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Pulling treatment from the abyss I t’s challenging enough getting a person afflicted by addiction into recovery just once. Kai Denis, of Santa Rosa treatment nonprofit Center Point DAAC, will never forget the man who came back again and again. And again. The man was on parole and enrolled in the recovery center’s intensive outpatient program, recalls Denis, DAAC’s (Drug Abuse Alternatives Center) current By Jason Walsh [DAAC’s] resources were out there [for his own benefit]—he knew he had no excuse not to use it.” Today, the man has a “pretty decent
With addiction at a crisis point, Center Point DAAC looks to take its recovery model statewide
Santa Rosa this fall. Founded in Santa Rosa in 1969, DAAC emerged at a time when substance abuse was growing in the region and effective treatment and recovery services were limited. More than five decades later, the organization has expanded its services while continuing to adapt to changing trends in addiction and recovery. Today, DAAC leaders believe the organization's combination of medication-assisted treatment, medical oversight and long-term recovery support has created a framework that could serve as a model for treatment providers throughout California. High-quality, low cost Center Point DAAC has invested heavily in medication-assisted treatment and medically managed withdrawal services, offering care to Medi-Cal patients that advocates say is often difficult to find elsewhere in Northern California. Center Point DAAC leaders believe the organization's approach not only improves recovery outcomes locally, but could also serve as a model for treatment providers elsewhere in California. The goal has been to make comprehensive, evidence- based addiction treatment accessible to all patients, regardless of income. Central to that approach is DAAC's medically managed withdrawal program, supported by 24- hour nursing staff, an addiction-certified medical director and a deputy medical director. The organization takes a holistic approach to treatment, offering evaluations for anxiety and depression, blood and laboratory testing, physical health assessments and ongoing recovery support. When patients require services beyond DAAC's scope of care, staff coordinate referrals to the appropriate medical providers. By integrating medical, behavioral and recovery services under one umbrella, DAAC aims to provide a level of comprehensive care that is often difficult for Medi-Cal patients to access. David Panush is president of California Health Policy Strategies, a Sacramento-based consulting firm shaping policies to improve the state health- care system. He’s worked with Center Point DAAC on honing its treatment approach and views it as “part of what the system could be.” He juxtaposes the way traditional recovery treatment works versus other serious health conditions. “If you went to an emergency room
paying” job in the transportation industry, says Denis. Unfortunately, not every user is as committed to climbing their way out of addiction—and delivering the message about what recovery centers such as Center Point DAAC have to offer is a critical priority for the nonprofit. Expanding Access to Care Despite expanded treatment options and growing awareness of substance use disorders, many people still struggle to access care before their addiction reaches a crisis point. Center Point DAAC leaders say improving access to treatment and reducing barriers to entry remain among the organization's highest priorities. Center Point DAAC (Drug Abuse Alternatives Center and Center Point, Inc. merged in 2012), which along with a host of diversion and outpatient services operates the residential Dr. Sushma D. Taylor Recovery Center, has spent decades refining its approach to addiction treatment. The $7.6 million facility celebrates its first anniversary in
director of medication assisted treatment, who was the man’s counselor at the time. Disillusioned by a lack of employment, money and prospects, he would place Denis on the receiving end of his loud frustrations—angrily vowing to give up his recovery efforts and be sent back to prison, which would be “easier than doing all this.” Despite his initial dedication to the program, within a few months the man suffered a relapse. But he pulled himself together, re-enrolled in the program and graduated. Six months later, he suffered another relapse. But, again, he re-enrolled in treatment—this time in DAAC’s residential program. By this time, the man was so familiar with the program, “he could almost run the place himself,” says Denis. The staff was invested in his success and held him to a high standard, while newer DAAC clients looked to him as a role model. After nearly three years of struggle to overcome the grip of addiction, this time his recovery stuck. “It was significant,” Denis says of that success story. Because not all people who need treatment are as determined to make treatment work. “He was aware that
Staff at Center Point DAAC
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