UMADAOP BUILDS BONDS THAT FOSTER RECOVERY
African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics. Lee-MChunganji says these groups of people experience oppression, which can involve trauma and not having access to services. The term trauma encompasses more than just a physical injury. Both African-Americans and Native Americans have had their contributions left out of history, Lee-MChunganji says.
The institution of slavery, in relation to how it is collectively remembered and impacted the identity formation of a group of people, can be referred to as cultural trauma, according to Dr. Ronald Eyerman, professor of sociology at Yale University. History is often written from a
Recovering from drug and alcohol addiction encompasses much more than helping someone stop using. Clinical Services Manager Terehasa Lee-MChunganji says the process is like helping people nd their roots. “If your roots don’t go down very deep, and the storm comes, you get knocked down,” Lee-MChunganji says. UMADAOP works speci cally with urban minorities, including
“A recovery coach can go with them to introduce them to someone who might be very bene cial,” Lee-MChunganji says. The recovery coaches stay with clients until the client is able to build a peer-network for themselves, Lee-MChunganji says.
UMADAOP also refers clients to White Bison meetings, a group centered on addiction recovery speci cally for Native Americans
European perspective, Lee-MChunganji says. “When you give people their history back, what you give them back is their pride and dignity,” Lee-MChunganji says.
“NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BUY A NEW HOUSE IN THE SUBURBS.” -Terehasa Lee-MChunganji
“WHEN YOU GIVE PEOPLE THEIR HISTORY BACK, WHAT YOU GIVE THEM BACK IS THEIR PRIDE AND DIGNITY.” -Clinical Services Manager Terehasa Lee-MChunganji
A recent past Lee-MChunganji notes that some might see slavery as a product of the distant past; something that occurred more than one hundred years ago. But this isn’t the case. “We’re 140 years away from slavery,” Lee-MChunganji says. “Two grandmothers back were slaves.” Lee-MChunganji notes some African-Americans spend time trying to nd their roots. In other words, they want to nd out about their heritage and where their family was distributed in the U.S. upon arrival. “You expect people to be balanced, when they were cut off at the root,” Lee-MChunganji says. Lee-MChunganji says drug treatment in Ohio now has a greater emphasis on treating the mental health of clients. Although, Lee-MChunganji says, a lot of times when patients receive culturally speci c treatment, underlying issues of depression and anxiety can go away on their own. “Despite the changes in the state of Ohio, we continue to grow and thrive,” Lee-MChunganji says. “It’s largely due to the commitment to what we do.” In short, Lee-MChunganji says her goal is to help people, individually, and as a community, reach their highest potential and their greatest good. 33
Treating the Traumatized UMADAOP works with clients who have spent time in prison. Some of the clients UMADAOP serves have spent most of their lives in prison. “We really work to reconstruct their thinking and behavior in a way that allows them to be more successful,” Lee-MChunganji says. While UMADAOP strives to help people, Lee-MChunganji says it’s valuable to look at a client’s life within the bigger picture. A client could experience a signi cant amount of high quality treatment — but if afterward, a client returns to a toxic environment, the treatment might not be as successful. “Not everyone is going to be fortunate enough to buy a new house in the suburbs,” Lee-MChunganji says.
Lee-MChunganji says UMADAOP helps clients learn survival skills for when obstacles and barriers arise. The 12-step community is an important partner with UMADAOP, Lee-MChunganji says. UMADAOP works to nd culturally inclusive 12-step groups. “They’re part of a group of people that have successfully navigated their way out of criminal behavior,” Lee-MChunganji says. Recovery coaches who work in UMADAOP’s treatment facility are also involved in 12-step meetings. Lee-MChunganji says clients can sometimes be reluctant to attend 12-step meetings because it’s new and there’s also a lot of stigma associated with being an addict.
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