There have been countless people trying to get help this holiday season, only to be turned away by the hospitals, or sent home with their families or friends to "wait until a detox opens." What the heck??? Do our healthcare facilities not recognize that the holidays are the HARDEST time for addicts? Do they not recognize that during the holidays, they may get inundated with people needing help, therefore they need to be ready for it? Why am I referring people to Freeman and Ozark Center if they are just going to be turned away? I mean, seriously? Come on, Ozark Center!! You have the "market" wrapped up around here---so do something about it!!! Open your darn doors! Open your darn detox facilities. Quit sending these people home when they need you the most. You are the trained experts--WE AREN'T. You are the healthcare facility---we aren't. You expect people to just sit on their loved ones for 2 days while they wait, wait, wait for help?
I cannot even count on my hands and toes, the amount of people who got turned away this week. TURNED AWAY. Do these people have to smoke meth or shoot heroin in your parking lot to constitute a "need?" What kind of healthcare are we running around here?
Is this part of the "game" so that people will RUN to the Methadone Clinic and get more drugs rather than real help?
COME ON, JOPLIN!! Get your act together. Learn to care for addicts when they need you. We have a serious problem in Southwest Missouri and you aren't helping the situation.
If you are an addict that tried to get help this week---MESSAGE ME. We will find alternatives to Joplin, Missouri if we need to---or better yet---be a squeaky wheel and SCREAM FOR IMMEDIATE HELP. Your life does matter, whether some anonymous ER doctor believes it or not. Go to Mercy. Drive to Tulsa. Go to Springfield---BUT DO NOT TURN BACK TO DRUGS. There ARE people who are willing to help.
If you are a healthcare provider that has some suggestions--please post them. People need answers.
I am all for helping addicts and being a health care worker I feel that you are in a way bashing these facilities. As a hospital employee, I see people daily with addictions, depression, and mental health issues, but, we can only do so much. We are "turning away" patients from these facilities due to maximum capacities being reached in the said facilities. Yes, I agree we need to add on to these facilities to accommodate the large and growing number of addicts in SW Missouri, BUT it's not entirely our faults. We do the best we can and deeply care for our patients. We don't take it lightly but we can't have a patient sitting in the ER rooms for days on end waiting for a bed to become available at the appropriate facility. I'm sorry you feel this way about our community health services, but we truly do all that we can. Congratulations on your accomplishments of overcoming your addictions. I can recommend seeking other resources while waiting on a bed to become available such as a pastor, a friend, a help hotline, or even a psychiatrist. Reach out to ones who care to help you in the waiting periods. Thank you
ReplyDeleteIt's not her addiction that was beat, it was her daughter. She's right, the only real help a person can get is going to the ER, get sent to Stephens or Hawthorn centers to be evaluated. While there for a few days, they get diagnosed with a mental diagnosis, meds, and an appointment to see a therapist or Psychiatrist in a few weeks. Or there is outpatient care through the Ozark. I'm not aware of any other centers for addiction in Joplin, if there is. I'm not addicted to drugs, but I have family and friends that are. Joplin needs a large INPATIENT drug therapy center. Joplin and the surrounding area has more than enough people in need of such a center. Drug addiction is more than a mental issue. We need a dual diagnosis center to accommodate our ailing population.
ReplyDeleteLook into Teen Challenge, its an AWESOME 13 month program there's a facility in Neosho, theres a lot of them nearby!
ReplyDeleteMy son called them this past fall and they told him the list was so long they wouldn't even put him on "the list". There are not a lot of near-by resources for treatment. Or locations willing to accept... :( Then there was one place that would consider him-but, he didn't have the cash upfront that they required.
DeleteHappen to us last summer after 6 years of trying to get our daughter into rehab she finally took the step and the ER at freeman turned her away I was pissed as well
ReplyDeleteThey just need to whip joplin off map there good people i lived there for 8 years but theres more bad the problem is most addicts only want help when there in trouble not because they want to be clean ( there are few who do want to be clean ) but must use it as a cruch to lessin sentintance for crimes or other reason and look around everyones still high how many failurs do u have to have be before it hits i was out there at one point in my life thats when i stood up and walked away from everything and one i new to change my life for me im now going on 7 years clean best thing i ever did was walk away from that hell
ReplyDeleteThey just need to whip joplin off map there good people i lived there for 8 years but theres more bad the problem is most addicts only want help when there in trouble not because they want to be clean ( there are few who do want to be clean ) but must use it as a cruch to lessin sentintance for crimes or other reason and look around everyones still high how many failurs do u have to have be before it hits i was out there at one point in my life thats when i stood up and walked away from everything and one i new to change my life for me im now going on 7 years clean best thing i ever did was walk away from that hell
ReplyDeleteThey just need to whip joplin off map there good people i lived there for 8 years but theres more bad the problem is most addicts only want help when there in trouble not because they want to be clean ( there are few who do want to be clean ) but must use it as a cruch to lessin sentintance for crimes or other reason and look around everyones still high how many failurs do u have to have be before it hits i was out there at one point in my life thats when i stood up and walked away from everything and one i new to change my life for me im now going on 7 years clean best thing i ever did was walk away from that hell
ReplyDeleteThey just need to whip joplin off map there good people i lived there for 8 years but theres more bad the problem is most addicts only want help when there in trouble not because they want to be clean ( there are few who do want to be clean ) but must use it as a cruch to lessin sentintance for crimes or other reason and look around everyones still high how many failurs do u have to have be before it hits i was out there at one point in my life thats when i stood up and walked away from everything and one i new to change my life for me im now going on 7 years clean best thing i ever did was walk away from that hell
ReplyDeleteI've work in the local addictions treatment programs for many years. Not the two you mentioned but yeah contact me for info about navigating these systems. There are many barriers to providing timely substance abuse treatment. Seth. snj979s@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteI’ve read your blog with great interest and concern, and would like the opportunity to explore the subject with you further.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely would like to talk with you about the issues regarding access to detoxification services mentioned in your blog. Please give me a call at Ozark Center, 417.347.7600.
We understand it’s important to get help whenever a crisis arises – that’s why we offer a 24-hour Crisis Services Help Line at 417.347.7720 or 800.247.0661.
Additionally, we offer a texting program called TxtAboutIt – anyone can get help from Ozark Center counselors without saying who they are through TxtAboutIt. To get started, text REGISTER to 720-7-TXTOZK.
Respectfully,
Del Camp
Vice President of Clinical Operations
Ozark Center
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DeleteThank you for your comment. I would love to share information with families about the steps they need to take, to curb the confusion. I realize that there are more issues that healthcare providers must take into consideration than what the average person may see from outside looking in. I will be in touch.
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Thanks,
imran
I spent Christmas in rehab. We were amazed how many people joined our little group during the Holidays. I was glad to see that they found the exit sign of hope :)
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