Heroes of the Recovery Community

Coronavirus has created new realities for every industry. The drug and alcohol treatment field is no different. There is no argument that rehab remains essential even during this pandemic. In fact, with widespread isolation and a collapsing economy, addiction and relapse risks exponentially increase. An opioid epidemic exacerbated by coronavirus stays on center stage, and treatment facilities are on the frontlines.

The country is on lockdown. Challenges to provide people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction with good treatment options grow daily. Directors, clinicians, and counselors are being asked to draw on every ounce of creativity and courage they possess. The clients they service are being told to find strength they had no idea was within them.

The gauntlet has been thrown down to the recovery community.

 They are responding. Everywhere.

We need to appreciate the resiliency this situation has brought out in the addiction population. Admissions protocols have necessarily become more difficult. Every prospective patient needs to undergo additional screening. Roommates, often so integral to a new inpatient client’s acclimation, cannot be assigned immediately upon arrival. Support systems have shrunk. Family visits in many cases are impossible. Field trips can’t be held. Once someone gains admittance they are basically stuck there.

Yet so many courageous souls still knock on the door. They recognize that they need help and won’t be turned away. If anyone has any doubts about people in this community and their intrinsic value, maybe listen in on admissions calls happening now across the country. Hear their hope for a better future and learn from their courage, spirit, and perseverance.  Walk into a facility (figuratively, of course). See how the precious individuals inside are there for each other, carrying each other. Laughing, crying, and growing.

 In a time where many are struggling to stay positive and hopeful, we have much to learn from the recovery community.

A thunderous ovation is due to overworked staff as well. So many have taken personal safety risks to be at work and to stay at work. Perhaps most crucially and certainly most difficult, they continue producing incredible results at work.

The plaudits have been given to ERs, first responders, doctors, and nurses battling coronavirus, and rightfully so. They deserve every bit of it.

So do the people saving lives in the shadows. The ones figuring out how do group sessions with monitor hookups. Those organizing meal shifts and making sure to adhere to every last CDC guideline. Coming up with team activities that can be performed at proper distances. Clients can’t leave the premises, and regular schedules have been upended.  Facilities have figured out ways to use the lack of distraction for inner growth. They keep morale up and allow for zeroed in focus on recovery and progress.

People are tasked with nightmarish logistical challenges and getting it done with whatever limited resources they can get their hands on. All-nighters are being pulled by back office staff staying on top of evolving policy changes. They work in the darkness of night to bring others the light of day. Without recognition and in the absence of national adulation. They do it because they deeply care.

Take this anecdote as an example. One of our drug and alcohol detox facilities is near New Orleans, a particularly hard-hit area of the country. They lease space from a local hospital. As the pandemic intensified, the hospital asked the detox unit to evacuate. Every bed was needed.

We had to go but what of our patients? Our responsibility to them is a boulder that cannot be moved.

Within days, a new location nearby was identified, and the work to set up a temporary detox unit began. Amidst all the chaos and logistics that even in normal times are very complex, it seemed a ridiculous undertaking. Impossible.

Our staff got it done. In days. Because the people we treat are family, and you never turn your back on family.

Those of us privy to their superhuman efforts are inspired. We applaud the creative thinking, the relentlessness, and the dedication.

There are moments in history where we are asked for more, where we are asked to push beyond what we had always thought was the limit of possible. It is there where we see the essence of human capability, resiliency and capacity to rise.

 During another era which called for more, for no less a cause than the founding of this great country, Abigail Adams, wife of John and an equal partner in all that he accomplished, wrote these unforgettable words:

“It is not in the still calm of life or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of a hero.”

In front of our eyes, we are watching the formation of legions of heroes. They are popping up everywhere, like fresh growth after torrential rains. Hospitals, doctors, nurses, first responders, neighbors, and friends.

And by the recovery community.  People in recovery and people entering recovery. Drug and alcohol treatment staff, clinicians, counselors, and back office personnel.

People pushing limits, setting new boundaries. Extending the meaning of possible and doable.

People becoming heroes.  

Maybe it is too quiet, maybe the applause is not quite loud enough.

But maybe that silence is not a lack of appreciation for the greatness so many have reached.

Maybe it is the silence of awe.

Our National Nurses Week 2020 Heroes

It’s National Nurses Day!
“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙣𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨”
Let’s meet some of the stars of the Avenues Recovery family!

Meet Star APRN Piettra Alves of Avenues Recovery Center: Find Your Way Home of Oklahoma!


Avenues: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 you 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘖𝘝𝘐𝘋?
Piettra: 𝙄 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝. 

Avenues: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 your 𝘫𝘰𝘣?
Piettra: 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙨. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.

Avenues: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴/𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 do you 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 have you 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 them?
Piettra: 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 9-5 𝙟𝙤𝙗. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨.

Avenues: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 you 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺?
Piettra: 𝙏𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙨. 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜.

Meet Star LPN Armah Nkansah of Avenues Recovery Center: Find Your Way Home of Lake Ariel!