Resources to aid recovering addicts offered

Carmen Feeney‑Alley of Jonesport knows what it's like to love someone struggling with addiction. Her son Jamie, a veteran of the war in Iraq, started using heroin after becoming addicted to painkillers prescribed for an injury. She and her family found hope after hearing Brian Frutchey speak about his struggle with addiction and the efforts of the Community Action Team to combat stigma and help others struggling with addiction. "We left that meeting feeling like there was finally hope," says Feeney‑Alley. She and her husband Rock joined the team.
This was the message she hoped to get out while representing Healthy Acadia, one of more than 20 organizations that banded together to offer a Resource Recovery Fair on March 23 on the University of Maine at Machias campus.
"I've taken it just a step farther to become a recovery coach," says Feeney‑Alley. "If we can help one person, we feel we've done something."
Healthy Acadia sponsors the recovery coach program, through which a volunteer coach serves as a "mentor, cheerleader and advocate" to someone in the court system who is also working to recover from addiction, Feeney‑Alley says.
Terri Woodruff of Healthy Acadia said the recovery coach program is new, and the organization hopes to expand it. She said the fair was a success overall, with between 25 and 30 visitors who signed in and ample time for providers of all kinds to network and find out about each other's work.
The groups filling the Reynolds Gymnasium offered everything from direct addiction recovery treatments to assistance with job services, resources for parents and transportation to appointments. These services are important, providers say, because a person struggling with addiction may be overwhelmed by other obstacles that interfere with recovery.
"Employment and education are such big pieces of recovery," says Sharon Foss, education coordinator with the Axiom Education & Training Center in Machias. Foss, who obtained her high school diploma and nursing certification as an adult while supporting a family, says she personally understands the barriers faced by those who seek to advance their education and earning potential. She offered fair visitors information on adult education, literacy and college transition programs.
Some of the resources at the fair were geared to those not struggling with addiction themselves but rather love someone who is. "This is where you come to find out how to take care of yourself, whether [a loved one is] ready to ... recover or not," says Al Anon volunteer Penny Perry.
Other organizations were there to get right into the nitty gritty of recovery, stigma and the value of life. Timothy McGuire, community organizer with the Health Equity Alliance, spoke to visitors about a variety of important programs not often understood by the general public. For example, the organization offers a needle exchange. This program is not intended to condone the intravenous drug use but rather to keep the users alive until they are ready to ask for help. Getting them to that point requires time to build trust that they are safe and not being judged.
"They trust me. They like me," McGuire says, describing those who ask for help. He says people often feel intimidated because of the stigma associated with addiction. They fear asking a stranger for help.
The organization, which serves all of the state of Maine, also trains people to use naloxone to assist someone suspected of an overdose. "People are most likely to overdose during attempted recovery," McGuire says. "If they're dead, they can't try [to recover] again."
Joseph Locke, a public health specialist with the Bangor Public Health and Community Services, instructed fair attendees on what to do in the event someone appeared to have overdosed. Handing out literature to support what he was saying, he pointed out that a person can become unresponsive for many reasons -- not just drug use -- so it's a good idea to be prepared. "Everyone should know CPR," he says.
The first step in helping someone who is unresponsive is to speak to that person. If the person doesn't respond, try gently shaking him or her. If the person still is unresponsive, call 911. Until help arrives, you can try to revive the person with a sternal rub, using your knuckles, or assist the person with breathing. You can also administer naloxone. Even if the person is unresponsive for reasons other than an overdose, naloxone won't cause any harm.
Locke also addressed myths associated with naloxone and overdoses. For example, a person can experience an overdose even when taking medication as prescribed. Mainers age 75 and older are those most likely to be treated for an overdose by emergency medical services, he says.
He also stressed that people treated with naloxone generally do not become aggressive or violent when they awaken, contrary to what many believe. When naloxone is used, the person goes into withdrawal, which can cause sickness or confusion. Few people will become violent, he says.
Locke was among the many participants who said the event enjoyed a large turnout. "I know that I've educated enough people that perhaps one person will remember what to do," he says.