ALAMOSA — For over the last 50 plus years, San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group (SLVBHG) has provided essential mental health services in the Valley. On August 3, the group sponsored its third annual Hope and Recovery Festival here in Cole Park.
The event showcased addiction services in the Valley with SLV Behavioral Health, SLV Health, Hope in the Valley, Valley-Wide Health, and Tu Casa attending. Other groups present were the Children's Advocacy Center of the San Luis Valley (part of Tu Casa) and the San Luis Valley Health Education Center, commonly known as SLV AHEC.
One attendee at the recovery festival who wished to remain anonymous said he was glad to see many of the recovery services in the Valley at the festival. He said he is an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.), and through their twelve-step approach to recovery, "Has saved my life." He offered that A.A. and N.A. programs were not present at the festival as part of the anonymous traditions of the groups.
"Recovery is possible; we have meetings throughout the valley; the first step in recovery is to admit that we are powerless over alcohol and drugs — that our lives have become unmanageable," said the individual in recovery.
SLVBHG is A Community Mental Health Center, according to its website, and is defined by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a place where community-based activities are used to meet the behavioral health needs of individuals instead of institutional settings to promote mental well-being.
In the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy presented a new approach to how society treated mental illness and individuals with behavioral health needs. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 shifted the focus of mental health treatment from institutionalization to treatment where individuals lived. As a result, community-based mental health centers have been established throughout the country.
In an interview with the Valley Courier, Kate Jack with SLVBHG said, "We are committed to offering a comprehensive array of services that include prevention programs for mental health, outpatient, and emergency services. We are committed to providing the residents of San Luis Valley services where they are. We have 11 brick-and-mortar locations throughout the San Luis Valley.
"We also have a mobile unit that is basically a tricked-out R.V. On board the unit is a nurse and a peer specialist, and anyone can walk on the unit and get services for substance use disorder. We have Vivatrol and Suboxone [substance abuse medications] to help assist with withdrawal symptoms and help make recovery easier and more attainable. We combine this with therapy; we have a therapist via telehealth out of Denver. Our therapist does a great job helping people with other issues that might be involved with their substance use. Our peer onboard provides coordination to other services."
Jennifer Brooks, who is with SLVBHG and is certified in Peer Recovery and a Colorado Peer & Family Specialist, said, "We have a nurse on board who takes vitals and does a U.V. (urinalysis) to get a baseline of what is in their system. What I do on board is connect clients with resources, I get them food boxes, and set up with therapy. We have job and housing resources. If we don't have a resource readily available, I will research it, find it and make it available."
According to the website of SLVBHG, "Consider the countless lives touched by SLVBHG — the children and adults who find a safe haven amidst the storm, the chronically mentally ill individuals who discover a path to stability, and the ones transitioning from inpatient facilities who receive continuous care. These transformed lives don't just stay within the walls of SLVBHG; they walk back into the world with newfound purpose, contributing to the local workforce, engaging in community activities, and igniting the flames of progress."
The sober recovering alcoholic and addict who attended the recovery festival summed up the purpose of A.A. and N.A., citing one of the groups traditions, "The only requirement for A.A./N.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking/using."
The San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group is at 719-589-3671 or www.slvbhg.org.
For a listing of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) meetings in the Valley visit, www.slvaa.org.
