Community Foundation Grant Brings Training Opportunities
A Capacity Grant from the Community Foundation of Morgan County will bring a new level of expertise to our staff members who work directly with shelter residents. Recognizing the need to support many of our residents as they work to overcome addiction, Stability First currently employs a Licensed Addictions Counselor and two Certified Recovery Specialists. But now that the Magdalene House is a Level 3 Recovery Residence, and knowing that the future Foundations House will also have this designation, Stability First leaders decided that every member of the staff would benefit from a good overview of substance abuse disorders and the recommended best practices in treatment and recovery support.
With generous support from the Foundation, a total of eight staff members will be certified in Addiction / Substance Use Disorder with an Opioid Specialization. The 20 credit certification was developed by Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy, Office of Continuing Education and Overdose Lifeline. Using much of the same material, this training has also been adapted for healthcare professionals and clinicians, law enforcement and laypersons. Individual courses include: The Brain & the Disease of Addiction, Removing the Shame & Stigma in Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD), Guide to SUD Treatment & Recovery, Guide to Harm Reduction, Medication Assisted Treatment, Exploring the Role of ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Trauma in SUD, the Opioid Public Health Crisis, Naloxone Administration, and a Practicum Assignment.
In addition to the practicum, the course also requires passing a final exam to achieve certification. Fortunately the training is offered on-line and can be taken at any pace. This is ideal for Stability First, as we need to balance our need for quality staff training, while still providing coverage for our facilities 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
Operations Director, Robin Wonnell, is excited about this opportunity. “We are so grateful to the CFMC for this grant that will allow our staff to stay up to date on the latest information about SUD. As we all know, substance use disorder impacts every corner of our community. Many of those struggling with addiction are people we know – our family members, our friends, our co-workers, our neighbors. We cannot rely on what we think we know or what we may have learned years ago about addiction…we must continue to stay educated on this chronic disease of the brain.”
The Community Foundation of Morgan County’s mission includes enhancing the quality of life for current and future residents of our county. CFMC Capacity Grants help local non-profits become more efficient and effective. They assist community organizations in strengthening the work they do every day. We know that this opportunity will certainly make our work more effective and we thank the Foundation was their investment in our efforts.
