The Wellness Connection May 2023

WELLNESS CONNECTION

WELLNESS CONNECTION N

NEW 988 DIALING CODE

R E C O V E R Y

Operated by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988 Suicide

In 2020 Congress designated the new 988 dialing code to be operated through the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) sees 988 as a major step toward a transformed crisis care system in America. In 2022 988 received 2.4 million calls across the nation.

crisis intervention.

988 provides 40 hours of professional training and employs their staff. There are no volunteers and all calls are routed through local call centers not remotely. Calls are answered in 30 seconds or less and include designated lines for veterans and the LBGQT community.

Welcome to the premier issue of Wellness Connection, a collaboration of Rainbow’s End Recovery Center and the Crisis Hotline. Our goal is to provide timely information on mental health issues, such as addiction, depression, grief, and trauma. We hope to shed light on and encourage discussion of mental illness, addiction, and recovery. We will present stories of hope and encouragement as well as essays on related topics. This is just a start. We welcome your feedback and will be seeking submissions from our readers: wellness23@gmail.com

NAmerica is experiencing a mental health crisis. With the advent of 988, a federally funded Suicide and Crisis Hotline, this crisis can be reversed.

• The suicide rate has climbed 30% since 2000 and over the last decade has dramatically increased in 49 of 50 states.

R• 1 in 4 people above the age of 12 has a mental health condition in the United States.

ainbow’s End Recovery set out to be different than the traditional substance use disorder treatment facility my friends and family had attended. A substance abuse counselor and an energy healer raved about the potential of the property in Challis on the Salmon River as the perfect place for people to heal. So it began.

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the US.

Idaho’s call center is located in Boise, Idaho. We are looking into adding a call center in Hailey, Idaho. The call rate in Boise has increased 75% since 2000 when 988 was implemented.

staffed by good-hearted souls with little or no experience so there were some bumps and crashes along the way.

• More Americans have died from a mental health crisis in 2021 alone than have died in combat in every war combined since WWII.

• Suicide is the most preventable cause of death. For every person who dies of suicide annually, there are 316 people who seriously consider suicide`but do not kill themselves.

The easy part was converting the bed-andbreakfast facility into client rooms. The hard part was the bureaucratic hoops. The hardest part was finding employees. When we opened our doors, we were

For too long our system for mental health crisis has been underfunded and undervalued. The 988 suicide and mental health crisis has met these challenges with evidence-based

988 provides an easier way to remember for people who are struggling or in crisis to reach out for immediate help 24 hours a day. This is also an opportunity to strengthen and expand The Lifeline Network and to build a robust network to community based providers who can deliver a full range of crisis care services.

The clinical director and one full-time counselor bore the burden of treating the clients, but because we were new, there was only a handful at a time. Going forward, we were able to recruit more and more qualified staff. We worked on honing the curriculum and schedule to accommodate the needs of the clients and the requirements of accrediting agencies. We saw more clients and were building a reputation for quality care.

If you or a loved one is in need of help please call 988.

Claudia Cabot Mohr, BA, MFA

Each client had a different story, used a different drug, but in the end, each was a person in need of unconditional love and care. Once they realized they were accepted as a whole person and no longer identified by their drug use, they could begin to heal. They would open up to each other, counselors, and group members realizing they were not unique or alone.

We provided community experiences, such as the Fourth of July celebrations,

May 2023 Issue seven

THE

RAINBOW’S END CHRISTOPHER’S STORY August 2022

One

Issue

THE

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE

experiencing suicidal or mental health seeks to offer a sense of hope. We if they or a loved one are in a

SQUARE Blue SUICIDE CRISIS & HORIZONTAL Black SUICIDE CRISIS & Blue

Used as intended, the 988 brand provides a cohesive look and feel across 988 materials

FOR IMMEDIATE HELP WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

If you are in danger of acting on suicidal thoughts or are in any other life-threatening crisis, please call emergency services in your area (9-1-1 in the U.S.) or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.

HOTLINES IN THE U.S.

All hotlines listed below are free and confidential.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255)

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is open 24 hours a day, every day. Services are also available for veterans, and for Spanish speakers.

