3 minute read
in treatment
People of color face unique challenges in treatment
The opioid epidemic is well-documented, but most attention seems to focus on white suburban and rural victims. Meanwhile, people of color have experienced dramatic increases in opioid misuse and overdose deaths, but they often encounter barriers to treatment and recovery.
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The problem
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the rate of increase of Black drug overdose deaths from 2015 to 2016 was 40 percent, compared to the overall population increase of 21 percent. From 2011 to 2016, Blacks had the highest increase in overdose death rate secondary for opioids, such as fentanyl and fentanyl analogs.
Drugs most commonly used by people of color are alcohol, cocaine (crack), opiates, marijuana and methamphetamine.
The barriers
Major challenges for people of color to enter treatment include:
• The stigma within their culture. Many consider substance misuse as a private matter that should be kept within the family.
• Lack of finances, employment, housing or health insurance.
• The fear of racially motivated policing practices.
Data show that people of color continue to be disproportionately arrested, convicted and incarcerated for drug-related charges. This bias causes people of color to protect themselves by hiding their substance abuse and not seeking treatment. JOHN W. BRAZZELL, M.D. Volunteer Medical Consultant at Lifeline Medical director at Kentucky Care, Paducah
How to help
• Encourage people of color, as well as people of all races, to seek help for addiction, seeing help as a sign of strength, not weakness.
• Increase awareness in the legal and judicial system, opting for less incarceration and more drug treatment.
• Expand multicultural staff in treatment centers, so people of color can benefit from having people who understand cultural differences as part of their treatment team.
• Offer spirituality and faith-based recovery programs as key sources of strength for more positive outcomes.
Beavers believes Lifeline support provides wide community impact
Teresa and Bob Beavers of Crittenden County believe their regular donations to Lifeline have a similar effect to a pebble tossed into a pond – the ripples just grow wider and wider. “Lifeline doesn’t just change a person,” Teresa said. “That person’s change affects their children, their whole family, even the community. It can truly break the chain of addiction. That’s why we believe there’s nothing better to spend your money on.” As community-wide as their support goes, it began with a very personal story – their son. “Our son had drug problems,” Teresa said. “He was in jail, and I happened to be looking at the newspaper and saw one of the first articles about Lifeline. As a strong Christian, I was very interested in the faith-based approach.” When Teresa told her son about the nearby option, he asked the court to refer him for rehab. “The judge sentenced him there for the rest of his sentence, so he stayed 13-14 months, which allowed him to mentor new men coming in. We found the duration and the aftercare to be wonderful for his recovery!” Addiction is so painful, Teresa said, for the whole family. “It put me on my knees in prayer,” she said. “It’s a very difficult road, but Jesus is there for us. That’s what’s so marvelous about Lifeline – they point them to God.” Reconnecting with God through the experience changed her son’s life. “It’s so good to see him completely turned around. Now he’s very active in his church, he’s a supervisor on his job, he’s doing very well and taking care of his family.” The Beavers have stayed faithful to their Lifeline giving plan because they believe in its work. “Lifeline gave so much to us,” she said, “that we just can’t be thankful enough.
