by Lucia Byttebier
June 10, 2017
Earlier this week having learned that 43 individuals in Cuyahoga County lost their lives to a fatal overdose since Memorial Day, the reality is daunting. Ohio is experiencing the highest per capita fatal overdose death rate in the nation. Eleven Ohioans every day die from a fatal overdose anticipating that more than 800 will die in 2017 as opposed to 666 in 2016.
It is our experience in treating addiction, that the result is that fatal overdoses encourage others to seek that higher high. I realize that it is difficult to understand, in light of all of the photos and videos of overdose occurrences. In reality these addicts cannot conceptualize their behaviors on their families. Addicts often overdose within seconds of injecting heroin. If they are revived from Narcan, they wake up in an ambulance or hospital and have absolutely no memories of the overdose.
The Women’s Recovery Center is a change maker. Our passion to save lives has led the Center’s Capital Campaign Committee and Board of Directors to raise funds to re-configure our facility to double our capacity to treat women and their families and reduce our waiting period from as much as four weeks to 48 hours thus introducing Treatment on Demand. The Center has developed creative methods to quickly engage women that are seeking treatment. We have also developed new program models of treatment that will be implemented including a new non-medical detoxification program. The Center’s approach to treatment includes an individualized and gender specific treatment curriculum that is integrated with physical health.
Here are ways that you can join the Center to help change the world for the better.
Share our social media posts and outlets with your friends and colleagues
Have dinner at the River Dog Café on July 20th with the restaurant donating 20% to the Women’s Recovery Center
Participate in the Great Obstacle Challenge at Euphoria on July 30th
Have dinner at Houlihan’s Patio Party on August 3rd with the restaurant donating 10% of the sales to the Center
Compete in the run,jane,run Women’s Golf Tournament at Coppertop in Valley City on August 4th
Advocate on pending legislation that will impact addiction treatment such as healthcare accessibility and affordability, the Federal and State budgets and continuation of Medicaid Expansion.
Thank you for your commitment to change the world.