Page 12 - Samaritas Our Hands Winter 2024

Substance Use Disorder
News of Substance (SUD) Treatment
Trauma Assessments
Updates about our Substance Use Care Management
Psychiatric Services
Disorder and Mental Health Services

The SUD team has had some great success recently in bringing its "This program is very inspirational and empowering. Guiding Light
addiction services and mental health treatment to new regions in provides a healthy and safe environment for the women. This program
Michigan. In Montcalm County, a new partnership with a homeless shows they do not give up on their individuals when things get
shelter is underway. challenging and provides support all around,” said Helena Rammal,
Samaritas Clinician who serves at Guiding Light.
The Have Mercy shelter assists homeless individuals and families that
reside in Montcalm and Ionia County. Have Mercy helps to meet the In another key partnership, Samaritas is helping refugees through its
most basic and fundamental needs of the individuals in their care such as Afghan Family Strengthening Initiative (AFSI). The program is funded by
shelter, food, and clothing. Samaritas has been invited to partner Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and
alongside Have Mercy and provide comprehensive substance abuse Office of Global Michigan (OGM). LEO-OGM uses evidenced based
treatment to these individuals. interventions created by Boston College School of Social Work.

Samaritas also provides ongoing counseling and assessment. This allows This is an in-home program working with Afghan families to promote
clients to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan to help take communication, resilience and mental health with a goal of reducing
the next step forward. trauma and mental health stressors. Samaritas has served over 30 Afghan
families in the Detroit area using the AFSI model.
“There’s some genuinely caring community developing at Have Mercy.
There are also raw conversations, some of which are leading to realistic Additionally, through the Ukrainian Humanitarian Program which is
and hope-filled goals. And I’m grateful to be there to experience it with also funded by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic
those guys,” said Joel Christie, Samaritas Clinician who runs IOP at Opportunity (LEO) and Office of Global Michigan (OGM),
Have Mercy. Samaritas clinicians are implementing the Self-Help Plus and
Strengthening Families models with Ukrainian refugees. The program
In Kent County, Samaritas is partnering with the Guiding Light works with both individuals and families to promote successful social
Women’s Program. Guiding Light is a sober living program that also integration and mental health within the community.
assists families in the Kent County area. Guiding Light helps to meet
basic needs of individuals working towards sobriety while partnering with To date, 32 individuals have participated in the five-week Self-Help Plus
Samaritas to implement therapeutic intervention. program. The first Strengthening Families session started in September.

Samaritas has been able to provide both individual and group therapy for There are so many ways Samaritas is helping people with their mental
Guiding Light participants. health. To learn more about how you can support these programs and
our clients, contact Elly Shickwith at Elly.Shickwith@samaritas.org

Samaritas' VP of Behavioral Health, Anthony

Muller, talks about the continued challenges
surrounding abuse across Michigan with a focus

toward Prevention key.

“Prevention and early intervention

work when we’re trying to stop
substance misuse. This is a huge
need for our society and we are just

grateful to be able to serve
Michigan.”

Click Here to listen
to the full podcast.

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