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National Overdose Awareness Month Spotlight: North Colorado Health Alliance · Healthier Together: Larimer County's Public Health Podcast

0:02
Welcome to Healthier Together, Larimer County's
0:05
public health podcast, where we come together
0:06
for healthier lives, connected communities and
0:09
real conversations. From your local public health
0:11
team, I'm your host, Tom. And I'm Joanna. August
0:15
is National Overdose Awareness Month, a time
0:18
to remember those lost to overdose, provide space
0:20
for grief, connection and healing, and highlight
0:24
the work happening in our community to prevent
0:26
overdose and support recovery. Throughout the
0:29
month, we're featuring organizations across our
0:31
community that work to prevent overdose, support
0:34
recovery, reduce stigma, and connect people with
0:37
care. Today, we're joined by Hannah Groves, Director
0:40
of Community and Systems Engagement, Brandy Dertina,
0:44
a project supervisor and certified peer and family
0:47
specialist at the North Colorado Health Alliance.
0:50
Thank you both so much for joining us. Thank
0:52
you for having me. So Hannah is my boss. Hannah
0:56
was like, hey, Brandy, you know, and this was
0:59
this was something that I really respected. She
1:01
was like, I can answer all of these questions
1:03
in this interview, but I really don't feel comfortable
1:08
answering all of the questions around substance
1:10
use. Like, I would rather it come from someone
1:13
that has lived experience. I really respected
1:16
the fact that she asked me to step in. barely
1:21
found out about this yesterday morning. And then
1:24
I was like, oh my gosh, I don't know, am I going
1:25
to be on video? Like, oh, I didn't do my hair.
1:28
No, I'm just kidding. Can you just tell us a
1:31
little bit about yourself and the work that you
1:33
do at North Colorado Health Alliance? Sure. So
1:36
I started my career at North Colorado Health
1:39
Alliance about five and a half years ago. I entered
1:42
fresh out of addiction. And so I started off
1:45
as a peer. And since then, I've moved into peer
1:49
supervisor roles, so really kind of supervising
1:52
our peer specialists in Larimer, Weld, and the
1:54
eastern counties. And since then, I've moved
1:56
into a project supervisor role. So what I get
1:58
to do now is really offer professional development
2:01
and leadership opportunities to peers in the
2:04
workforce in northern Colorado. Can you tell
2:07
us a bit about North Colorado Health Alliance
2:09
and the work that you do? Yeah, so North Colorado
2:14
Health Alliance actually started in the early
2:17
2000s. So we're actually celebrating 25 years
2:21
next year. It was founded during a period of
2:23
significant change in health care and public
2:26
health systems. And so regional leaders really
2:28
came together around simple but powerful idea,
2:31
which is that by sharing resources, communities
2:34
can solve challenges more effectively. And so
2:36
we find that is still true today. And NCHA is
2:39
still very relevant. And we're actually leaning
2:41
into a lot of those collaborative mindsets and
2:44
needs from which we started. And then we really
2:48
have just sprung from that idea and added services
2:51
and added specific things to meet community needs,
2:54
especially now we're leaning into collaboration
2:57
and partnerships are really where things happen.
3:00
And what regions in northern Colorado do you
3:02
serve? So we serve Larimer, Weld, and then a
3:07
bunch of the northeast counties. I believe there
3:09
are 13 that we serve. And so we're really interested
3:13
in this whole little corner. from Larimer to
3:16
the east. We're really interested in supporting
3:19
rural communities as well because they do have
3:22
limited access. They have fewer resources. And
3:25
so we're really interested in extending our services
3:27
as far as we can into the northeastern communities
3:30
as well. What work does North Colorado Health
3:33
Alliance do around substance use? So we provide
3:38
quite a few services, both direct and indirect.
3:44
Most direct service is our addiction response
3:47
team. So these are folks who are peers, peer
3:51
recovery specialists, and who are care coordinators.
3:54
So their task is really to meet people where
3:56
they're at, wherever they are in their substance
3:59
use journey or their recovery journey, and just
4:02
walk with them along their journey. And so that
4:05
means that they can show up at emergency departments.
4:08
They can help guide people towards resources.
4:11
And the power of peers is that they've been there.
