Just Out of Jail and Desperate to Avoid a Relapse: Jessica’s Story
An account from CleanSlate’s frontlines in Hartford, Connecticut:
I have an inspirational story to share about a special patient, Jessica (name changed to protect privacy).
Jessica is in her early 20’s and was in jail for five months for drug-related charges. She desperately wanted to help herself and straighten her life out, so she filled out paperwork for a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program while in jail.
Upon her release from jail, Jessica went straight to the MAT program that she had applied to while incarcerated. Her father drove Jessica to the program, doing everything he could to support her to get the help that she needed.
Jessica waited over four hours at this program to speak to someone, only to be told that there was nothing they could do for her at that time. She would have to come back in two weeks to be started on Suboxone.
(Pictured: our happy, healthy patient, enjoying a new lease on life.)
Jessica told the program managers that she was not going to be able to stay clean that long. But the managers told her that two weeks was the best they could do. If she wanted immediate help, she could go to the nearest emergency room.
Hopeless but determined to get help, Jessica’s father drove her to the hospital ER. She sat there for hours before being seen. A provider that treated her at the hospital had heard about CleanSlate from our outreach efforts. She contacted us to explain Jessica’s case and pleaded for her to be seen for follow-up care.
Our MA/MR, Rebecca, talked to the provider, then to Jessica, gathering information and ensuring that we would take care of her following her discharge from the ER. Jessica was inducted with Suboxone that night at the hospital and had a follow up appointment at CleanSlate the next morning at 9am.
Today, Jessica is doing well and her family is grateful. She has said that there is no doubt that if she did not get help the day she got released that she would have relapsed and “be dead.”
Jessica has since contacted the hospital provider and thanked her for finding us. She is compliant with our program and is now actively job searching. Jessica enjoys spending time with her family and is very thankful for our help in her recovery. This experience has truly offered her the “clean slate” she needed.
I think that Jessica’s story is an excellent example of the work we strive for at CleanSlate and the effort our teams take to get our patients the care they deserve.
Also read:
Download our free Pocket Guide for fast tips on how to protect yourself and your pregnancy:
What to Do If You’re Pregnant & Addicted to Opioids: A Guide to Medication Treatment Through Pregnancy
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