>> THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION IS FUNDING 26 NEW PROGRAMS TO HELP
PEOPLE WITH BOTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS.
THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF
WESTERN MASS WILL OPERATE THREE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS, AND THE
FIRST ONE HAS OPENED IN SPRINGFIELD.
ACCORDING TO STATE STATISTICS, THE RISK OF OPIOID OVERDOSE
DEATHS ARE HIGHER AMONG THOSE WHO ALSO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH
DISORDER.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH CHRISTINE PALMIERI, M-H-A'S VICE
PRESIDENT OF RECOVERY AND HOUSING, AND MARCUS GARNER, A
PROGRAM SUPERVISOR TO LEARN MORE.
3 >> SO THIS IS A 14-BED
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO WORK WITH ADULT MEN WHO HAVE
AN EXPERIENCE OF A MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS AND CONDITION.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THOSE THAT WILL BE COMING IN?
>> IT COULD BE ANXIETY TO DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR DISORDER
AND SCHIZOPHRENIA.
AS A RESULT OF THEIR DIAGNOSIS PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE
PROGRAM IF THEY ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS TO REALLY BE SUCCESSFUL
IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION OR A
NUMBER OF RECENT EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS OR IT COULD MEAN THAT
THEY HAVE HAD TROUBLE BEING SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER TREATMENT
PROGRAMS.
>> OKAY.
AND IS THIS A UNIQUE WAY, YOU KNOW, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
IN THIS SITUATION?
>> I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S A UNIQUE WAY BUT IT IS AN INFUSION OF A
LOT OF BEDS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY INTEGRATED.
IT'S A WAY TO PROVIDE SERVICES UNDER THE SAME ROOF FOR PEOPLE
WHO EXPERIENCED MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION AND ADDICTION AT THE
SAME TIME.
IT'S NOT NEW BUT IT'S THE PREFERRED WAY FOR PEOPLE TO
EXPERIENCE THE BOTH.
>> HOW ARE PEOPLE SIGNED UP WHEN THEY INITIALLY COME IN TO YOU.
>> THEY INITIALLY COME IN FOR 90 DAYS.
IF THEIR STAY IS EXTENDED, THEN IT NEEDS TO BE DUNG THROUGH THE
INSURANCE COMPANY.
>> THE WORK YOU DO IS DIFFICULT.
>> YES.
>> THE PROGRAM IS CALLED GRIT AND, OBVIOUSLY, THIS WORK IS
REALLY HARD, YOU KNOW, TO STAY CLEAN AND SOBER ON TOP OF, YOU
KNOW, DEALING WITH A MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE MADE PROGRESS WHEN OTHER
PEOPLE SAID FORGET IT.
I'M DONE.
I'M GOING TO WASH THEIR HANDS.
>> I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM TO SEE WHERE THE GUYS COME IN AND
SEEING WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING, I'M VERY
PROUD OF THEM.
>> TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE TITLE OF THE PROGRAM
>> SURE.
>> WHICH IS GRIT.
IT'S LIFELONG RECOVERY.
>> IT IS.
IT'S A LIFELONG PROCESS AND AS WE WERE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE
WERE GOING TO CALL THE PROGRAM, THE TEAM WAS MAKING CLEAR THAT
IT TAKES DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION.
IT TAKES A WILLINGNESS TO DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY
AND THINGS THAT ARE HARD.
IT TAKES GRIT.
>> SO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS FUNDING 26 PROGRAMS
THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
>> RIGHT.
>> WHICH ARE SIMILAR.
>> RIGHT.
>> BUT I KNOW IN ADDITION TO THIS YOU'LL BE RUNNING TWO OTHER
PROGRAMS BESIDES GRIT.
HOW DOES THIS KIND OF FIT INTO THE WHOLE NEED OF ADDITIONAL
TREATMENT BEDS AS WE LOOK AT THE OPIOID CRISIS AND THERE'S BEEN A
CRY FOR A LONG TIME TO HAVE MORE BEDS AVAILABLE.
>> THESE ARE AN INFUSION OF OVER 400 BEDS.
400 BEDS HE THAT DIDN'T EXIST LAST YEAR WHICH IS CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT AND THE FACT THAT THESE ARE INTEGRATED PROGRAMS
THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HAVE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM WHO ARE
EXPERTS IN BOTH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
UNDER THE SAME ROOF IT'S REALLY IN THE STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
>> HOW MANY BEDS WILL YOU BE OPERATING APPROXIMATELY IN
WESTERN MASS.
>> WE'LL HAVE 45 NEW BEDS.
>> AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND A MENTAL
HEALTH DIAGNOSIS.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
>> SURE.
IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP.
I THINK THAT THE STATISTIC IS ANYWHERE FROM 25 TO 30% OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION ALSO EXPERIENCE
ADDICTION AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE ADDICTION THERE'S
ALSO A VERY HIGH PREVALENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS SO I
THINK PEOPLE OFTEN USE SUBSTANCES AS A WAY TO COPE FOR
SYMPTOMS AS A MENTAL HEALTH ADDICTION I THINK PEOPLE WHO
HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE MORE THAN LIKELY TO SUFFER
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY WHICH IS A VERY COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP
WHICH I THINK IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THEY BOTH CAN BE
ADDRESSED BY THE SAME TEAM WORKING WITH BOTH CONDITIONS.