4:14
They are all in recovery themselves. And so it's
4:18
a really powerful way to honor people's consent
4:21
and where they are and choice in how they want
4:24
to maybe walk through recovery or maybe they're
4:26
not ready yet, but they just need someone to
4:29
talk to, someone to listen to them. So that's
4:31
a huge part of our work is this addiction response
4:34
team. We also have other supportive services
4:38
like our care management team. You know, it's
4:41
really important when people are needing any
4:43
sort of help with their health care, which includes
4:46
substance use disorders or looking for treatment
4:48
and recovery services, that they have access
4:50
to health insurance, that they have support with,
4:53
you know, some basic needs, housing, transportation.
4:57
We can't fix those things, but we have folks
5:00
who can really help people access things that
5:02
they may not be aware of or help make a phone
5:04
call that can get someone into, you know, onto
5:07
a wait list for housing, as an example. We also
5:10
have other direct services that might help people,
5:12
including our harm reduction work and our overdose
5:15
prevention work. So across the whole region that
5:19
NCHA serves, we have Narcan kiosks and harm reduction
5:24
vending machines at key locations. Can you describe
5:27
what Narcan is and what it does? Yes. Narcan
5:32
is actually, it's called several things. It can
5:35
be called Narcan, which is the brand name. Naloxone
5:38
is the actual kind of generic name, but it is
5:41
a nasal spray that is a life -saving medication
5:44
to reverse opioid overdose. So for the nerds
5:48
out there, you give someone a spray, a nasal
5:52
spray of naloxone, and it actually binds to the
5:55
receptors in your brain that the opioids are
5:58
bound to and causing the overdose, and it kicks
6:00
them off and binds instead. And so when people
6:04
come out of an overdose, they feel really, really
6:06
bad. And that's because of that kicking off and
6:09
the rapid decline in the brain chemicals that
6:12
happens as a result. It's available over the
6:15
counter and for free through NCHA and other folks
6:18
who are able to distribute it. Can you talk about
6:20
what harm reduction is? Yeah, so harm reduction
6:23
is really reducing the harm of something, right?
6:25
So in the substance use realm, we talk a lot
6:28
about harm reduction by using tools. So naloxone,
6:33
fentanyl testing strips, getting folks access
6:35
to the things that can make substance use a little
6:38
bit less risky. At any point, people can look
6:41
on our website. We have a map of where all the
6:44
vending machines and kiosks are, and they can
6:45
actually go and get Narcan and fentanyl test
6:48
strips. And in terms of indirect supports, we
6:51
are always interested in working with our partners
6:54
to co -locate services so that If someone is
6:58
dealing with substance use disorder or needs
7:00
help in that way, and they're maybe presenting
7:02
to the emergency room or maybe a co -responder
7:05
program is where they're first interacting with
7:07
some folks who can help them. And CHA is really
7:09
interested in building those partnerships so
7:11
that our team can kind of respond where they're
7:14
at instead of them having to come to us. So in
7:16
terms of our indirect supports, we're always
7:18
interested in partnering better, thinking through
7:21
where people really are needing help or services
7:24
and being there to meet them. wherever that is.
7:27
What drew you to work in public health and substance
7:30
use in particular? I'm a very values -driven
7:33
person. My values are community, connection,
7:37
and joy. And I strongly believe that I am deeply
7:41
connected to everyone in the community, even
7:43
people that I've never met yet. And so I think
7:46
that I was drawn to public health because it's
7:48
a way to be in community to build connection
7:53
and for me and others to experience joy. Because
7:56
if you're thriving, if you're able to get your
7:58
basic needs met, if you're able to get the health
8:01
care that you need, you're more likely to have
8:03
a really good life. And I feel like fundamentally
8:05
everyone deserves that. And so I would say that
8:08
generally that's why I was drawn to public health.
8:11
And then specifically, I've been in the community
8:14
-based mental health and substance use field
8:16
because that's where a lot of our need is. a
8:19
lot of people, like I said, are experiencing
8:21
it. And I just think that that's where a lot
8:25
of my time and effort have been spent because
8:27
that's where it's been needed. I'm actually a
8:29
person in recovery myself. And so I did a treatment
8:33
court program, which is probably where I really
8:36
became passionate about helping people along
8:39
their substance use journey and recovery journey.
8:41
I graduated the Weld County Treatment Court Program
8:44
in 2020. And so in that program, I really felt
8:47
supported by like a collaborative approach in
8:50
treatment court, the judge, the treatment team,
8:53
the DA, the public defender's office. They really
8:56
surround you and try to navigate the support
8:59
that's going to work for you for your recovery.
