Page 29 - BusinessWest November 11, 2024

MONTHLYFEATURE
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Meeting Them Where They Are
MiraVista Finds Success with Substance-use Treatment by Reaching into the Community
BY JOSEPH BEDNAR
[email protected]
C
scape has changed for the better.
“Being in recovery myself, I’m so proud
to be a part of the resources we have here,” said DiRosa, a recovery support navigator at MiraVista Behavioral Health Center in Holyoke. “Looking back on it, 11 years ago, it wasn’t like this. It was a lot harder to get
sober and to work a recovery.”
One example is same-day methadone
dosing.
“In the past, you would have to make an
appointment, maybe wait a couple of days to see the doctor, even a week, and then come in. For addicts, when they make that decision to get clean, usually we have to follow up with them pretty quickly because their mind is constantly changing.”
By accepting walk-ins, he noted, “our goal is, hopefully within an hour, we’ll get them in our system, get them an ID card, and get them dosed, all in the same day. We also offer transportation.”
But another key change at MiraVista
harles DiRosa knows all about the challenges of substance- use recovery. And looking back on 11 years of sobriety, he also
knows how the treatment land-
Charles DiRosa and Lauren Temple say MiraVista has found success going out and meeting addicts where they are, instead of waiting for them to walk through the doors.
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