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The Lived Experience Factor in Fighting the Opioid Epidemic

by Dana Foglesong June 14, 2018Addiction, Substance Abuse

“Strung out. Looking for the next fix. A full time job that doesn’t pay, but just takes.”

That’s how one of Magellan’s Recovery Support Navigators defined her addiction to opiates. She has since overcome the stranglehold of addiction and is now in long term recovery.  Her experiences, and those of her fellow Recovery Support Navigators, provide the credibility needed to influence their peers who are still struggling with addiction and mental illness that recovery is possible and that desperation does not have to define a life.

An estimated 20.2 million Americans live with a substance use disorder[1]. That’s the population of my home state of Florida. Of that, 2.1 million Americans live with an opioid disorder. Similar to serious mental illnesses, substance use disorders can be difficult to address. Those with the lived experience of walking the path from hopelessness to wellness are experts at engaging individuals with the services and supports that foster the recovery process. Stories of changed lives are not the only proof.

A January 2018 study of our internal recovery support navigation program at Magellan Health found statistically significant improvements for individuals living with substance use and mental health disorders. A key component of the Magellan’s internal peer support program is meeting people where they are. The first engagement with members often happens in an emergency room, inpatient setting, or on the streets. Members then choose where future meet-ups happen. Often, that choice is in the comfort of their own home.  If they are experiencing homelessness, the member chooses a safe place.

The study compared utilization of services six months prior to receiving peer support services and six months following the completion of peer support services. Seventy-five percent of the members in the study had a co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder and 50 percent had a co-occurring substance use disorder, mood disorder and psychotic disorder. The study found that members in Magellan’s internal peer support program cost the health plan significantly less in the six months following completion of the peer support program than members who only had care management or who did not receive any intervention from the health plan. The study also found that six months after completing peer services, peer support decreased emergency room and inpatient hospitalizations.

The role modeling by a peer specialist of a life lived well in recovery is evidence for the individual struggling that there can be long term sustainment of recovery. In addition, the data from this study replicates prior findings that peer support has a lasting impact on the lives of those living with substance use and mental health disorders.

[1] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2017). Mental and substance use disorders. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/disorders

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Tags: Addiction, addiction crisis, Behavioral Health, drug abuse, Magellan, Magellan Health, Magellan Healthcare, Mental Health, Mental Health Disorders, Opioid, Opioid Abuse, opioid addiction, opioid crisis, Opioids, recovery support, Substance use disorder
Dana Foglesong
Dana Foglesong
Dana Foglesong is the director of recovery and resiliency services for Magellan Complete Care of Florida. In this role, she leads a diverse team of recovery support navigators who provide peer support services as part of MCC’s integrated health team approach. Foglesong manages the operations and budget for the Recovery Support Initiative, partnering with recipients, peer-run organizations, advocates and providers to expand peer support services in Florida, as well as providing technical assistance and training to providers and community stakeholders. She coordinates companywide initiatives to focus and provide guidance in promoting the concepts of recovery, resiliency, and wellness throughout Magellan Complete Care. Prior to joining Magellan, Foglesong worked for the Florida Department of Children and Families in the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. In that role, she advised the department on key contracts for optimal recovery integration at all levels of care, in addition to working with key stakeholders to define specialized standards for training and supervision of peer specialists. She was a member of The National Association of Consumer/Survivor Mental Health Administrators providing guidance on national projects including a NASPHD publication for enhancing the peer provider workforce. Foglesong has been as a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist in Florida since 2010. She founded The Peer Support Coalition of Florida to expand leadership, advocacy, and employment opportunities for individuals with lived experience. In 2015 she received the Amada Hope Award for her commitment to providing help and hope to others and for exemplifying recovery. Foglesong holds a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work. In her free time, she is active in efforts to reduce homelessness in her local community. She enjoys sleeping, bicycling, and dreaming up big ideas in her hammock.
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