Where there’s HOPE,
There’s Prevention
by Misty Cromwell
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I was shocked to discover that hope is not an emotion; it’s a way of
thinking or a cognitive process.
Emotions play a supporting role, but hope is really a thought
process…So, hope is a combination of setting goals, having the tenacity and
perseverance to pursue them, and believing in our own abilities. (Dr. Brene
Brown, “Learning to Hope”)
As we listen to the news and read social media and local
newspapers, it might be hard to accept that addiction is preventable. Our prevention efforts to date have been less
than desirable. Addiction is no
respecter of persons. There is no one,
single factor that determines if a person will become addicted or not, but, as
the risk factors increase for an individual, so does the potential for
addiction. Studies have shown that
environment, genetics, and psychology all play a part in use and abuse of drugs
and alcohol.
In the State of Ohio, risky substance use and addiction
account for at least 13.0% of the State budget. Of that amount, two cents of every dollar go
to prevention and treatment while 90 cents of every dollar go to pay for the
consequences of our failure to prevent and treat risky substance use and
addiction. (CASA: The National Center on
Addiction and Substance Abuse)
Statistics are similar across the nation.
How can we tip the scales to increase our prevention
efforts? How can we instill HOPE in
individuals, families and communities? How can we save a generation from the
destruction this disease produces?
Recently, the Ohio Legislature took action that required the
full continuum of care to be available to individuals who suffer with substance
use disorders, much like it requires care for individuals suffering with mental
illness. This means there will be a
strong focus on prevention and wellness services and supports across the
continuum.
Communities throughout the state have begun, and continue,
to develop and implement evidence-based and promising prevention programs and
strategies that are designed to increase the health and well-being of
individuals, families, and communities. Some
examples of effective strategies include these:
·
PAX Good Behavior Game (PAX GBG)
·
Youth-Led Prevention Programs
·
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
·
Suicide Prevention Coalitions
·
Life Skills Training (LST) Program
·
Start Talking!
·
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper
Training
·
Opiate and Other Drug Task Forces
I am by no means a researcher, but I’ve been in the field of
mental health long enough to realize that if we are going to make a positive
impact, we must decrease risk factors and increase protective factors for our
kids, families and communities. This involves
everyone,--churches, criminal justice professionals, educators, family members,
people in the medical field, and the community at large. Local government
leaders and businesses can pledge to support efforts that promote a community
that cares about every life from birth to death.
The message I send to my daughter must be the same message
she hears from teachers, pastors, community leaders and neighbors. Successful prevention programs must include
churches, family, schools, and communities. And they must begin very early on.
Intervening in the first years of a person’s life can be an
effective lever to setting the child on a positive course. What does it look like to shift the balance
between risk and protective factors so that we are laying a good foundation for
social development and building resiliency? Here are some steps to strengthen a
child’s development:
Help your child make friends.
Help your child by having him/her
help others.
Maintain a daily routine.
Address conflict openly within the
family to resolve problems.
Demonstrate how behaviors affect
others.
Look for opportunities for
self-discovery.
Teach your child to accept that
change is a part of living.
Recognize when he/she has done
well.
Empower your child to make
decisions.
Insure your child knows there’s an
adult in their life who believes in them and loves them unconditionally.
These are just a few ways we can help increase protective
factors; it doesn’t have to be the sole responsibility of mom or dad. Anyone can contribute. “Children will live “up
[or] down to our expectations,” according to Dr. Guinsburg (Building Resilience in Children; Healthy
Living.org).
Like all worthwhile efforts, prevention costs money, but
interventions more than pay for themselves in reduced costs later on. PAX Good
Behavior Game has a $26 return for every dollar invested. In some places, the return is as high as $64
for every dollar invested.
I believe our kids are worth it. I believe your kids are worth it. If hope is not an emotion, but a way of thinking,
let’s all commit to changing the landscape of recovery and prevention one
person, one child, one community at a time.
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David Sheff challenges
us to imagine in clean (our emphases):
Imagine if we treated young kid’s depression
before they treated it themselves with marijuana.
Imagine if we helped kids with learning
disabilities before they checked out and found solace in drinking.
Imagine if we could identify a child
experiencing his parents’ difficult divorce, bullying, abuse, and other traumas
in his life and get him effective counseling before drugs appear as a solution
and before use leads to abuse and abuse leads to addiction.
Imagine the lives that could be saved.
Imagine the suffering that could be prevented.
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Misty Cromwell is the Associate/Care
Management Director for the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board where
she’s worked for the last four years.
She is the
Regional Liaison for the Suicide Prevention Coalitions in our six county
service area: Coshocton, Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, and Perry
Counties.
Previously,
she worked at Six County, now known as Allwell Behavioral Health Services, for
19 years.
She earned
her Bachelor and Master of Social Work from the Ohio State University.
She is a
Licensed Independent Social Worker.
She is a
former foster parent.
She is the
mother of Autumn Cromwell, seven years old, whom she proudly adopted in 2012.