9:01
And so really finding that collaborative approach
9:04
for my care that I needed and then connecting
9:06
with people that were like -minded. So people
9:08
that were going through the same struggles that
9:11
I was going through. So that really made me passionate
9:14
about wanting to become a professional in the
9:16
world of recovery. I wanted to be loud and proud
9:19
about, you know, that if I can do it, then anybody
9:22
can really do it. So a friend of mine told me,
9:26
hey, North Colorado Health Alliance is actually
9:28
hiring folks like us. And back then we weren't
9:31
even called peers. We were actually hired as
9:32
community champions. But this was like kind of
9:35
fresh in the peer workforce time. That's how
9:39
I learned about North Colorado Health Alliance.
9:41
Your title, the Certified Peer and Family Specialist,
9:45
can you tell us a little bit about what that
9:47
is, that certification? Yeah, so that is the
9:50
credential that Colorado uses for peer support.
9:54
When somebody is interested in stepping in this
9:57
role as a professional, they can do some core
10:00
training to learn how to really support folks
10:03
that are struggling with substance use by using
10:05
their lived experience. And along the way, they
10:08
have to get supervision hours and work hours
10:10
in order to obtain their credential. So Brandy,
10:13
can you describe for us what exactly is substance
10:15
use disorder? Yeah, so for me, substance use,
10:18
like from a lived experience point of view, substance
10:20
use kind of feels more like a label that's put
10:24
on someone for something that people think they're
10:26
going through, right? Substance use usually is
10:29
an invisible, like a visible way to describe
10:32
something that someone's dealing with invisibly.
10:36
So when folks struggle with substance use, recovery
10:38
usually feels like it's impossible to obtain.
10:41
There is no one definition. I'll say that it
10:44
is a diagnosis or it can be a diagnosis. Sometimes
10:48
people self -identify. Substance use disorder
10:51
is essentially any time that a substance is taking
10:55
over someone's life and creating negative impact.
10:57
And do I feel like I need help in this area?
11:00
Substances can also be anything from alcohol.
11:03
It can be prescription drugs. It can be illegal
11:07
drugs. It can be basically the gamut. And so
11:10
a lot of people can either identify with an actual
11:13
diagnosis and need that or want that in order
11:16
to access treatment and other supportive services.
11:19
And some people will never want to identify with
11:22
their diagnosis or with having a substance use
11:24
disorder. That's where a lot of the times peer
11:27
support can come in handy. We can step in. Folks
11:30
with lived experience can step in and connect
11:32
with someone. and really try to help them, you
11:35
know, show them from a viewpoint of I've been
11:38
there, done that, and really kind of navigate
11:40
the things that could help someone be successful.
11:43
What does that peer support kind of look like?
11:46
So the North Colorado Health Alliance, what we
11:47
really try to do is connect with folks where
11:50
they're already receiving services. So a lot
11:53
of our folks are embedded in places like clinics,
11:57
hospitals, day shelters, things like that. where
12:00
folks are actually going to get support that
12:03
they need already. And so we really like to be
12:05
there and connect with them then. What a peer
12:08
usually does is kind of just connect with a person,
12:11
develop relationship, and really find out what
12:13
a person wants to work on. So a lot of people
12:17
assume that recovery can look one way. And a
12:20
lot of the times it looks a lot of different
12:22
ways. So what works for me might not work for
12:25
you, Joanna, in a recovery mindset. What are
12:30
the eligibility requirements then for peer support?
12:33
So actually for us at the North Colorado Health
12:35
Alliance, there really isn't any real eligibility
12:38
marker for folks. If they just want to work with
12:41
us, that's really the only eligibility requirement
12:44
that we have. So can you share with us some of
12:47
the risk and resiliency factors that influence
12:50
substance use and overdose? Well, a lot of the
12:53
times it's things that probably people already
12:55
assume could cause someone to struggle in life.
12:59
So like trauma, stress, loss of a loved one,
13:03
a lot of the times it can also be like being
13:06
misdiagnosed with certain mental health conditions.
13:09
And so really anything can drive someone to use
13:13
substances or to go back out and use substances
13:16
again. Yeah, this is really person dependent
13:19
as well. Like, for example, two people from the
13:23
same family, they might have the same risk and
13:25
protective factors. And one person might develop
13:28
a substance use disorder and one person might
13:29
never touch any substances. It just kind of depends.
