In the horrid circumstances of the opioid crisis within the City of Philadelphia the Philadelphia Resiliency Program was launched by Mayor Jim Kenney. Now the first update is being released as to the progress of the program.
The Resiliency Program included incorporating 7 missions related to the opioid crisis impact. It involved mobilizing 35 different departments in the city to begin operating together instead of in silos. With 1,100 deaths per year the impact of opioid addictions is still devastating families and communities. It is encouraging that Philadelphia is making intentional efforts to confront the myriad of these complex issues. It is this vicious, circular process of opioids causing issues and the stress of the problems causing more opioid use.
Here is the link to the article that summarizes the strides and struggles of this whole process.
As in many cities the issues related to the opioid crisis are complex and vast. As you can see from this article the approaches are diverse and community encompassing. There have been some areas where there is positive progress but there is still so much more to do. I so admire this effort and the posture of “failing fast” so as to quickly respond to any necessary changes that will continue to keep the momentum moving forward.
As I have written before, we also must continue to include in the interventions the reality of trauma as one of the causes of opioid use. Whether it is child trauma or other traumatic events in the lives of those who are addicted, there is a direct correlation of trauma to opioid use. We can work hard on responses to opioids, but we must also seriously consider the root cause.
Lakeside is active in educating professionals in Philadelphia related to the impact of trauma. We are increasing our presence in the Philadelphia School District and in many organizations to help this Resiliency Program have growth and progress in overall trauma awareness. Our trauma-informed therapeutic education is spreading all throughout the city along with other organizations like ours. We are hopeful that our impact will help our city rediscover health and hope for overcoming the devastation of opioid addictions.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