Samaritans Helpline

877-870-4673 (HOPE) Call or text

Samaritans Helpline is available 24/7.

The BlackLine

800-604-5841 Call or text

According to the site’s webpage, “BlackLine® provides a space for peer support, counseling, witnessing and affirming the lived experiences to folxs who are most impacted by systematic oppression with an LGBTQ+ Black Femme Lens. Call BlackLine® prioritizes BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color).”

The Trevor Project

866-488-7386 – a hotline for LGBT youth

Trans Lifeline

U.S.: (877) 565-8860

Designed for transgender people, the Trans Lifeline is staffed by people who are themselves transgender.

Copline

(800) 267-5463

Set up for police officers, staffed by retired police officers who volunteer their time, this hotline provides crisis intervention 24/7.

Warmlines

According to Mental Health America, a warmline “is a phone number you call to have a conversation with someone who can provide support during hard times… Warmlines are free and confidential. They’re different from crisis lines or hotlines, which are more focused on keeping you safe in the moment and getting you connected to crisis resources as quickly as possible. (That doesn’t mean you can’t call a warmline when you’re in crisis—a warmline may even be able to help you find the best place to go for crisis resources, or help you mentally prepare to seek out more formal treatment.)”

For a list of warmlines in the U.S., see the Warmline Directory.

Source: Speakingofsuicide.com

Branding Standards Photography

Images for 988 materials should portray real people, living day-to-day, reflective and hopeful at the same time, without going too far in either direction. Photos should be people-focused, with limited background distractions. For example, images showing people using mobile devices concentrate focus on the individual interactions with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

SHANE P’S STORY

After several attempts at detox and outpatient treatment programs, I made it to Rainbow’s End Recovery. And this was the first place I allowed some people to see the real struggles I went through in my life.

In selecting photography, strive for diverse representations of age, race, and gender fluidity, and avoid the use of black and white imagery, which can feel too heavy given the subject matter

visit www.samhsa.gov/988 to find the key messages and FAQs available. your audience-specific 988 communication messages and materials.

I talked about my abuse to some degree more than I had ever done or have done since. I learned at this wonderful place about all the shame I carried around. I learned that some things I felt were true about myself were false.

Icons

With a warm, minimalist illustration approach, icons in the 988 identity communicate concepts wordlessly. The icons can be used in a variety of sizes in any 988 product and add a touch of visual interest.

I also learned I needed to choose sobriety for myself. No longer would I stay sober for anyone else (that never worked). I gained tools that I still use today. I found a desire in AA that I never felt before. I found that I got to be me, and that I did not have to fit some kind of mold. I learned that some people are trustworthy, that relationships in life were possible and real friends can exist.

I left Rainbow’s End a bit early thinking I needed to get back to life as quickly as possible. After getting home, I just wished I was still there. While sober I lost a brother, and with open arms, Rainbow’s End took me back for a couple of days. I stayed sober for some time. I eventually stopped going to meetings and fell off the wagon for a short time. I eventually made it back into the rooms where I have stayed sober since February 7, 2020.

Icon-word pairing

Combining visuals with text helps with comprehension. A clean icon style and color accents direct attention to points of interest in a web page, fact sheet, slide deck, and other materials. These pairings can be effective tools for drawing focus to specific aspects of a message.

Messaging

I thought life would be smooth sailing from here on out. I had a sponsor and worked a solid program and was of service. August 5, 2020 I was a victim in a car accident that totaled my car and busted me up pretty good. I had a broken foot that would continue to break over and over again. Covid-19 arrived, and I was not able to have surgery. In December of that year I lost my son. The one thing that is very important with these events is I never had a desire to go back out. I had formed an AA family around me, and they have guided me through and around everything.

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What amazes me the most these days is I have a group of trusted people around me. I work the program of AA and have a sponsor and sponsor others. My life is not perfect and I hope it never is so I can always learn to grow. April 18, 2022, I finally had surgery on my foot. I have had Covid twice and still through it all I have not had a drink. I have a beautiful woman by my side, and I will be married next year. I am moving soon to be closer to our family. I have several things that I am grateful for today: people in AA who never gave up on me, an AA family not by blood, Rainbow’s End staff, my sponsor, God and a new family in BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse).

