Individualized Addiction Treatment: Addressing Culture, Identity, Mental Health and More

It’s a big step for anyone to admit to having a problem with substance use. And for people of color, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, or people with a disability or mental health disorder, it’s common to fear that treatment programs will not understand or address their unique needs and challenges. Fortunately, individualized addiction treatment is available.   Dr. Princess Drake, a mental health practitioner at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation (HBFF) and Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction, joins Marti & Erin for an illuminating discussion of how she and her colleagues adapt their addiction treatment strategies to individual characteristics and experiences. Dr. Drake draws on examples, such as clients facing intense stigma around mental health issues within their culture, a person with a learning disability that makes written work or speaking in a group difficult, a war veteran who balks at the word “surrender” (the first step in a 12-step program), or a person of color dealing with grief and anger over a lifetime of social injustice. With compassion and an eagerness to understand each individual’s lived experience, Dr. Drake and her HBFF colleagues welcome people from all backgrounds to join them on the journey of sobriety and health. *Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit   WHY IS INDIVIDUALIZED ADDICTION TREATMENT SO IMPORTANT? Why do you think it’s important for chemical dependency treatment programs to address individual differences in beliefs, experiences, culture, abilities and disabilities? If you or a member of your family were to see Dr. Drake, how might you answer her question, “How does your (race, sexual identity, religion, disability, other difference) affect the way you live in the world?” And how might that relate to your use of alcohol or other mood-altering substances?   WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ADDICTION TREATMENT AND RECOVERY? ❉ HAZELDEN BETTY FORD FOUNDATION. Visit this site to learn more about the individualized addiction treatment options available to you or your loved one. ❉ SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Helpline. To call the National Helpline, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or click this link to learn more. ❉ OPIOID ADDICTION: KEYS TO PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION FROM THE HAZELDEN BETTY FORD FOUNDATION. What can we do as parents to protect the children and adults in our family and community from the dangers of opioids? Ahmed Eid, Addiction Program Manager at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, has answers that every parent should hear. ❉ TRAUMA AND ADDICTION, HOPE AND RECOVERY: A CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR JENNIFER STORM. ˆBlackout Girl author, Jennifer Storm, discusses her tumultuous journey from trauma and addiction to recovery and hope. She shares the keys to letting go of secrets and shame on the path to healing and recovery. She has published her story in