From In and Out of Prison to Peer Recovery: Jose’s Story
In honor of National Recovery Month, we sat down with Jose, a former member of our Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Center in Worcester, MA, to hear about his recovery story. Jose’s addiction first began when he was living on Main Street in Worcester, MA – an area challenged by widespread ...
Suicide Prevention Month: 3 Tips for Helping Loved Ones
Mental illness is one of our nation’s greatest public health issues, with suicide being the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Suicide, addiction, and depression are often intertwined as co-occurring disorders. It’s a vicious cycle that is hard ...
International Overdose Awareness Day – Where it Began and Its Impact Today
According to the CDC, the first-known wave of opioid overdoses began with the rise of opioid prescriptions in the 1990s. At the time, many pharmaceutical companies and prescribers did not have enough research about the potency and addictive nature of these medications. As methadone and semi-synthetic opioid usage began to ...
The Hub & Spoke Model: A Client’s Perspective on Rapid-Access Addiction Treatment
Like many people who begin misusing substances, Roslyn didn’t immediately see that she was developing an addiction. She started using opioids here and there, would try to stay clean for a while, and then start using again. It was a pattern that continued to get worse and worse, until a ...
3 Reasons People Avoid Seeking Addiction Treatment
Addiction may go untreated for a variety of reasons. Individuals may be reluctant to seek treatment because of the associated stigma, the potential costs, or they may live in an area where treatment is not easily accessible. Here, we take a closer look at these barriers to drug and alcohol ...
Employee Spotlight: Meet Karen Hewitt, Regional Program Director for Spectrum’s Millbury and Milford Outpatient Treatment Centers
We’re excited to shine the spotlight on another one of our outstanding employees: Karen Hewitt! Karen is the Regional Program Director for Spectrum’s Millbury and Milford Outpatient Treatment Centers, where she is responsible for the clinical, financial and environmental operations of both programs as well as overseeing the outpatient intake ...
Client Story: From Addiction to Recovery to Mentorship
Over 21 million Americans struggle with addiction, but only ten percent of them seek help. Despite drug and alcohol addiction costing the U.S. economy over $600 billion each year, there are many barriers to treatment including transportation issues, work and family responsibilities, lack of insurance, and more. The most significant, ...
A Family Disease | 3 Tips for Loved Ones of People Struggling with Addiction
The impact of addiction spreads far beyond the person struggling with it. Too often, those closest to the person suffering are also going through their own struggle as a result, which is why we call addiction a family disease. If you have a loved one currently in early recovery or ...
Introducing Spectrum’s Magnolia FAST© Virtual Family Support Meeting Series
A strong support system can make a huge difference in a person’s addiction recovery journey – but where are the people who typically provide that support receiving the help that they need? Having a relationship with someone who struggles with substance use disorder (SUD) is often an emotional burden itself ...
Analyzing the Link Between Substance Use and Trauma Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Trauma and its connection with substance use disorder (SUD) is an important aspect to consider in the treatment of addiction. Understanding Trauma Our recent Airing Addiction podcast explored this topic in depth when hosts Cathy Collins and Lisa Blanchard sat down with Zlatina Kostova, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist who specializes ...
Employee Spotlight: Meet Our Substance Use Disorder Program Director, Cinderella Stiltner
At Spectrum Health Systems, our dedicated staff members genuinely care about our clients. We had the pleasure of speaking with one of our Program Directors, Cinderella Stiltner, about her role overseeing the Substance Use Disorder program at the Appalachian Community Corrections Alternative Program (ACCAP) in Honaker, VA, and what she ...
4 Tips for Staying Sober in a Culture That Drinks
Dinner parties, family gatherings, birthdays, after work happy hours – it seems that almost every social outing involves alcohol. While having a drink or two after work isn’t harmful for people who haven’t experienced addiction, those of you in recovery are well aware of the risks associated with having just ...
The President’s Club: Celebrating the Spectrum Way
At Spectrum Health Systems, we take enormous pride in the high quality of services we provide. We assist our clients in achieving and sustaining their recovery long after they complete one of our addiction treatment programs, by providing ongoing support and offering a continuum of services. We believe that the ...
VIRTUAL TRAININGS: From Gender Responsive Treatment to Correctional Opioid Treatment
Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It affects every community imaginable. More than 23 million US adults struggle with substance use disorders (SUDs) and in Massachusetts, over half of adults continue to battle this disease -- which is why we established Spectrum’s training, technical assistance and consulting group several years ago to help ...
Addiction and Long-term Care in the Construction Industry
Opioid use is uncommonly high in the construction industry, where workers face many physical hazards and are at an increased risk of getting injured. One study shows that construction workers are the most likely occupation to misuse opioids and cocaine. Compared to other industries in North America, construction workers are ...
