We’ve all spent the last year focused on the health of Pennsylvania residents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the pandemic, of course, deserves an incredible amount of attention and resources to keep Pennsylvanians safe, other health crises are at risk of being overshadowed; most notably, the opioid epidemic.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health still lists the prescription opioid and heroin overdose epidemic as the worst public health crisis in Pennsylvania, hitting every corner of the state including right here in Lancaster County.
So, when good news knocked on the door of The GateHouse last year, we were grateful to open it and find much-needed funding through a grant from the PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs giving them more support to fight back against the epidemic.
Lancaster County Will Rely on The GateHouse to Provide Opioid Treatment and Recovery Activities
The grant money awarded to The GateHouse provides funds to supplement existing support for opioid and stimulant prevention treatment and recovery activities.
“Lancaster County is putting a lot of resources behind fighting the opioid epidemic,” said Jodi Holland, MPA, CRS, Executive Director at The GateHouse. “Our role in this mass effort is to provide the treatment and recovery activities that will help us all reach our goal.”
With the funds from the grant, The GateHouse will introduce a new program within its transitional living services, giving further support to clients preparing for life after treatment and working toward lifelong recovery.
“Once we’ve finished creating the processes and procedures for the new program, we’ll be hiring a case manager who will be dedicated to the program and the clients involved,” Jodi said.
This Grant Will Allow The GateHouse to Give Focused Attention to Some of Its Most Vulnerable Transitional Living Clients
When you’re living in transitional housing, a lot is happening at once. You’re learning to live in recovery as well as learning the skills needed to transition back into the community. All of these challenges are only compounded by the financial stress of paying for transitional housing if you’re struggling to get back on your feet financially.
“This grant lets us do two very important things for our transitional living clients,” Jodi said. “It lets us increase their interaction with a professional case manager, so they have more one-on-one support. And it reduces the financial stress of paying for it.”
The program will also GateHouse Transitional Living to offer a rent-tier, meaning that individuals in the program will have their rent covered or subsidized while living in one of our transitional living houses.
While in transitional living, a client struggling financially will not only receive help paying for recovery services. They’ll also learn critical financial life skills, including how to budget, pay bills, and manage money, all to help them find success in long-term recovery.
“Every transitional living client works through what we call an individualized case management plan,” Jodi said. “Each case management plan is different and financial life skills are often a focus. As a client, your plan is created specifically for your needs with goals you’re working toward during your stay.”
Once clients complete their case management plans, they leave transitional housing and find long-term, independent housing. But this move isn’t easy, especially for low-income clients and those without a financial safety cushion.
“The move to independent housing is a stressful time for our clients,” Jodi said. “Now through the grant, we’ll be able to make it a bit easier with additional incentives. For instance, if a client meets each of the goals in their case management plan in at least six months, funds from the grant will help cover that client’s security deposit for a new apartment or house.”
Referrals Will Drive Client Participation in the New Program
The services funded through the grant program will operate within the existing referral system – no different than services currently offered by The GateHouse.
“Our centralized intake coordinator and our intake team will work through referrals to fill our program slots and help as many clients as possible,” Jodi said.
The best way to refer a family member or friend is by calling our intake office and getting the intake process started, she said.
“This is an exciting new program, and we’re looking forward to getting it off the ground,” Jodi said. “We’re honored to have been awarded the funds to support this effort and the many clients we serve in Lancaster County who need our services as they begin their recovery journey.”
If you’re interested in referring a friend or family member to our transitional living services, or any of our services at The GateHouse, please call 717-393-3215 and select option 1.
At The GateHouse, we create a support system for each of our clients to break the cycle of addiction and get them on a path towards recovery, including services for long-term recovery with locations throughout Lancaster County, PA. We’d love to help you with your next step in recovery. Reach out to us today!