>> SO WHAT HAPPENS, MARCUS, AT THE END OF THE 90 DAY
TREATMENTS?
DO PEOPLE GO BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES OR ARE THEY GOING INTO
A DIFFERENT HOUSING FACILITY?
>> DEPENDING WHAT THEY IDENTIFIED AS THEIR NEEDS WHEN
THEY CAME IN WILL DEPEND EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
MOST PEOPLE ARE IN NEED OF SOBER HOUSING AND SO WE WILL TRY AND
GET THEM CONNECTED.
SOME PEOPLE WILL BE REINTEGRATED BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY WILL GO BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES.
>> IS COMPLETES TALK ABOUT -- AND LET'S TALK ABOUT GOING BACK
TO THEIR FAMILIES.
SOMETIMES FAMILIES ARE AS SUPPORTIVE AS THEY CAN BE AND
THEY LOVE THAT INDIVIDUAL AND THEY'VE BEEN HURT AT THE SAME
TIME AND THE PERSON WHO CAME OUT 3 MONTHS LATER AND THEY'RE SOBER
AND THEY WANT TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND THOSE
RELATIONSHIPS SOMETIMES FAMILY MEMBERS MIGHT NOT BE WILLING TO
TAKE THAT CHANCE AGAIN.
>> SURE.
>> HOW DO YOU HAVE FAMILIES WHO SPEAK PART OF THE TREATMENT AND
FAMILIES SAYING, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO WASH MY HANDS OF THIS PERSON.
>> EXACTLY.
I THINK DISCHARGE PLANNING BEGINS THE DAY THE PERSON WALKS
IN THE DOOR FOR US.
IT'S TO CREATE A PLAN FOR SUSTAINABILITY ONCE PEOPLE LEAVE
AND IF FAMILY IS PART OF THAT PROCESS, THEN WE INVITE THE
FAMILIES TO COME IN TO THE TREATMENT PROGRAM AND BE PART OF
THE PROCESS OF HEALING.
YOU KNOW, EVERY PLAN IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FOR EVERY PERSON
THAT WE MEET AND FOR SOME PEOPLE FAMILY REUNIFICATION IS A
REALISTIC IS A GOAL AND FOR OTHERS IT'S NOT, AND OUR PROGRAM
IS TAILORED FOR EACH MAN WE DEAL WITH.
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT -- FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IS SOMETHING WE TRY
TO PRIORITIZE BUT WE ALSO WANT TO SPEAK TO THE INDIVIDUAL
NEEDS.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT ALL OF THESE MEN WILL BE ABLE TO
REUNITE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
>> IT'S NOT REALISTIC TO BELIEVE THAT, THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING
BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES.
PEOPLE HAVE BURNED MANY BRIDGES AND I CAUTION THEM JUST BECAUSE
THEY HAVE COME INTO THE PROGRAM, YOU'VE GOT 6 TO 9 MONTHS CLEAN
TIME UNDER YOUR BELT THAT YOUR FAMILY STILL MAY NOT ACCEPT YOU
AND YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT BECAUSE IN THE PAST, YOU HAVE
DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND, YOU KNOW, THEY BOUGHT IN AND YOU DID
THE SAME THING AGAIN.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THE OPIOID
CRISIS?
>> I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THE OPIOID CRISIS
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OPENED UP SEVERAL FACILITIES TO COMBAT
THAT AND SO WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO Z IT RIGHT HERE TODAY BUT
HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I BELIEVE WE WILL BE ABLE TO TO
SEE IT.
>> TYPICAL DAY, SOMEONE COMES IN YOUR TREATMENT PROGRAM.
I KNOW 90 DAYS IS THE SET AMOUNT OF THE TIME.
WHAT'S THE ROUTINE LIKE?
>> THE ROUTINE; GET UP AT 7:00 IN THE MORNING.
AT THAT POINT IN BETWEEN 7:00 AND 9:00 YOU HAVE BREAKFAST.
YOU TAKE YOUR MEDICATION.
FROM THERE WE GO INTO A MORNING MEETING AND THEN WE START WITH
OUR GROUPS.
WE HAVE -- WE RUN AT LEAST 3 GROUPS PER DAY.
WITH THE GROUPS BEING RAN ALL DAY, YOU ALSO HAVE INDIVIDUAL
COUNSELING;.
YOU HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS OUTSIDE
AS FAR AS LIKE HOUSING.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
IT'S A STRUCTURED DAY.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE THAT ONCE THEY GET THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND
THEY RECEIVE THE PROPER TREATMENT, OBVIOUSLY, THE TITLE
OF THE PROGRAM IS GRIT BUT THAT THERE'S REAL HOPE THEY CAN
SUSTAIN THEIR SOBRIETY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I BELIEVE IN EVERY PERSON THAT COMES THROUGH THE PROGRAM THAT
THEY CAN TO MAKE THIS.
THEY JUST WANT TO DO IT. ♪