La Red goes purple, providing community resources to those battling addiction
GEORGETOWN, Del. – La Red Health Center is going purple.
La Red Goes Purple
The organization is doing all it can to connect its community with resources to battle addiction and support those who have lost loved ones to the disease. Wednesday, the group hosted an event at its Georgetown location, getting folks to open up and have necessary organizations.
“It’s a way to get the community involved with the opiate crisis,” said La Red’s Behavioral Health Administrator, John Russum. “We’re offering Narcan, we’re offering training and screenings.”
Organizers say Delaware, and Sussex County in particular, have been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. That’s why La Red pulled together a host of other community resource groups to get in on the event.
“This is to try to get the community involved, see what’s out there,” Russum said.
Breaking Barriers to Care
For those struggling with addiction, caring for the whole self is an important part of recovery. However, without access to transportation, or necessary funds, that can be a struggle. And, while Sussex County’s diversity makes its population vibrant, it can also present challenges.
“The language barrier is a big one,” said Janae Taylor, a registered nurse in La Red’s Mobile Health Unit. “It can be scary if you’re having an emergency, to not be able to communicate effectively.”
Thankfully, the new Mobile Health Unit is built to meet people where they are.
It’s outfitted with all the necessary medical equipment, interpreters, and helping hands. The team on this unit can handle pretty much any common ailment. They can also provide valuable help to those battling substance misuse and abuse.
“When people come on the Mobile Unit, we ask if they use drugs or when was their last use, and we can direct them to the services that we offer,” Taylor said. “We can give them a referral to behavioral health.”
“Hang in there, do not give up, and reach out.”
And while this community’s health needs are complex, the message from La Red is simple:
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you look like, if you have money or don’t have money. Hang in there, do not give up, and reach out,” Taylor said. “Everyone is one step away from anything. You just never know.”
La Red provides a whole host of health care and information at its locations in Georgetown, Milford, and Seaford. For more information about how La Red can help you, click here.
log on to la red health center dot org.
