Lifeline Connections will offer a free family education class beginning Wednesday for those who have loved ones struggling with substance use.
The class will meet from 6 to 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Recovery Resource Center, 9317 N.E. Highway 99, Suite M. It requires no preregistration. There are also no commitments connected to the class; people can attend as frequently as they want.
Jared Sanford, Lifeline Connections CEO, said the class and the Recovery Resource Center, which opened last spring, hold specific relevance right now because of the nation’s opioid epidemic.
Sanford said the majority of people who use Lifeline for help with their substance use are addicted to opioids, such as heroin or pain medication.
Nearly 30,000 overdose deaths occur per year in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. From 2011 through 2015, opioid poisoning was the leading cause of injury-related death among Clark County residents, according to Get Healthy Clark County.
“This class, and the Recovery Resource Center in general, is very timely,” Sanford said.
Sanford added that “anyone in the community who wants to come and learn about the disease of addiction,” can attend the classes, which will be a permanent part of the resource center’s offerings. Sanford said that “it’s emotionally draining when you have someone you love who is struggling with addiction,” and mentioned that it’s important for family and friends to have outlets that can help them cope with stress and pressure.
The classes will be led by certified counselors, who also provide treatment services with Lifeline.
Many families or friends don’t know what to do if they have a loved one struggling with addiction, he noted. They might not know what resources are available to them, the best ways to engage their loved one, or how they can best support that person.
“This class is tailored to provide some of those resources and answer some of those questions that they might have,” Sanford said.
