Greg is joined by Jessica Nickel, the CEO and founder of the Addiction Policy Forum. Together, they interview Chris Hickey, an EMS Officer from the Manchester Fire Department in New Hampshire. Chris is the creator of the Safe Stations program, a service that’s transforming New Hampshire fire stations into non-judgmental locations where people struggling with substance abuse can get connected to help.
Greg asks Chris about the lack of resources most communities encounter when it comes to treatment and how Safe Stations combats this issue. Chris explains that he started by reaching out to people he knew in the local community. From there, he was able to pin down the recovery centers that not only waived insurance requirements, but also provided patients with state run insurance tailored to suit their needs. He discusses how Safe Stations was able to bridge the gap in community treatment. “We formed a second partnership with a silver living organization… and put in a 32 bed social recovery center,” says Chris. “So when these people were in classes during the day or waiting to get into an in-patient program, they would have some place safe and warm and sober to stay. The resources were there; it was just a matter of wrangling them all together to all work in one cohesive manner.”
Listen to the podcast to discover how Safe Stations is turning the tide on recovery and how others can get started on bridging the gaps for treatment in their own communities.
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