For those on the path to recovery, a strong, comprehensive network of support systems is vital for sustainable success.
For many, treating addiction also means addressing underlying mental health issues – more than 80 percent of those who come in asking for help, according to Avi Israel, president and founder of Save the Michaels.
When people reach out to Save the Michaels for help, they do an evaluation to determine whether inpatient or outpatient treatment is recommended and arrange all the details to make that happen including transportation. A Recovery Coach then stays in touch throughout treatment and is an “advocate that helps them once they get out of treatment,” says Israel.
But mental health support can be hard to come by, as can housing options and life skills experience vital to establishing a new, healthy daily routine. This fracture in support leads to what Israel calls a “merry-go-round of people” who cycle through the system.
“One of the biggest problems we have once they get out of treatment is that there’s no treatment,” he adds, noting the months-long backlog to get in to see a psychiatrist. “People have no place to go. Nobody wants to take them. Anyone who is addicted already has the guilt feeling, not adequate, don’t measure up – add to that the rejection and they take their life.”
Israel lost his son Michael to suicide after he was “prescribed into addiction” at 18.
“He never made it to 21,” said Israel. “We want to make sure there are no more Michaels. That’s our goal.”
To help further that mission, Save the Michaels is now focusing efforts on the post-treatment gap in addiction recovery.
The non-profit is currently working to open two separate, six-month stay housing projects: one for women in Erie County, and one for men in Niagara County. The female home on Buffalo’s East Side will accommodate 10 women along with five mothers with their children. Save the Michaels is working closely with Cazenovia Recovery Systems to offer a permanent housing option once their six-month stay is complete.
“We decided it’s time for us to do this because we’ve seen people come in and out in and out,” Israel said.
These six-month stay homes will provide a welcoming, helpful haven for those post-treatment, focused on providing comprehensive, compassionate support. This means getting familiar with all the things you’d typically do “in the outside world” on a daily basis and relearning – or learning – basic life skills, like cooking and budgeting. Save the Michaels will also work with them to try and get family involved in their support – a pivotal element in long-term success.
“We will show them that somebody really cares,” said Israel. “And that’s what they need. For someone to care about them.”
