help my friend find a rehab...

[gmoney]

(I posted this in the Addiction/Recovery forum, but it doesn't seem like there's much traffic there. So, I figured my lounge buddies might be able to point me in the right direction.)

Have a friend/acquaintance who's having problems with painkiller addiction (Vicodin, I think). She's dirt poor, and can't find any rehab she can afford. Free is about her price range. Until she gets off the pills, I doubt she'll be able to keep a job, and she's currently in danger of becoming homeless.

Seems to me there should be SOME resource for either charitable rehab or government sponsored rehab for someone who genuinely wants to get off the pills. She'd even be willing to put up with religious preaching for a church sponsored program, but says that whenever she calls, all she gets is referrals to places that require insurance or payment.

Where can I tell her to start looking? She's in Northern Kentucky, so not the most affluent area...

[gmoney]

1. kick...

...suggestions? Anyone? Bueller?

[Roon]

3. She needs a methadone clinic and counseling

I live in a big city with a county hospital and you can get all of that for free. Is there a county hospital close by?

[gmoney]

8. She says they just send her home...

It started when she'd gone to the hospital for abdominal pain which turned out to be large cysts. But rather than treat the cysts, they just gave her pain meds and said to wait for the cysts to burst on their own, which apparently they did after a while, but not before she got hooked. I don't know all the gory details, but I think she views the hospital as part of the problem, not the solution. She says she's gone to the ER asking for help, and they just turn her away.

[SPKrazy]

4. Here's One In My Community

Gateway House

479-783-8849

http://alcoholism.about.com/od/tx_ar/qt/gateway.htm

certainly they help a lot of people and I know they used to take people from other states.

[Kali]

2. Sorry, I don't have much to offer, but I want to say nice of you to try to help your friend.

Where is she getting them? Is there a doctor involved or all off the street? There must be some kind of social service, maybe she is not capable of the kind of aggression that is often needed for people to get their needs met. Can you do some of the calling for her? Get the numbers she has already tried and be a little more pushy. Take names.

[gmoney]

6. doctor shopping mainly...

She's been able to get herself from like 15 a day down to 4, which I guess is just enough to keep her from going through withdrawal sickness. Not sure how she's able to see these doctors -- maybe she just visits once, gets the Rx and manages to dodge the bill.

I do think she's probably in a state of mind to take 'no' for an answer without fighting for herself. I can maybe do some calling for her, but I'm out of state and don't have any status besides "friend" so I'm not sure how much I can go to bat for her.

Irrationally, I'm picturing that part of the movie version of "The Grapes of Wrath" where the Joads happen to roll into the government-operated camp that actually welcomes them and has a helpful attitude. I hope there's an equivalent for rehab. But where to look in general is my question... welfare offices, health and human services, social workers?

[Kali]

11. If she is not lying and has got herself down to 4, urge her to keep going.

two a day, one in the morning and one before bed. Point out how well she has already done on her own. Or even cut them physically in half if they are tabs, and try it that way. What was the original dose? Is she there yet or below it? She may need to just do the withdrawal, is there anybody/place that can see her through it? If she is motivated (and not lying to you, again - addicts are almost always liars, that is the MAIN symptom) she should come out of it ok.


Your picture is a nice fantasy and you obviously have not dealt with govt social services before! Sure you may get a nice person occasionally but I wouldn't count on it in the early part of the process! I mean just think about HMO's and how they force everybody to operate. You are talking about the poor, addiction, and mental health. After bush and co, do you think there is much out there? They pretty much eliminated the concept of compassion altogether.

[Sgent]

5. Can you post the city/state

of your friend?

I have some resources I could check, but would need to know where to look.

[gmoney]

7. Thanks!

Covington, Kentucky, which is just over the river from Cincinnati. I'm guessing Cinci would have more resources, but she claims they won't help her because she's not a resident. Hmm.

Anything you could do to help would be great... PM me if you prefer.

O8)

[Giant Robot]

9. It is probably true that Cinci

people won't help her because she is a non-resident. They get funding through the state and that limits who they can serve for the most part, unless she can pay her own way, which is not the case here.

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) is the government agency that provides funding for many of these places and has a helpline that may provide the answer you are looking for. 1-800-662-4357. I assume it is for normal business hours but cannot confirm that. Hope it helps.

[Dastard Stepchild]

10. Here's a big, messy link...

http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/PrxResults.aspx?&LOC=39.0837767705387%3a-84.510142336432&CT=39.0837767705387%3a-84.510142336432%3a10.6875845064821%3a8.01568837986161&DSN=MapPoint.NA&GAD2=&GAD3=Covington%2c+Kentucky&IC=39.0837767705387%3a-84.510142336432%3a32%3aCovington%2c+Kentucky&GAD4=USA&AD2=&CITY=covington&STATE=Kentucky&ZIP=&DBR=100

I don't even know if that will be clickable. :)

It should work. In any rate, it will take you to the SAMHSA treatment locator page.

Your friend should contact places that say "sliding scale fee." They will be the most friendly in terms of working with her finances. Encourage her to contact them, too. It does not hurt to ask and to be persistent in attempting to get care. I know that is easier said than done.

Does she have an advocate that can make calls for her? A doctor, a social worker or another person that could be very persistent can sometimes get the ball rolling more smoothly for a person.

[KitchenWitch]

12. I have replied to your post in the A/R forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=336&topic_id=1224&mesg_id=1225

Just so you know, that one is kind of a slow moving forum. I see you posted today, I know I do check in there at least once a day, and often there is nothing new there.

I hope your friend finds recovery.

[twilight_sailing]

13. Narcotics Anonymous is free

[gmoney]

14. Thanks to all...

...she's really a good kid who just got hooked due to lack of doctor's supervision with her pain meds. Your suggestions are very helpful, and I'll work with her to explore some of these options. :)