repeatedly punched in the face.   This can make it very hard to see the opponent.

Sometimes in these circumstances the corner-man will need to “cut” the boxer to relieve the pressure and make it possible for the boxer to see again.  Sometimes your corner-man in life will also need to say or do whatever is necessary for you to be able to see clearly.

Your vision can become cloudy by repeating a behavior over and over or by a well-defined denial system (ie…getting punched in the face repeatedly).  In these cases, your corner-man in life may need to cause you temporary pain for long term gain.

5.) Knows When the Fight is Over

Finally, the corner-man is many times the one responsible for “throwing in the towel”.

In boxing the corner-man usually holds the responsibility of throwing in the towel to signify the fight is over.

This is done when the boxer is getting beaten to a point of danger.  Throwing in the towel is usually not received well by the boxer.

The fighter will naturally want to continue the fight and go on to the bitter ends.  In life it can also be necessary to throw in the towel and get more intensive help.  The best example is a person struggling with addiction.

Sometimes the corner-man needs to pull the ripcord and get the person more intensive help.

Response to President Trump Rich Jones Recovery Cartel

Rich Jones Response to the Trump Announcement

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President Trump said that the ongoing opioid epidemic — which is killing more than 100 people each day — is the “worst drug crisis in American history” and said his administration is declaring it a public health emergency, pledging the nation’s full resolve in overcoming it.

This is my thoughtful response to the Trump announcement.

First, the public proclamation of a “public health crisis” and the associated attention on the DISEASE of addiction is a positive step in and of itself. That cannot be denied. Given the terrible history of stigma and embarrassment and shame associated with the disease it is miracle we are talking openly about this issue.

The President of the United States talking about it as a public health issue is a major breakthrough. Furthermore, much gratitude for the hard work and commitment of the organized recovery advocacy movement.

I don’t mean the treatment center marketers who call themselves “advocates”. I mean organizations such as Facing Addiction, Faces and Voices of Recovery and the grassroots Recovery Community Organizations (RCO) out there. Good work. People listened.

Second, we have no idea “exactly” what Presidents Trumps means with his announcement. Questions still need to be answered, such as:

  • How will the money roll out?
  • Will the money even show up?
  • What initiatives will be funded?

However, we can gain insight and make predictions based on what was discussed…

Third. I am disheartened because there is no acknowledgement or honest discussion regarding the core issue associated with the crisis…

Medically Assisted Treatment (M.A.T.) was suggested as the cure all. More detox beds also discussed. (Do you know only about 20% of people in South Carolina-and probably nationwide-do anything “post detox”?)

These 2 “solutions” are not comprehensive solutions as they fail to recognize or address the fact that only about 3% of the 90% of the “untreated” people actually want help. Do you get that?

There is a treatment gap that exists due to “willingness” not due to access.

I’m sure increasing access will cut into the 90% untreated somewhat— but not at any significant level. YOU ARE PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR COMPLETELY DISENGAGED PEOPLE, assuming that they will all sudden show up.

The proposed solutions assume these folks will also magically follow the treatment plan as dictated by the provider.

“DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK THAT IS HOW THIS WILL GO DOWN?”

Fourth.  Recommending “access” as the answer to the Opioid Epidemic demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the reality of addiction. This is not surprising given the fact that all of our models and all of our research and all of our “traditional” ideas about addiction are founded on the experience of WORKING WITH WILLING PEOPLE.

BECAUSE UNWILLING PEOPLE ARE IGNORED UNTIL THEY BECOME WILLING!!!!

And fifth, my last point.

The answer to our nation’s problem, President Trump, is that what we need is a massive amount of money and support for community based outreach programs and assertive recovery coaching/peer based support services.

Re-allocation of insurance money from “intensive outpatient programs” that are office based and last 8 weeks to community/home based outreach coaching that last 12 month or 18 months. The cost would be essentially the same. It can be done.

WE NEED THOUSANDS OF RECOVERY COACHES OPERATING
IN INDEPENDENT RECOVERY ORGANIZATIONS.

They need to be accountable to independent RCO’s and operate in collaboration with the existing treatment system but NOT under the jurisdiction of the existing infrastructure. The money should come directly to the organization and not funnel through another entity.

Commercial Insurance should contract with the RCO’s for bundled services. The RCO’s should be held accountable and be reimbursed based on engagement rates and retention in recovery rates — not based on “successful completion of a program”.

I will speak for my organization–we will pay the money back if we suck. if we don’t deliver.

NOW THAT is a novel idea isn’t it… Until we think innovation and “new” solutions we are throwing money out the window…

This is all self-evident. It’s all very logical. Someone please forward this to President Trump…