Justice In Action

Justice in Action is a series of weekly podcasts brought to you by, Justice Resource Institute. Justice Resource Institute is one of New England's leading Social Justice agency, serving youth's and adults throughout MA, RI & CT.

Ep. 17: Substance Use Recovery 09/28/2022

Ep. 17: Substance Use Recovery Guiding our clients toward recovery from substance use disorder The opioid epidemic has increased the demand for effective recovery services, and Justice Resource Institute’s Mary Chao is leading the organization’s training program for clinicians and other staff members to aid them in helping clients recover. Chao has been with JRI for nine years and works with the agency’s health, training and community-based services divisions, developing and coordinating substance use programming throughout the agency. She works closely with clients ages 12 to 24 and the JRI clinicians who help them to address problematic substance use. Problematic use of substances, including opioids, cannabis and alcohol, often accompanies other problems, including homelessness, sexual abuse and violence that JRI programs also address. Chao and JRI use ACRA (Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach), an evidence-based treatment model that focuses on developing relationships with clients to help them understand what motivates them to use drugs or alcohol and looks to increase opportunities for clients to do “social, fun things” with the goal of helping them reduce or eliminate substance use. But recovery doesn’t necessarily mean lifelong abstinence from drugs or alcohol. “Abstinence is definitely not the only way to be in recovery,” she said. “Someone with substance use disorder can struggle for years, even decades….It’s important to recognize that relapse doesn’t mean failure.” In addition, while substance use by youth and young adults can be frightening for friends and family, “Not every person who uses a substance needs treatment.” The need for treatment becomes clearer when substance use has a serious effect on their life or the lives of others. And it is important that treatment for substance use disorder be integrated into a client’s overall care plan. “Recovery is possible for everyone, and every family, and every community,” Chao said. Listen here to our conversation with Mary Chao about substance use disorder, treatment and recovery. /episode/index/show/justiceinaction/id/24520200

Ep. 16: Mental Heath Treatment for Clients with Developmental Differences 04/05/2022

Ep. 16: Mental Heath Treatment for Clients with Developmental Differences Mental health clinicians are often reluctant to treat people who have intellectual and developmental differences (IDDs) for fear of doing something that could worsen rather than improve the client’s condition. In this episode of Justice in Action, two JRI clinicians, Dr. Jacquelyn Kraps, Metrowest Area Director and Clinical Director of Outpatient Services, and Bailey McCombs, Licensed Metal Health Counselor and Expressive Arts Therapist, talk about the rewards and challenges of working with children with a range of differences, from autism spectrum disorder to chromosomal differences, cognitive challenges, and traumatic brain injury. Dr. Kraps and McCombs have helped establish the Developmental Differences Specialty Team to assist other JRI therapists to work effectively with clients with both IDDs and mental health needs, including complex trauma. Services for those individuals have long been siloed because they have been seen as separate and distinct. JRI is breaking new ground by having a single provider address the entirety of the client’s service needs. Treating clients with both complex trauma and IDDs draw heavily on a therapist’s creativity, flexibility, and powers of observation, Dr. Kraps and McComb say. Sometimes it requires teasing out which problems are caused by trauma and which are part of the individual’s developmental difference. They advise other clinicians to be curious, open, and willing to say the wrong thing. If an approach doesn’t work, they can always shift course. Sometimes a client — especially a non-verbal client — can communicate most successfully by writing, drawing, or moving their body. Individuals with IDDs deserve effective treatment for mental health needs, which they are at least as likely to experience as the rest of the community, and they can enjoy positive, healthier outcomes with the right therapeutic approach. For more information, visit jri.org. A note about language: IDD often stands for intellectual and development disabilities. JRI choses to use the word differences instead of disabilities to be as inclusive as possible, and honors that each individual and family get to decide how they identify. /episode/index/show/justiceinaction/id/22689452