Years ago, when one of our case managers was asked by a community member about what they do, they responded “we create hope.” Those three words have stuck with me all these years. September is National Recovery Month and for individuals who are struggling with mental health and addiction challenges, hope is vital. And this year’s theme is “Hope is Real. Recovery is Real.”
After working in this field for decades, I can tell you that those words ring true. Our team at Wyandot BHN believes in recovery because we see it every day. And we understand the role that hope plays in someone’s recovery. We often meet people during some of the most difficult moments in their lives. And in that moment, hope feels like it has all but been extinguished. But we walk alongside these individuals and remind them that there is always hope for recovery.
We want to instill hope for our friends and neighbors experiencing opioid addiction. During Recovery Month, we are launching a new Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, bringing together the use of medication, counseling and behavioral therapies to treat opioid addiction. Across the U.S. and here in Wyandotte County, we are seeing a growing need for opioid addiction treatment. In 2021, the U.S. saw more than 80,000 opioid overdose deaths. But overdose deaths can be prevented and recovery is possible. And we believe MAT will play a key role in providing hope of long-term recovery.
To help make MAT more accessible to those experiencing opioid addiction in our area, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Rohit Saha to our team. The addition of Dr. Saha is made possible through an exciting new partnership with Integrated Psychiatric Consultants. We look forward to being able to provide this much-needed service to the Wyandotte County community thanks to the hard work of Dr. Saha, Dr. Mark Cannon and our entire medication services team.
In the midst of a mental health or substance use challenge, many people feel like giving up. That is why hope is so important. As Recovery Month comes to a close, I ask you to join us in creating hope and letting those in your life now that recovery is real and it happens every day.