Update: This article has been updated to clarify there was 2,300 confirmed opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts in 2022.
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – Thursday is International Overdose Awareness Day- an annual campaign to spread the message that overdoses are preventable.
Overdose deaths are on the rise in the United States- increasing fivefold in the past two decades. More than 932,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose, and the opioid crisis continues to be a public health issue here in Massachusetts, with about 2,300 confirmed opioid-related deaths in the state just last year.
MiraVista Behavioral Health Center is one of many community organizations shining a light and starting a dialogue on this alarming trend. In an effort to help individuals diagnosed with opioid use disorder, MiraVista has developed a myriad of programs in both English and Spanish to help, which are available seven days a week.
“Foremost, it’s important to remember that everybody’s journey to recovery is different, which is why it’s important for organizations like MiraVista to provide programming that really is person-centric and very specialized to the needs of the individual who’s seeking treatment,” said Kimberly Lee, Chief of Creative Strategy and Development for MiraVista.
MiraVista’s outpatient program provides both medication and therapeutic recovery services to help individuals overcome their opioid addiction. Their treatment team will develop a plan specifically designed to meet individual recovery needs. The time spent in the program varies by the patient.
The ultimate goal is to help patients sustain and strengthen their recovery.
