A connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and opioid misuse has been established in recent years. Palm Beach County ranks first in Florida for opioid overdose deaths and non-fatal overdoses(Florida Charts, 2017). This intervention sets out to inform the members of this community who have experienced ACEs of the connection between ACEs and opioid misuse. In person counseling sessions and an online education course have been developed to not only help with the healing of past traumas, but also prevent against coping mechanisms that rely on the intake of opioids. Participants will also emerge from this intervention with connections to other members of the community who have similar experiences, creating a continuing system of support and resilience once the intervention has concluded.
There are two in-person counseling sessions mediated by a certified trauma specialists and an online education course developed by substance abuse professionals, that make up this intervention. The first in-person counseling session is mostly facilitated by the certified trauma specialists and the second session is facilitated by the participants. After the conclusion of the first session, some of the participants are selected to take the online education course. Those selected to take the course serve as discussion leaders in the next session. The online course is offered to the rest of the participants and the entire Palm Beach County community after the conclusion of the intervention.
The trauma informed principles utilized in this intervention will be peer support and mutual self help, as well as empowerment, voice and choice (SAMHSA, 2014). The social ecological model levels that will receive the most focus in this intervention are the community and individual levels. At the community level, the group sharing session and the online course are meant to foster the development of a strong knowledge base concerning the connection between ACEs and opioid abuse. Also, the group sessions are meant to create a feeling of shared experience so that individuals know they are not the only ones going through trauma related issues. At the individual level, the knowledge dispensed throughout the intervention is supposed to encourage personal education and an understanding in relation to the effects of ACEs. This intervention will utilize a public health framework to achieve the goals aforementioned. This framework is supported by the incorporation of professionals from both the trauma and substance abuse fields to yield the most applicable intervention possible.
References
Florida Health Charts.(2017). Opioid use dashboard. Department of Health State of Florida. Retrieved from:http://www.flhealthcharts.com/ChartsReports/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=ChartsProfiles.OpioidUseDashboard
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategies Initiative. Retrieved from: https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4884.pdf
Comments (0)