Solving The Opioid Crisis Requires Listening To Those In Recovery

Recovery Point West Virginia In the four minutes it will take you to read this article, one American lost his or her life due to an overdose or alcohol-related consequence. “If you live in West Virginia like I do, you know this was a national emergency long before the actual declaration was made.” I am the executive director of a non-profit in Huntington, West Virginia that provides recovery services through residential settings, drop-in services and outreach support to over 700 individuals annually. Policy decisions revolving around substance use disorders need to involve the recovery community, the very people who have “been there and done that.” When you have a problem such as this, the team that can make forward progress is literally in every city and town right now, just waiting to help others as they have been helped. “My personal experiences bear fruit of how recovery support is effective, yet it still lacks the coordination, funding and credibility that’s required to provide improved outcomes.” The history of substance use disorders and the subsequent recovery in America is proof of this. My personal experiences, and many others, bear fruit of how recovery support is effective, yet it still lacks the coordination, funding and credibility that’s required to provide improved outcomes.