13:32
But some of the risk factors that we see is it
13:35
can be genetics. A lot is with your environment.
13:38
Were you exposed to substances? Did you watch
13:40
your parents drink alcohol from an early age?
13:43
Did you have access to it? So there's genetics,
13:46
environment. There's also... social determinants
13:49
of health factors where you grow up, what you're
13:52
exposed to even outside of the home can really
13:55
have an impact. And then we also see, you know,
13:58
trauma or other mental health issues can be risk
14:02
factors as well. A lot of substance use is maybe
14:05
self -medication or trying to make things or
14:07
thoughts go away. And then resilience factors
14:10
is kind of a lot of the opposite. A lot of times
14:13
people in this field will say connection is the
14:15
cure if you have supportive relationships. If
14:18
you had, you know, different models growing up,
14:21
like you didn't see a lot of substance use, you
14:23
may be less likely to develop a substance use
14:25
disorder over time. What does the current landscape
14:28
of substance use then look like in Larimer and
14:30
Weld County? Larimer County in particular has
14:33
shown how much they value mental health generally
14:36
in how they've voted. They did vote a couple
14:40
years ago to pass a bill that then actually funded
14:43
a lot of mental health supports, including Longview.
14:47
It's interesting because there is a difference
14:50
between where the focus is and where there's
14:53
funding and where there's still issues in our
14:57
community in particular. So what I mean by that
15:00
is there has been a lot of effort, energy and
15:03
funding around opioid use disorder specifically.
15:06
And so there's been a lot of good that has come
15:09
from that. So I feel like in terms of the landscape.
15:13
We're able to raise awareness around opioids.
15:15
We're able to provide Narcan and some other really
15:18
supportive things to saturate the community as
15:20
much as we can with these lifesaving interventions
15:23
and medications, as well as some other supportive
15:25
services. That being said, you know, there's
15:28
still other substances that are quite common
15:30
in our community, in particular alcohol. Alcohol
15:32
is still almost the number one used substance.
15:35
It's also more socially acceptable, especially
15:38
Larimer County, Fort Collins very much has a
15:40
brewery and bikes culture. Socially and culturally,
15:43
people don't see drinking beer as a problem,
15:46
but that can actually really still develop into
15:48
a substance use disorder, once again, depending
15:50
on how the person is using it, how they feel
15:53
about their use, and also how it's impacting
15:55
their lives, their health and safety, and others.
15:58
We still do see different types of substances
16:00
used throughout Larimer County, and there are
16:03
resources for all of them, but I would say we
16:05
still have a lot of work to do when it comes
16:07
to alcohol use in particular in this community.
16:11
How has your approach to substance use and treatment
16:13
evolved over time since NCHA was founded? I have
16:17
a very small picture of the 25 years of our history.
16:21
But the truth of it is, is that substance use
16:23
continues to be an issue. It might change. There
16:26
might be different ways that we're funded. There
16:28
might be different initiatives that receive more
16:31
attention over time because of singular events,
16:33
because of trends over time. But until the conditions
16:37
of our nation are ones that people can thrive.
16:40
We are going to continue to face substance use
16:43
challenges and people are going to continue to
16:45
use drugs. And so how do we make sure that people
16:48
have the resources, the education, and the services
16:52
that they need to be kept alive, to be kept safe?
16:55
And maybe when they are ready for recovery and
16:58
treatment, that we're there for them. Because
17:00
it can take people quite a while or never to
17:03
be ready for those services. And we want to honor
17:06
people's consent and choice around that. Like
17:09
I said, I haven't been around for the whole 25
17:11
years of NCHA's history, but I've been in public
17:13
health for a decade or so. And I think we will
17:16
continue to see an immense need for support and
17:20
care and just loving our friends and neighbors
17:23
and family members who are using substances,
17:27
who may have a substance use disorder or might
17:29
just need some help and someone to talk to to
17:32
decide for themselves if or when they're ready.
17:35
Anyone in our community. can develop a substance
17:38
use disorder. There's still a lot of feelings.
17:40
There's still a lot of misinformation. So I would
17:43
say this is where we would love to partner. If
17:46
people have questions, if people want to understand
17:49
more about why we provide the services we do,
17:52
we'd love to chat and we'd love to partner. We'd
17:54
love to educate and raise awareness around how
17:57
powerful it can be to, once again, keep people
17:59
alive so that they can seek treatment and recovery.
