Apr. 29—MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Community Coalition held a town hall to discuss addiction and resources in the Moses Lake community. The meeting titled “The Us in Them: The line between us and them is thinner than you think” had a panel of six speakers from a variety of backgrounds. The Columbia Basin Herald published a story Monday about the personal experiences of the participants.
The panel included a variety of speakers including: Tameara Johnson, a social worker and mom of recovering addict Alec Fisher, who also participated in the panel and is a member of the Oxford House in Moses Lake; Todd Schanze, Emergency Medical Services Supervisor for the Moses Lake Fire Department; David Chapman, a recovering addict, also in the Oxford Housse who is now two years sober; Jose Ramirez, Moses Lake Police Department Officer and MLPD Officer Matt Harum.
A variety of resources to help those battling addiction were discussed at the forum.
Renew
Renew, established in 1971, is a provider of behavioral health services in Grant County. It offers a wide array of services, including mental health counseling, substance use treatment, crisis stabilization and support for developmental disabilities across six locations, according to the Renew website.
The organization is dedicated to helping those with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, as well as substance use challenges. Their personalized approach includes evidence-based treatments with services extending to individual and family therapy, case management, employment and housing assistance, peer support, intensive programs and medication management.
Chapman and Fisher said they have used resources at Renew while in their recovery process. Johnson said she has used the services to help her son and other clients.
For more information, visit GrantCountyWa.Gov/761/Renew, visit the office at 840 E. Plum St. or call 509-765-9239.
Recovery Navigator
The Recovery Navigator Program, provided by Advance, offers outreach and case management services for individuals with substance use disorders. It connects them with peers in long-term recovery who provide support through shared experiences. All Recovery Outreach Specialists are trained recovery coaches and certified peer counselors with personal experience, such as homelessness or incarceration, according to Advance’s website.
Participation in the program is entirely voluntary, accepting anyone seeking help. Staff members make referrals to local resources and services but do not provide in-house treatment. Referrals can be made by anyone, including law enforcement, community members, and self-referrals.
“I am so thankful for the recovery navigators. Their culture is one of the reasons why my son and Chapman and some other people are doing so well because they have this culture,” Johnson said. “There are resources that we use for little things. I mean, there’s just more out there than there has been.”
For more information visit AdvanceNW.org, visit the Moses Lake office at 406 S. Division St. or call 800-810-4138.
HopeSource
HopeSource is a nonprofit organization in six Central Washington counties, including Grant County, HopeSource Housing Specialist and Peer Counselor Christina Steven said during the meeting. The organization has been around for 10 years.
“We have a wide range of supportive services, including (for) housing and homelessness, along with specialist programs for our veterans,” Stevens said. “We are not operating on a whole-person care model. …We can look at the whole picture of every client, not just one need.”
For more information, visit HopeSource.us, visit the office at 1000 W Ivy Ave, or call 509-707-0179.
Oxford House
The Oxford House has three established homes with a fourth one in the process of being finalized. The houses are sober living residences where members hold one another accountable for house responsibilities, sobriety and recovery.
“We have a democratic presentation in our house,” Chapman said. “So that means that everybody comes in, everybody has a stay. And the way the house is run. There are different positions. There’s the president, there’s a treasurer, there is a secretary, there is a corporate board, coordinator, different positions that will work together. Once a week, we come together and the house meeting, we talk about how things are running.”
Both Chapman and Fisher are a part of an Oxford House in Moses Lake. Chapman explained that everyone is responsible for paying their portion of the expenses. He said he pays $600 a month.
He said there are strict rules in place at the house regarding alcohol or drug usage. If someone is found to have relapsed, they are evicted from the home. “If there’s someone in the house, isolating, they have someone involved in their lives,” Chapman said. “…We hold each other accountable.”
For more information, call 509-350-5594.
Community Court
Grant County Community Court program, overseen by District Court Judge Brian Gwinn, provides an alternative to incarceration that includes mental health and recovery resources.
“Chapman is actually one of our graduates (from) community court,” said Community Court Specialist Alma Faria. “We’ve only been around two years, and right now we have 22 participants. We work very closely with recovery, just collaborating with their ideas helps them become successful, and then they get charges dropped at the end, basically.”
For more information, email gcdc-communitycourt@grantcountywa.gov or call 509-754-2011 ext. 3162.
Goodwill
Goodwill in Moses Lake offers independent living services, assistance with job searches and placement services, supported employment, job coaching and work assessment and training services.
“We have Goodwill that’s doing a lot more than (being a thrift store). Like, I thought Goodwill was cheaper clothes, but turns out they do a lot more for our community,” Chapman said. “So, get familiar resources, and don’t be afraid to ask.”
For those looking for more information, call 509-765-1769.