COVID-19 is the enemy, which makes Jennie’s recovery more precarious. There are hurdles that make getting counseling harder, make getting human contact harder and make getting food, clothing and shelter harder.
But conquering hurdles is nothing new for Jennie. As a child, she witnesses the spiral downturn of her parents, who were drug addicts. Adverse childhood experiences essentially led Jennie to opioid addiction. Within a couple of months, she was regularly experiencing withdrawal symptoms if she went one day without using opioids.
Jennie tried to stop, but the loss her daughter to DHS custody as a result of using methamphetamine to get off heroin did little to soften the blow.
Each night, Jennie tosses and turns as nightmares of her past overwhelm her. She still believed that she was not addicted and wanted to avoid inpatient treatment. Through community resources, Jennie learned about Family & Children’s Services and contacted them for help. After her comprehensive assessment, she enrolls in Outpatient Services.
While undergoing teletherapy, Jennie completes her essential classes and is reunited with her daughter after meeting DHS requirements. She also finishes high school, obtains her diploma and purchases her first home. Soon, she will celebrate a year of sobriety.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Family & Children’s Services’ Osage Hills team serves 695 clients who are receiving opioid treatment services. The team provide the highest quality of care, treatment and services through integrated and individualized approaches for opioid-use disorder. Despite the pandemic, teletherapy offers clients a chance to process and strengthen coping skills. The team also offers incentive gas cards, housing and utility assistance, Medication Assistance Treatment medications and food for those who need it.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is combined with behavioral counseling for a whole-patient approach to improve addiction-related behaviors. For more information, call 918.587.9471 for an appointment.