18:03
Because what I do know is they say about one
18:05
in 10 people, have a substance use disorder,
18:08
which means it is very, very common. So there's
18:11
a lot of myths and stereotypes around who that
18:15
1 in 10 is. The truth is, it is our neighbors.
18:18
It is our family members. It might be us, ourselves.
18:21
And it crosses across any sort of identity. And
18:25
I continue to see the Larimer County community
18:28
show up for mental health and substance use care
18:31
in a way that's amazing. And I think can be a
18:35
model for other communities. I think once again,
18:37
you know, there are other communities do have
18:39
different values and Larimer County values mental
18:43
health. I think just the way that we support
18:46
people is really what's changed. I took some
18:50
notes before coming in here and just really tried
18:52
to look at the things that Larimer County has
18:54
done. And I think, you know, one of the most
18:57
pivotal moments was really introducing like a
19:00
collaborative approach to. to helping folks that
19:03
struggle, and also introducing lived experience,
19:07
right? So bringing in folks with lived experience
19:09
to really kind of help alongside data, like decide
19:12
what could be best for folks. And also really
19:16
introducing harm reduction. In Northern Colorado,
19:18
I think we do a really good job. There are so
19:20
many different options out there for people who
19:24
want that support. It just really depends, again,
19:27
on that person -centered approach. So really
19:29
finding out what's going to work for someone.
19:31
whether it's inpatient treatment, outpatient
19:34
treatment. And even if the person doesn't know,
19:38
just getting them in front of like a peer to
19:40
connect and start having that conversation really
19:43
can open up pathways to what kind of services
19:46
are out there. Have you seen any trends in overdose
19:48
deaths or substance use in the last few years
19:52
that have surprised you? Surprised? No. Obviously,
19:55
even at a national level, overdose trends are
19:58
starting to go down. But what I want people to
20:01
remember is that the crisis is like far from
20:03
over. I think a lot of the reasons why overdose
20:06
trends are going down is that folks are getting
20:09
access to the support that they need and the
20:11
tools like harm reduction tools that can help
20:14
them be successful. But the single most thing
20:17
that I think is the most beneficial and crucial,
20:19
and I'll probably keep going back to it just
20:21
because of who I am, is introducing folks with
20:24
lived experience into the behavioral health workforce.
20:27
If we're comparing substance use journeys to
20:30
going to the gym, right? If I want to lose weight
20:34
or I want to build muscle and I go to the gym,
20:37
I'm probably going to need to work with like
20:39
a personal trainer, someone that can help instruct
20:42
me on the things that I need to target and the
20:44
areas that would work for my goals, right? And
20:47
so it's no different when it comes to navigating
20:50
someone's recovery journey. How do all of those
20:52
organizations come together to wrap around? an
20:56
individual's journey through recovery? My experience
20:59
has been really working alongside problem -solving
21:02
courts. I think they do a really great job of
21:05
trying to stay in their lane and also be present
21:08
to try to work through whatever type of sentencing
21:13
that somebody has for their crime. Now, that's
21:18
just in the more criminal justice side of things.
21:22
But I think that You know, NCHA's bread and butter
21:26
is really doing a collaborative approach, right?
21:30
So when someone comes and wants services at NCHA,
21:34
we do a whole assessment with them and then try
21:36
to do the outreach to the places that will align
21:39
with the services that they need. So for instance,
21:42
if we're not talking about substance use, somebody
21:44
comes in to visit with a care manager. Care manager
21:48
will do that assessment with them and say, for
21:51
instance, this person doesn't have a primary
21:53
care provider. and they haven't been to the dentist
21:55
for a long time, and they think they might need
21:58
glasses but haven't had, you know, a visit with
22:01
a vision provider, we'll go through and make
22:04
all those necessary referrals for folks and get
22:08
them connected to the places that will take their
22:10
type of insurance and all of those things. So
22:12
I think that we as an organization do a really
22:16
good job of that. And I think other organizations,
22:19
especially in Larimer and Weld, have learned
22:21
that this comprehensive collaborative approach
22:24
is really what works best for folks. We're all
22:26
connected, right? A lot of times people need
22:28
things that can't be met by health care systems.
22:30
And so we're always interested in partnering
22:32
with anyone interested in supporting people where
22:35
they're at and supporting people with substance
22:37
use needs. We have our board, which is a lot
22:41
of health care, social service and public health
22:43
organizations. We are cross sector in that way.
