CATSKILL — Late last spring, 10 intrepid teenagers were accepted into the Mental Health Association of Columbia Greene‘s (MHACG) workforce to be onboarded and certified as Youth Peer Leaders for the agency’s Youth Clubhouses. This underscores the agency’s commitment to youth as this was the first time MHCAG has hired staff under the age of 18.
One of the Youth Clubhouses’ objectives, due to soaring opioid overdose rates and deaths in both Greene and Columbia counties, was to create a program to empower youth familiar with or touched by opioid use disorder (OUD) by enlisting their help to conduct Naloxone training throughout those communities and also included receipt of an overdose response kit upon completion.
During their training, the youth leaders learned about opioid use disorder (OUD) and how to dispense the life-saving medication Naloxone (brand name Narcan) — a nasal-administered medication developed to restore breathing to an individual who has overdosed with an opioid such as heroin, prescription drugs like OxyContin®, or fentanyl. Upon completion, they were qualified to instruct others on OUD, Naloxone and how to administer it.
Their first order of business was to develop an informational presentation on Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Naloxone for community education that provided: facts about opioids and opioid use disorder; what is Naloxone, its properties, safe storage, and disposal; and how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose.
By June, the youth peers were training family members, teachers, school administrators, friends, neighbors, and visitors to the Youth Clubhouse.
To get the word out to the Columbia and Greene communities, the youth broadcasted the availability of Naloxone training on the Greene Clubhouse’s radio station which is made possible through a collaboration with Acra -based WGXE, 90.7 FM. They also shared information about the training and recovery support on the Clubhouse’s Facebook page and Instagram accounts.
Both Youth Clubhouses are led by Program Director, Kai Hillmann, who for the last four years, has guided its members in providing a safe, supportive, and stimulating work environment. The Clubhouses welcome all youth 12-17 and young adults 18-35 who are in recovery, who are seeking recovery, who have been impacted by Substance Use Disorder (SUD), or are allies. Through peer-driven activities, health, wellness, and long-term recovery are promoted and realized.
Recently, the youth peers scripted and taped a video reenactment of an opioid overdose and how to respond using Naloxone, alerting 911, and ensuring the individual had been revived. This video will accompany the slide presentation and elicit discussion on the do’s and don’ts of administering Naloxone in reversing an opioid overdose.
In July, the Catskill Clubhouse received a request from the Philmont Free Store to train staff and members of the community on Naloxone and reversing an opioid overdose. Youth Peer Leader Ayesha Jones, who originally created the presentation, trained 13 attendees, who ranged in age from 14 to over 60.
The Youth Clubhouses of Greene and Columbia Counties received funding to train on administration and distribution of Naloxone from The HEALing Communities Study (HCS), a grant awarded to the Mental Health Association of Columbia Greene to combat the opioid crisis within these communities.