By Suzanne Koesel
Almost all of us have been impacted by addiction. Whether it be through a parent, spouse, child, friend, co-worker or neighbor, few of us are immune to its effects, and unfortunately this trend is growing.
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. As a nation, we are losing Americans in what should be the prime of their lives at record high numbers to an unprecedented drug crisis. To ensure the future of our nation, this cannot continue.
Fortunately, we can change this startling statistic. Addiction is a disease that we know can be treated, but we have to do more to ensure that we are providing people with the highest quality treatment and the safest possible care.
Today, many seeking addiction treatment simply have no access to it. It is estimated that as many as 30 million Americans are living in rural counties where no treatment options of any kind exist. In areas where some treatment options do exist, many are receiving insufficient care because there are no quality standards for addiction treatment.
This lack of standards means that a person seeking care at five different treatment centers may receive five different treatment protocols. In many cases, these protocols might not be comprehensive enough. Since addiction has biological, psychological and social factors, individuals may need a range of services, including medication-assisted treatment, counseling, peer supports and assistance with finding employment or housing, to sustain recovery.
For the health and wellbeing of our country, we must provide additional resources to ensure that everyone in our nation has access to the right addiction treatment, and develop standards that incentivize providers to offer the best care and seek positive outcomes.
U.S. Representatives Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Gene Green, D-Texas, along with U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va., have proposed a new bill that has potential to reduce barriers to lifesaving care in some of the areas hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. The Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act of 2018 would establish and fund Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers (CORCs) in areas with high rates of overdose deaths.
Funded centers would provide a full continuum of treatment services including medically supervised detoxification, counseling, peer support, residential services, housing and job placement support. All centers would report the outcomes of the people they treat as well as the effectiveness of interventions, which could provide much needed perspective on best practices that can be deployed nationwide.
Centers also would engage community partners and offer online evidence-based resources that educate organizations and the public on opioid-use disorder.
All of us at Centerstone commend congressional members for their leadership in proposing meaningful solutions to combat the opioid crisis and provide evidence-based care for members of our community seeking addiction treatment.
As a nation, we must do better to ensure those struggling with addiction receive effective care. As Congress continues to debate solutions to the opioid epidemic we urge leaders to take decisive action on legislation that supports evidence-based, comprehensive care. Ensuring treatment standards are a critical step in saving lives and stemming the tide on opioid crisis.
Suzanne Koesel is chief executive officer of Centerstone of Indiana, a nonprofit organization with an office in Columbus that provides mental health, substance abuse, education and integrated health services.
