Solving & Preventing Substance Abuse with Teen Challenge Southeast Region
- by Prisca Walters
- Sep 21, 2018
- 3 min read
Prisca Walters, director of development of Teen Challenge Southeast Region, reflects on their On the Table experience.
Last year, Teen Challenge Southeast Region brought together 45 representatives from the Chattahoochee Valley to spend time engaging in meaningful discussions about one of our community’s fastest growing concerns, substance abuse and addiction.
Over the course of two hours, local volunteers, community advocates, behavioral and health professionals, civic leaders, addiction and prevention specialists, adult and juvenile court representatives, clergy, and a number of not-for-profit organizations sat down with two focused and equally important goals: fellowship and discussion.
But we only had one true mission – to use this unique opportunity, gifted to us by On the Table, to begin an ongoing conversation to help identify problems in our community related to drug and alcohol abuse; but more importantly, to decide what we, as a united community of humanitarians, would do to remedy these issues.
Our On the Table event began with fun, food, and fellowship. We took turns introducing ourselves to new friends, snapped selfies to post on Facebook, and sat down to enjoy a delicious meal…together. Laughter filled the room as we learned just how much in common we had with the person sitting across the table.
We wrapped up lunch and dove right into the next item on the agenda: the discussion, the voices that matter.
Each table had about 45 minutes to discuss the topics assigned to their group. At the end of the 45 minutes, one member from each group shared their table’s discoveries with the room. At times, you could hear a pin drop. The information being shared was so enlightening, heartfelt, and important to the purpose of the day.
Once the final table shared, it was apparent that the conversations that had been started had to continue in order for us all to keep consistently chipping away at the substance abuse and addiction issues our residents, young and old, are directly or indirectly a part of.
We wrapped up the event with a round of applause and an individual commitment to remain persistent in implementing the solutions identified, and we exchanged contact information so we could all remain tightly connected to and be frequently reminded of the seriousness of the cause.
On October 23, 2018, we will reconvene to celebrate partnerships and continue conversations that have taken place throughout the year. During this year’s On the Table, we will discuss solutions we came up with last year, if and how they were implemented, and if these solutions have been successful.
This year’s discussion will focus on various topics related to substance abuse, addiction, and recovery. We will include, again, the National Opioid Crisis, declared a Public Health Emergency in October 2017.
Last year’s On the Table event was such a powerful and instrumental view into our community’s fight against substance abuse and addiction; we’d like to see the number of attendees doubled this year. For this reason, we will be hosting both a lunchtime and an evening-hour On the Table event to accommodate work schedules.
We’d love to add as many voices as possible to this vital discussion.
In groups of six, we leaned into discussions pertaining to five main topics. The following sub-topics emerged as a result of the discussions held.
The Opioid Epidemic
the increase of use and high rate of addiction in our community
the accessibility of prescription medication to school-aged children
the high rate of overdose and increased rate of opioid-related deaths
the local, financial impact of the opioid epidemic
Employee and Family Training
equipping employees with knowledge about alcohol and drug abuse
giving family members the tools and resources needed understand their loved one’s addiction
teaching employees and family members how to recognize signs of substance abuse
teaching family members about codependency and enabling
Treatment and Recovery
identifying and removing obstacles to treatment and recovery
treating individuals with dual-diagnoses; addiction and mental health issues
transitioning individuals from incarceration to treatment programs
helping family members and others overcome the fear and stigma associated with recovery
Aftercare/Follow-up for Individuals in Recovery
programs available to adults and teens
connecting individual to community organizations post-recovery
providing a holistic support after recovery
assisting individuals with connecting to relevant support resources post-recovery
Prevention
education about substance abuse, prescription pill use, and addiction for the community
programs specifically designed to offer tools to maintain sobriety and avoid relapse
varying the prevention models offered post-recovery to address specific and varying needs individuals have post-recovery
delivering a prevention program to as many adults and students as possible
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