Sometimes we forget that addiction recovery isn’t as simple as deciding to get sober. Don’t get us wrong — that decision is the first and most important step. But once someone has made that decision, there are dozens of obstacles standing between them and recovery, many of which are beyond their control.
The single largest hurdle is getting into a rehab program. The opioid epidemic has left treatment centers swamped. So what do you do until you can get into a recovery program?
And then there are the challenges people rarely think about: Where do you go when you want to get sober but you live with people who use? If you lost or had to quit your job so you could start the rehab process, how do you afford basic necessities without a paycheck and medications without health insurance? How do you navigate all the paperwork to get into a program? What if you don’t have a support system to help you on the road to recovery?
That’s where organizations like Lauren’s Wish come in.
Lauren’s Wish was named for Lauren Cole: a bright, compassionate young woman who battled addiction for years. One day, she said to her father, Michael Cole, “Dad, there are so many people suffering from addiction that need and want help, but they don’t have the resources or family to get it. Do you think that when you retire, we can do something to help them?” Lauren understood an addict is more than their addiction: He or she is still a person with hopes and dreams and who needs love and support to overcome the addiction that has taken over his or her life.
Unfortunately, Lauren relapsed in the early months of the pandemic and she overdosed on fentanyl-tainted drugs. But Michael brought his daughter’s wish to life: The addiction triage center in Hazel’s House of Hope acts as the safety net, in Michael’s words, “between the ER and long term.” Just as its namesake wanted, Lauren’s Wish sees and supports the whole person and understands there is more to recovery than simply deciding to get sober.
About a year and half into its operations, the amazing work at Lauren’s Wish has been rewarded with over $830,000 in a congressionally directed spending grant from Sen. Joe Manchin’s office. We are thrilled for the center’s staff and clients.
Operations manager Brandon Wise told MetroNews, “It’s really going to open the doors for us to stay open, number one. Number two, really make sure the clients get the care they need; all their basic needs are met.”
The organization provides a free, safe place for people to stay while they wait for a spot to open in a long-term rehab program. The 28-bed center offers individual and group therapy sessions. And, as Wise said, Lauren’s Wish will help with medication expenses for those who have lost their insurance or who had to leave a bad situation quickly and left their medicine behind.
Lauren’s Wish has seen an amazing success rate: It has placed about 85% of the 496 people who have been admitted into treatment services, and three have gone on to become peer recovery coaches who come back to work with Lauren’s Wish clients. And the organization also works with individuals who have completed their recovery program to get them into job training programs so they can take the next step to reclaiming their lives.
We’re glad to see the organization’s awe-inspiring work be recognized and rewarded at the federal level. And we hope Lauren’s wish continues to be granted for many years to come.
