Helping Families Combat the Effects of Substance Use Disorder
The Community Health Investment Program (CHIP) and Platte Valley Medical Center recently awarded North Range Behavioral Health a grant to help families, particularly in the Platte Valley region, who are suffering from substance use disorder. Together, North Range Behavioral Health, the Weld County Department of Human Services, and the Platte Valley Medical Center will fund an embedded North Range mental health counselor within the Weld County Department of Human Services.
Substance use disorder is a chronic relapsing brain disease, and its rapids are fast and deep. People can jump in over their heads, get caught in the current, or get swept away by forces stronger than themselves. Some of us dive in and never make it back to the surface. Others fight the current for many years. Most of us need help to make our way to shore and keep from falling in again. It takes a lot of practice to become a strong swimmer.
Just as with trying to escape from currents or rapids within a river, it may take more than human willpower to find a way out of addiction. What’s more, many people who are struggling with substance use disorder may have experienced some form of trauma in their lives.
The effects of substance use disorder can ravage a family system, as parental substance misuse can result in concerns of child neglect and abuse. When this happens, children may be removed from the home to secure their safety. A parent’s involvement in treatment may be a condition of regaining custody of their child(ren).
When parents are referred for treatment, they may not yet be able to recognize harmful patterns of behavior around substance use and the impact it has on their children. Denial can be a huge barrier to recovery, as it stops parents from engaging in treatment.
Embedding a North Range mental health clinician within the Department of Human Services creates a bridge that provides intensive support to those who are needing higher levels of services. Mental health care can be initiated upon opening a case. Contact between mental health clinicians and parents can be ongoing and intensive, helping more families suffering the effects of substance use disorder heal and reunite.
North Range's Approach to Treatment
The journey to recovery can take different forms. North Range's approach to treatment helps promote self-efficacy, build coping skills, and address risk factors that might have increased the likelihood of substance use. In cases where trauma is a factor, we can address a parent’s underlying trauma and get to the root of their challenges.
"Platte Valley Medical Center is committed to improving the health of our community,” says Jaime Campbell, President of Platte Valley Medical Center. “We're honored to present this grant to North Range Behavioral Health that will be used to embed mental health clinicians in both North Range and the Weld County Department of Human Services. We applaud the great work North Range does to assist parents undergoing substance abuse issues, and the children that are affected. North Range is a true partner of Platte Valley Medical Center in this work, and we are honored to support their efforts."
Since 1998, CHIP has donated more than $4 million to local community organizations that promote health and well-being. Thank you CHIP and Platte Valley Medical Center, for collaborating with North Range Behavioral Health and the Department of Human Services to support lasting outcomes of recovery and overall wellness for Platte Valley families.
For more information on substance use disorder supports available at North Range:
NorthRange.org/network-of-services/substance-use-addiction-treatment/
To learn more about this position and other career opportunities at North Range:
