Sam Quinones’s powerful statement that “community is stronger than any drug” had us spellbound in a talk he gave at the Kentucky Judicial Mental Health Summit. He knows, having researched the fentanyl and meth epidemic for his latest book, ‘The Least of Us, True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth’.***
Speaking from his critically acclaimed book, Sam Quinones presented to Judges and criminal justice system providers who struggle to find solutions for people with harrowing drug induced psychosis who are filling our jails and courtrooms. People who used to be fine, quickly become mentally ill after using these drugs, if they don’t OD and die first. It is a devasting epidemic that I watch firsthand.
What’s important is his recognition that a strong community of support is one of the few ways out of the grip of these highly addictive drugs. That’s what we strive to provide in the Fayette Mental Health Court where I have the honor of serving as Clinical Director.
After residential substance use treatment as a first step, here’s how we use community support to help solve this problem:
PEER SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL
Certified Peer Support specialists are the ‘secret sauce’ to successfully help people reclaim their lives. They have lived it themselves and know how to navigate away from the allure of the drug world. They are the role models of recovery.
FIND MEANINGFUL WORK OR ACTIVITY
Giving people a second chance is a real concept. Employers who accept people with a criminal record and provide a new culture of support and encouragement help people relaunch their lives. They are out there.
CREATE A NEW HEALTHY COMMUNITY
Moving away from the old ‘people, places and things’ that make up the drug world means starting over. We encourage family and friends to be involved in the change process, so everyone learns and grows together. We provide an alumni group so they can maintain new friendships that support recovery. It works. Our sobriety rate a year later is 55%, compared to the national rate of 10%.
I encourage you to be part of a community of support. Be a friend to someone in recovery and encourage their growth.
***Sam Quinones, ‘The Least of Us, True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth’.
