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| A look at the inside of 5 Door Recovery in Madison. (Contributed photo) |
HELP IS AVAILABLE
If you or someone you know are suffering from addictions, contact 5 Door Recovery at:
608-827-9170
[email protected]
http://5DoorRecovery.org
MADISON — March and April of this year was a time to adjust to life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many people were affected by quarantines, the state’s “Safer at Home” order, and other measures taken to try and “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus numbers.
During this time of tough and challenging decision-making, and when considering one certain group of the vulnerable and needy, Mary Haberman-Laesch said, “We just never considered not continuing to provide treatment . . . We knew this is a population that was going to struggle hard.”
Haberman-Laesch is the program director at 5 Door Recovery in Madison.
5 Door Recovery, which opened its doors in April, is a residential treatment program for adults living with substance use disorder.
5 Door’s goal is to help these individuals move into recovery while also addressing their mental health and trauma issues.
The new facility was built to meet the increased need to help those suffering from addiction through Catholic Charities of Madison’s Hope Haven program.
Keeping the doors open
As the effects of the pandemic began to take hold in south central Wisconsin, leaders at Catholic Charities of Madison had to make a decision how to continue offering services to the people who need them.
When it came to people suffering from addictions, Catholic Charities of Madison President and CEO Jackson Fonder said that attitude was that “You can’t pull back . . . our clients need us now more than ever.”
As the new 5 Door facility opened up, health and safety measures were taken, such as making sure everyone staying there got their own room — making the capacity at 16.
Other steps included COVID testing, wearing facemasks, and only allowing essential people into the facility.
“We feel like we’re right in the middle of the fight,” said Fonder.
While that fight has included battling an increased use of opioids, Haberman-Laesch said that there are increases in all substance use.
“[The pandemic is] especially challenging for people who have substance use addiction,” noting that stress, isolation, loss of job, and financial pressure, among other issues “have really hit people with addictions pretty hard.”
The need to remain open became more apparent as some help providers closed their doors and/or transitioned to tele-health methods.
“People in recovery weren’t given the opportunity to prepare for the pandemic,” Fonder said.
“When you have your resources stripped away from you, the consequences are harsher,” he said and added that social distancing is “the very opposite of what our counselors teach in early recovery . . . one of the keys is connections.”
Treating those who need help
“They come to us pretty broken . . . in many cases without hope,” said Haberman-Laesch.
The initial goal is to “provide compassion and meet them where they’re at . . . whatever they’re facing, that’s our starting point.”
She added that, “We know that each person is unique, and we are committed to meeting people where they’re at in their journey, and we know that one size doesn’t fit all.”
She remarked that sometimes they encounter people who have only been over for a few days or even a few hours.
“They have a lot going on in their lives,” she said. “We see a lot of medical issues” that have been neglected or not diagnosed and also people with fractured relationships, who are homeless, or do not have jobs.
“Addiction can happen to anyone,” Haberman-Laesch added, and that there are many variables that can cause it, including genetics, environment, coping skills, and trauma, which is “highly linked with addiction”.
Some of the treatments available include: evidence-based treatment, individual and group counseling, animal-assisted therapy, art therapy, and support groups.
Getting help
5 Door Recovery is the highest level of care, outside of a hospital or detox center.
While not everyone may not need its level of care, 5 Door does offer referrals to other resources.
5 Door has people come to its facility from a variety of avenues: referrals from other counties in the state, hospitals, and detox centers; counselling centers; family members; and individuals themselves.
5 Door has an intake coordinator that handles each person’s assessment of what help or treatment they need.
“We’ll talk you through it, we’ll talk with you, we’ll listen . . . whatever it takes until we can get you access to treatment,” said Fonder.
The facility also tries to efficiently work with people who need its help so as soon as one person moves out, and there is an open bed, the next person who needs help can move in right away.
“You’ve got to reach out to somebody . . . people can not do this alone,” said Fonder.
“Hope is a very powerful word,” said Haberman-Laesch.
“It’s used all the time by people in recovery, and we believe that there is always hope.”