Haywood County Courthouse.
North Carolina Teams Joined Community Walk for Addiction Awareness
by Nicole Ross, Program Director for Asheville and Clyde Treatment Centers
On May 16, our North Carolina teams proudly joined about 200 other community members in downtown Waynesville for a walk event hosted by the SHARE Project, a nonprofit whose mission is to be a source of awareness and support for families and loved ones affected by the drug crisis. In the last 15 months, there have been at least 95 overdose calls in Haywood County (population 62,317 as of 2019) and there are eight ongoing overdose death investigations.
The event also called attention to services offered by local treatment facilities and featured several speeches from those touched by addiction. We had the opportunity to speak about personal recovery stories and how to help combat common MAT myths in the community.
The walk traveled through downtown Waynesville and ended at the Historic Courthouse where there were 18 organizations that provided information on various programs for those struggling with addiction, as well as their families.
We were excited to have that visibility with our community because the more they see us as real people who want to connect with folks who want treatment, the more we can combat the often-held stigmas about MAT and treatment options, especially in our rural communities. We want them to know we are here and not just available to help, but happy to welcome them in our centers and will provide them with judgement-free, evidenced-based care.
Having faces to go with the names of the people they contact removes more barriers to treatment, which is our goal in our communities. We just want to take good care of people and making these connections in our communities is where that happens.
Craig Hauptman, Asheville counselor /Elizabeth “Ann” Wynn, Asheville Office Administrator /Madeline Steward, Asheville Counselor /
Theresa Spivey, Clyde Nursing Supervisor
Vaccine Campaign Winners
Check out our May Vaccination Campaign winners who are doing well by doing good across the country. Each of these awesome colleagues received $100 e-gift cards. Thank you for taking care of “us” so that we can take care of our communities.
Deborah Crews, Office Manager – BHG Columbia, MO
JoAnn Davis, Medication Nurse – BHG New Orleans Downtown
Avis Edwards, Counselor – BHG Newport News
How to participate in the campaign
In support of BHG’s infectious disease vaccination policy, we are encouraging team members to vaccinate. If for any reason you pay out of pocket and it’s not reimbursable through insurance coverage for an infectious disease vaccination, you may submit the expense through our expense reimbursement system, Certify. In addition, if you receive a vaccination against an infectious disease, your name will go into a monthly drawing for a $100 gift card (3 cards each month will be awarded). All you need to do is send an email with an image of the vaccine documents to [email protected].
You can find both the vaccination policy and a COVID-19 Vaccination FAQ on our HR SharePoint. Our HR SharePoint site and documents answer questions, and provide updated information coming from authorities. If you don’t find what you need, please reach out to [email protected].
Note: Above winners voluntarily granted permission for their names to be used in this announcement.
Happy Moving Day in Hazard!
by Erin Rooks, EdS, LPCC-S, LCADCA, LPCMHSP, Regional Director-Kentucky
To my colleagues, thank you all for your hard work in the move to our new building in Hazard. I know it was rushed and that I asked a lot of you all, but I think it was well worth it. The new building is fantastic and I can’t wait for patients to see it. I know that they will feel appreciated with the new space and I already know that our Hazard team is happy. Thank you all for your help and putting up with all of my emails and calls. Now, let’s move on to Corbin!