Shane P., Faithful Member of AA

TESTIMONIALS

Talk

There is hope.

with us. Share your thoughts. Be the lifeline.

There is hope. Talk with us. Share your thoughts. Be the lifeline.

impact.

www.samhsa.gov/988 to find the key messages and FAQs available.

to

your audience-specific 988 communication messages and materials.

988 messaging powers the brand’s

Please visit

Use these as the foundation from which

build

RAINBOW’S END RECOVERY

As the founder and director of Rainbow’s End Recovery, I have been very blessed to count many former clients in long-term recovery. Those who have earned multiple years of sobriety are successful because they had support in the form of aftercare programs and AA. What concerns me is that about 25% of my clients live in Blaine County where there is no structured aftercare. Peer support found in AA is only one dimension of a good recovery program after achieving sobriety in a Residential Treatment program (RTC) such as RERC or the Walker Center.

When the client, who is used to a counselor or therapist guiding him in group, returns home to Blaine County, there are no services available to continue that type of treatment at Partial Hospitalization (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient (IOP). PHP is a structured program, usually five days per week and at least five hours per day, that is more intense that a one-on-one meeting with a therapist. It is the first step down from residential treatment and clients usually attend PHP in conjunction with AA meetings. IOP is the next level of treatment where a group meets a couple times per week for three hours and attends AA. These programs are designed to help prevent relapse.

Ipray that I never forget how I felt in the picture on the left. eighteen months ago, I was hopeless and felt just as worthless. I prayed that I wouldn't have to wake up to live another day. My unresolved trauma throughout my life had become too much. I was at the height of my alcoholism, drinking a fifth a day and in so much emotional and spiritual pain.

In Blaine County, there are private counselors and therapists who will work with the recovering alcoholic or addict, but there are no services offering group counseling. The discussion generated in group is as important as the lesson being communicated by the moderator.

Blaine County is fortunate to have numerous AA meetings, but would benefit greatly from structured aftercare programs to build on the treatment people received in RTC. Unfortunately, I do not have the resources to provide this service but will wholeheartedly support anyone who does.

Nancy Del Colletti, Owner and Director of Rainbow’s End Recovery Center

I was given a choice and an opportunity eighteen months ago, and hoping it was a way out. I left for rehab at Rainbows End Recovery Center in Idaho. thirty four days later and the journey had only just begun. The last year and a half has been the hardest, most beautiful, most rewarding, and most peaceful of my life. I have gained a love and an understanding for not only myself, but for those around me as well. I am blessed in my professional and personal life to help those still suffering today with their addiction. I have meaningful and honest connections with the people around me today. I am capable of handling even the worst situation with more love and more grace today. I am a work in progress, with the hope every day to be a better me than I was the day before. I have a beautiful and ever growing and changing relationship with a higher power of my own design and I have more blessings and more hope than I could have ever dreamed, even on my best day 18 months ago.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Wellness Connection was developed to provide timely information on mental health issues, such as addiction, depression, grief and trauma, and showcase the community nonprofit services. We will highlight the services of a different nonprofit organization each month to give the community a better understanding of the broad scope of services offered. We will present stories of hope and encouragement as well as essays on related topics. We welcome your feedback. Contact us at RERCjournal@gmail.com

I wish I could give even just a glimpse of the hope and love I have discovered on this journey. I continue to do the next right thing, let go of things I cannot control, and exist for just one day at a time. Thankful every day for the opportunity to have lived this life.

Resources

Rainbow’s End Recovery Center www.rainbowsendrecoverycenter.com | 208 879-2267

Jenna H.

Men’s Second Chance Living www.msclhouse.org | 208 481-0182

“988” is the nationwide phone number to connect directly to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 12 Step Group Meetings, Mental Health Group Meetings The Sun Club www.sunclub.org

Rainbow s End Recovery Center www.rainbowsendrecoverycenter.com | 208 879-2267

Men’s Second Chance Living www.msclhouse.org | 208 481-0182