22:47
You can find a list of our board members on our
22:49
website, but that includes the local health care
22:51
hospitals, that includes local public health
22:54
departments, human service agencies, nonprofits
22:56
that feel like they have a stake in the health
22:59
care space or want to support or are supporting.
23:02
And then specifically, some areas that we love
23:05
to partner with is like embedding peers into
23:07
local emergency rooms. We have peers that are
23:11
also embedded in Firehouse, for example, because
23:14
they do a lot of community response. So we have
23:16
some different embedded locations we're interested
23:19
in partnering with, you know, directly where
23:23
people might need support. So, for example, Colorado
23:26
Health Network is a big partner that we work
23:28
with. If people walk in the door and they need
23:31
help with substance use care or getting connected,
23:34
that's where NCHA wants to be. How does stigma
23:37
impact this work? It shows up Unfortunately,
23:41
everywhere, how I kind of think about it is in
23:44
different segments and layers, because a big
23:47
piece of it is institutional stigma. And that's
23:51
the way that prejudice or bias against people
23:54
who use substances are baked into our policies
23:56
and the way we do things in health care, in public
23:59
health, in government services. It's very silent
24:03
and insidious, but it has a huge impact. That
24:06
also is, I think, related to provider stigma.
24:10
In the data, in the stories we hear, a lot of
24:13
stigma is from the actual providers themselves
24:16
caring for people who have a substance use disorder.
24:19
And then we also see, you know, different types
24:22
of stigma, like how drug use or substance use
24:25
is portrayed in movies, in TV shows, in all sorts
24:28
of things. It's either kind of shown as like
24:32
this fun party, everything goes well and we all
24:35
have fun. There's also a lot of societal narratives
24:37
around people who use drugs. that are very telling
24:40
in terms of how our society views substance use
24:43
and substance use disorder. And so I would say
24:46
all these layers contribute. And then the one
24:49
that I think also we need to talk about is the
24:52
internalized stigma, the shame that people feel
24:55
because of these institutional and cultural messages
24:58
can really show up in terms of people not wanting
25:01
to seek treatment, even if they want it. It really
25:04
can delay care. It can make people hesitant to
25:08
seek services, especially if you do go ask for
25:10
help and then your provider might be talking
25:12
to you in a way that makes you feel like, you
25:14
know, really bad about yourself and discourages
25:17
you from continuing to seek treatment. It takes
25:20
a lot to advocate for yourself in a healthcare
25:22
setting regardless. And when dealing with something
25:26
that society tells you is bad and that means
25:28
you're a bad person, it can be even harder to
25:31
continue to show up for yourself. Are there steps
25:34
that you would recommend to an individual, you
25:36
know, to help kind of reduce this stigma and
25:38
better support those impacted by substance use?
25:40
Certainly educate yourself. I think there's a
25:43
lot of community messages out there around this
25:47
topic, particularly Changing Minds Larimer. That's
25:50
actually a local campaign to reduce stigma. They
25:53
have a website, they have social media, and they
25:56
also talk about the brain science behind substance
25:58
use disorder. Because for some people, It is
26:02
important to understand the clinical chemical
26:04
things that are happening in a body because that's
26:07
where this myth around it being a choice can
26:10
really be dispelled. A lot of times substance
26:13
use is not a choice because your brain has been
26:16
trained to crave that substance and then it becomes
26:19
the thing that your brain actually needs to survive.
26:21
So it actually shifts what people are looking
26:24
for in order to get through their day. I also
26:27
think it's really important at a systemic level
26:29
to challenge those systemic pieces of stigma.
26:32
What kinds of questions are we asking patients
26:34
when they walk in the door or clients? How are
26:37
we asking them? Have we ensured that our providers
26:40
have been educating themselves and understand
26:42
some of the challenges that people with substance
26:45
use disorder face or some of the things that
26:48
might have happened to them in order to then
26:50
understand why they would medicate or go down
26:54
basically that path? So I think there's many
26:57
things that people can do, but education, awareness,
27:00
and empathy can go a long way in terms of dispelling
27:03
stigma. Yeah, so I really think that the most
27:07
powerful thing to reduce stigma is storytelling.
27:10
So having folks come in and it can be a very
27:14
powerful tool. A lot of the times, people who
27:18
don't understand substance use, they think that
27:20
it can't happen to them or to the people that
27:23
they love. And so really kind of sharing stories
27:26
and really normalizing that substances are always
27:29
going to be there. Like we can't really ever
27:32
end overdose, even though that's the goal, right?
