NEK Community Partners to Provide Rapid Access to Alcohol Treatment

-By Lila Bennett, Executive Director, Journey to Recovery Community Center

Journey to Recovery Center, SaVida, BAART, Northeast Kingdom Human Services and North Country Hospital are partnering together to provide Rapid Access to Alcohol treatment.

What does that mean?  It means, if you or a loved one is struggling with drinking, there is immediate help.

Since the beginning of Covid, wait lists for admittance to in-patient rehabs have grown to more than two weeks.  When you are a person who is stuck in addiction and cannot stop drinking, sometimes two weeks is too long.

Executive Director of Journey to Recovery Community Center, Lila Bennett says:  “The sooner we can access treatment for individuals seeking care and to change their lives, the greater chance of success. When there is a gap from when a person reaches out for help and help is available, the more vulnerable and hopeless a person becomes and the more imminent relapse or death becomes.”

The agencies working together on this initiative recognize the importance of closing the gap between asking for treatment and receiving treatment, and has provided funding to the community partners in the Northeast Kingdom to work together to provide rapid access to care.

What that means is, if you need treatment, you can go to any of the agencies listed above and you will be referred to the right level of care for you.  If you need in-patient rehab and there is a waiting list, there may be medication to help with cravings and anxiety while you wait.  The medications will go hand in hand with safety plans, counseling and peer support.

Journey to Recovery provides Peer Support coaching, as well as helping each individual access the resources they need, whether it is a housing voucher, medication through SaVida or BAART, clinical support through NKHS or other supports like Domestic Violence support through Umbrella or other services that Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA) can provide.  SaVida provides medication for alcohol cravings and detox, as well as medical supervision.  Northeast Kingdom Human Services provides counseling.  NKHS is partnering with JTRCC to ensure that if there is a wait-time to see a clinician, each client seeking care is partnered with a JTRCC Peer Support Coach to help them in the interim before and between their therapy appointments.

If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol or any substance use, you can walk in to JTRCC, SaVida, NorthCountry Hospital BAART and NKHS and ask for help and we will partner together to get you the care you need, when you need it.  For more information please call JTRCC at (802) 624-4156 or visit our website at www.jtr-cc.org