Now More Than Ever: United Way has helped Nazareth’s substance abuse programs stay on track
It has been a difficult two years for most everyone. The damage the COVID-19 pandemic has caused is far-reaching and will endure long after the virus subsides. The statistics have jumped out at us since the spring of 2020: hundreds of thousands of deaths, an over-run healthcare system, fatigued front-line workers, education dilemmas … the list goes on and on.
Almost unreported, though, has been the adverse impact the pandemic has had on the addiction front. The number of those with addiction problems has soared. And experts think those numbers will continue to grow.
Fortunately, with the help of United Way of Davidson County, the substance abuse outpatient programs run by Nazareth Child & Family Connection in Lexington have been able to continue their work in Davidson County throughout the pandemic.
“We specifically use that money for clients who are not insured to get them services. That is a huge area of need, not just in Davidson County, but everywhere,” said Charla Williams, the substance abuse intensive outpatient program manager for Nazareth’s Lexington office.
“We often see clients that come in without insurance and we are not an agency that turns people away. If someone comes in and is appropriate for our program, and can’t pay, we don’t turn them away. That’s where the United Way of Davidson County comes in. Their funding helps us provide services for those specific clients who cannot afford to get help.”
Over the past year the Nazareth facility in Lexington scheduled an average of 89 adult substance abuse appointments a week. At the same time, they were seeing roughly 74 clients a week under the age of 18.
“We absolutely could not have done what we have done through our Lexington office in the past year without funding from the United Way of Davidson County. It is so vital to what we do to help in Davidson County,” said Vernon Walters Jr., president and CEO of Nazareth. “
Even though the number of clients the Lexington office has seen during the pandemic has been more than usual, Williams says she expects the cases to continue to spike after the pandemic wanes.
“We believe the numbers will take off,” Williams said of post-pandemic expectations. “I think people are underestimating the effect of Covid. People have lost loved ones. There is major grief, grief of isolation, grief of being alone, and grief from not being with loved ones at the hospital.”
“When we come out of this, we will likely see a massive influx of referrals, especially at the kid level. We are already seeing that.”
There is a cost to recovery, one that is out of reach to many if not for agencies like the United Way of Davidson County. The average weekly cost for substance abuse treatment with Nazareth can range from $533 for intensive outpatient treatment to $265 for individual treatment and $165 for group sessions.
“Most, if they don’t have insurance, don’t have $600. It’s really hard even for those with insurance and have a high co-pay,” said Williams.
While addiction is costly to communities, recovery, when complete, is valuable to communities. “Addiction impacts everyone. It impacts everyone in the family and causes issues for all family members, including the children,” said Williams. “When parents get sober, it positively impacts their children. It also positively impacts their ability to maintain employment, and to contribute to the community.”