27:35
Substances are always going to be there. So the
27:36
more that we can normalize it and just share
27:39
that experience, strength and hope with people,
27:41
I think that we can change minds at a community
27:43
level. Is North Colorado Health Alliance doing
27:46
anything in recognition of Overdose Awareness
27:49
Month? Overdose Awareness Day is actually August
27:52
31st. But we are celebrating Overdose Awareness
27:55
Day and remembering Overdose Awareness Day on
27:58
Saturday, August 15th at Library Park in Fort
28:01
Collins. That will take place from 12 p .m. to
28:04
2 p .m. And then the next day, you can join us
28:07
again in Loveland and Greeley. So on Sunday,
28:10
August 16th, we will be at Duane Webster Park
28:13
in Loveland from 11 a .m. to 1 p .m. And then
28:17
we're jetting over to Greeley at Lincoln Park
28:20
from 3 p .m. to 5 p .m. I am nervous about that
28:23
transition, but we always make it work. It's
28:26
going to happen. It's going to be great. And
28:28
then we will actually be in the Estes Park community
28:30
on Wednesday, September 2nd at Bond Park from
28:34
4 to 7 p .m. So Larimer County folks, your local
28:38
community overdose awareness days are in Fort
28:41
Collins on the 15th and then Estes Park on September
28:45
2nd. And we'd love to have you join us. We're
28:47
going to have some remembrance activities. We'll
28:50
have storytelling. And then we will have a lot
28:52
of like healing services, including some massages,
28:56
some yoga and other things. And then we'll also
28:59
have a bunch of resource booths. We'll also train
29:02
people how to use naloxone. If someone is struggling
29:05
with substance use or knows someone who is, what
29:08
resources are available to them for support?
29:11
At a national level, folks can always call or
29:13
text 988. It's pretty much the 911 for mental
29:17
health. services, but then we would also love
29:20
to invite community members who are struggling
29:22
with substance use to get a hold of NCHA. We
29:26
actually have a treatment support and referral
29:28
hotline available 24 -7 every day, and you can
29:33
call 844 -944 -7529. If you go to our website,
29:39
you can also submit an electronic request for
29:41
support through our portal. So folks would click
29:44
on that link and be able to request some help
29:46
that way. And then you can also walk into our
29:49
NCHA locations in Larimer County. Our location
29:53
is at 302 3rd Street in Loveland, Colorado. And
29:57
then we also have locations in Evans, Colorado
29:59
and Sterling and both are listed on our website.
30:02
What words of encouragement would you give or
30:04
what kind of advice? Don't give up. Like I myself,
30:10
like I said, I'm a person in recovery and I probably
30:14
didn't realize the the stress and things like
30:20
that that I put on my family until after I've
30:22
been in recovery. And now I have had some loved
30:24
ones that have struggled. And even as a professional,
30:28
I don't have all the answers, right? And I really
30:31
just want to stay the loved one. I really just
30:33
want to stay, you know, a family to this person
30:36
and not have to, you know, go into peer support
30:38
mode or navigating resources. Of course, I know
30:42
there's resources out there for them, but just
30:44
don't give up and There are, you know, resources
30:48
out there for the loved ones to help them take
30:51
care of themselves while they try to encourage
30:54
their loved one into, you know, a different journey.
30:56
If listeners would like to learn more, get involved,
31:00
or support NCHA's work, where can they go? We
31:03
have a website, www .northcoloradohealthalliance
31:08
.org. And I would also encourage folks to follow
31:11
us on our socials. We are revamping our social
31:15
media presence. And so I think this is a really
31:17
good opportunity to get more engaged and to follow
31:20
us, including we have lots of events throughout
31:22
our entire region. Awesome. Thank you so much
31:25
for joining us today. Thank you so much. I really
31:27
enjoyed hanging out with y 'all and talking about
31:29
something I'm passionate about. Thank you. I
31:31
really appreciate the time and I hope I see you
31:34
and other folks at our overdose awareness events.
31:37
You can find links to learn more about the topics
31:39
we discussed today in the show notes. If you
31:42
have a question about public health in Larimer
31:44
County or a topic you'd like us to discuss, let
31:47
us know. Email us at healthiertogether at larimer
31:51
.org. Thanks for listening, Larimer County. Until
31:54
next week, stay well, stay connected, and remember,
31:57
we really are healthier together.