Our earliest observation pre-2014, was how providers were competing rather than collaborating. It was competition for portions of our overall resource pool. We prefer avoiding the term “funding” because the excuse is a broken record. This network has leveraged all sorts of resources to administer its outreach ARMOR Program. Funds received as financial contributions get filed as taxable income and cannot compare to monetary value of the many other resources kind souls and graduates provide us. Things like housing, transportation, court advocacy, and even Dogbud sharing pet affirmation are invaluable to our successes. Wood Jeff’s work with program members and providing clients with his artistic craftsmanship have been instrumental. The list goes on.
Dear Providers-nim,
I had the opportunity to meet with our city manager and found him to be well informed on major components of Addiction Disorders and comorbidities with other psychological challenges experienced by our HADs (homeless addiction disorders). Thank you, Mr. Golden! He is far better versed in systemic negotiations than me and somewhat of a community / social scientist too. Furthermore, his degree of empathy presented as welcoming. In order to keep this personal address to all our providers brief, I leave you with words from an abstract and link to the research.
“With the release of DSM-5 and the replacement of abuse and dependence categories with a single use disorder construct, the legal grounds for diversion in many states now stand at odds with organized psychiatry and its adoption of recent science. This article reviews the scientific basis for the DSM's new classification scheme, the dilemmas posed for states with statutes that rely on the abuse/dependence distinction, and potential remedies for legislatures wishing to keep pace with evolving research and clinical practice” (2014, Norko and Fitch).
No doubt, our unhoused situation is complex and confusing as all heck. I truly believe more collaboration and less competition for resources, votes, especially between agencies will lead us to a healthy resolve. This year our News Briefs have focused on current views in the media and shared experiences within our network. Get your head out of the sand and review them, question them, disregard them, at the very least explore other views on this matter.
Kind Regards,
G. LaBranche, PhD
Controversial Dogma
VSN was first in line for helping clients get MAT (medication assisted treatment). The idea of MAT was controversial then and remains controversial today, as do concepts of harm-reduction. Once Massachusetts law allowed for medicinal marijuana prescriptions, we collaborated with Dr. Vasu Brown. After competitors wedged her from being allowed to prescribe locally, we collaborated with CannaCare Docs. The amount of conflict and lack of working together continues with many unaware of Addiction Disorders’ composition.
Using a step-down approach from opioid dependance, to buprenorphine/naloxone dependance, to medical marijuana has worked extremely well and has saved many lives since 2015. Of course, the conflicting views of non-professionals, a drug is a drug or it’s only trading one set of handcuffs for another, is less than fruitful. Let’s just leave this example of non-collaborative efforts here and enjoy a client working his program, the Modulation element of ARMOR: learn something new to exercise neural plasticity. Thank you, Methuen Jeff.