More than half of all opioids sold on the street have enough fentanyl to kill, the DEA said.

To watch the full KENS-TV interview, click here.

SAN ANTONIO — South Texas is an opioid epidemic hot bed, with the location so close to Mexico where much of the illegal and deadly drugs come from. We look into the epidemic, with today being marked as a day to spread awareness about this exponentially growing problem.

More than one out of every two opioids sold illegally has enough fentanyl to kill you. That's why today's International Overdose Awareness Day is so important. Thomas Mangiamele the acting special agent in charge of the San Antonio DEA District Office told us, "What our DEA laboratory has told us is that approximately 60% or six of every ten pills that we seize have a lethal dose of fentanyl in them." 

As of 2021 the CDC says there were over 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States. That is an increase of 15 percent since the year 2020. Two out of three of those deaths involved synthetic opioids. The majority of which are fentanyl.

Dr. Rachel Broussard is a psychiatric and addiction nurse practitioner at Be Well Texas, a program of UT Health San Antonio offering treatment and recovery support for substance use and mental health, regardless of ability to pay.

"Local clinics are overwhelmed because it's in so many substances, all opioids, but especially fentanyl," she said. 

In 2020 about 284 million people had used a drug in the past 12 months. That is one in every 18 people aged 15 to 64. That number is up 26 percent since 2010. Opioids account for roughly 60%of drug overdose deaths. With the number of people using opioids has doubled from about 31 million people in 2010 to more than 61 million in 2020. And the DEA has seized a tremendous amount of the deadly drug. 

"The DEA laboratory where we send all our drugs has told us that is enough fentanyl to kill every person in the United States. More than every person, approximately 380 million people," Mangiamele added. 

"It's a ripple effect across not only the immediate parents, siblings, family members, school classmates, but the local medical community that's having to respond to these, especially the overdoses and deaths of so many people," Broussard said.  

Tonight at 6:30 Be Well Texas and UT Health San Antonio will hold a vigil at 620 E. Dewey Place, the Biomedical Development corporate offices, for the victims of those who have overdosed on opioids. They can ask questions, and even get free naloxone. 

Officials from UT Health San Antonio and Be Well Texas, a program offering treatment and recovery support for substance use and mental health, gathered April 20 to celebrate the grand opening of a northwest San Antonio facility that provides comprehensive services statewide.

According to a news release, the new 20,000-square-foot center at 5109 Medical Drive also conducts research and provides education and training for providers.

Be Well Texas officials said 1 in 10 people in Texas have a substance use disorder, but not everyone has the same access to care. The treatment and recovery services offered by Be Well Texas are provided regardless of one’s ability to pay. Be Well Texas is also a UT Health San Antonio initiative.

“We started these programs to provide equitable access to compassionate, evidence-based programs for substance use disorder and people who are using substances,” said Jennifer Sharpe Potter, executive director of Be Well Texas, in a statement. “Evidence-based treatment means treatment with the best possibility of success because we know from science that it works.”

Be Well Texas officials said they bring addiction medicine specialists, behavioral health experts, researchers and several staff members with lived experience in addiction recovery together at this new northwest San Antonio location to collaborate statewide and expand access to care.

The new location includes in-person and telehealth clinical space, a research laboratory, a tele-mentoring studio, administrative offices, a spacious waiting area and other features, the release said.

“So, through a combination of community-based providers, our own virtual clinic that serves the state, and a variety of programs and a lot of hard work, we’re able to provide these services throughout Texas,” said Potter, who also is vice president of research and professor of psychiatry at UT Health San Antonio.

Briseida “Bee” Courtois, substance use services director at Be Well Texas, said her organization has a team of providers, clinicians, nursing staff, case management and recovery support services who can help an individual no matter where they are in their journey.

Overall, in addition to its in-person and statewide telehealth clinical operation, Be Well Texas coordinates a network of approximately 140 community providers treating for opioid and other substance use, and providing recovery support services across Texas, the release said.

People who work Be Well Texas’ recovery support services have experienced substance use or mental health conditions, or both, and are now providing critical peer-level support.

“I’ve experienced incarceration, I’ve experienced homelessness, I’ve experienced challenges with substance use and mental health, and how to overcome those things,” said Richard Hamner, Be Well Texas’ program manager of recovery support services. “So we use that experience along with our education and training to help build the resources that individuals need to improve their lives.”

And in research, Be Well Texas is conducting cutting-edge trials to find new treatments for substance use disorders, including for cocaine-use and methamphetamine-use disorders. Plus, the program is conducting two clinical trials for medications that could help individuals curb their withdrawal symptoms from cannabis use.

Hours of operation for Be Well Texas’ center in northwest San Antonio are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call 888-85-BeWell (888-852-3935).

Telehealth, community providers, research all key components of care
Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu

SAN ANTONIO, April 20, 2023 – In Texas, one in 10 people have a substance use disorder, and not everyone has the same access to care. One statewide program is addressing this growing public health concern with a fresh approach of science, innovation and a team of people with lived experience in recovery.

Be Well Texas, a program offering treatment and recovery support for substance use and mental health, is celebrating the grand opening of its new 20,000-square-foot facility that provides for comprehensive services anywhere in the state, regardless of ability to pay. The center also conducts research and provides education and training for providers.

“We started these programs to provide equitable access to compassionate, evidence-based programs for substance use disorder and people who are using substances,” said Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH, executive director of Be Well Texas. “Evidence-based treatment means treatment with the best possibility of success because we know from science that it works.”

Be Well Texas is bringing addiction medicine specialists, behavioral health experts, researchers and several staff members with lived experience in addiction recovery together at this new location to collaborate statewide and expand access to care. The new location includes in-person and telehealth clinical space, a research laboratory, a tele-mentoring studio, administrative offices, a spacious waiting area and other features.

“So, through a combination of community-based providers, our own virtual clinic that serves the state, and a variety of programs and a lot of hard work, we're able to provide these services throughout Texas,” said Potter, who also is vice president of research and professor of psychiatry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio).

State-supported Be Well Texas is a program of UT Health San Antonio.

“We have a team of providers, clinicians, nursing staff, case management, recovery support services – a wide array of services that can help an individual no matter where they are in their journey,” said Briseida “Bee” Courtois, MSSW, LCDC, CMA, director of substance use services for Be Well Texas.

Overall, in addition to its in-person and statewide telehealth clinical operation, Be Well Texas coordinates a network of approximately 140 community providers treating for opioid and other substance use, and providing recovery support services – from Dallas-Fort Worth to Corpus Christi, Houston to El Paso, Lubbock to Austin, and points beyond.

In recovery support services, team members have lived experience with substance use or mental health conditions, or both, now providing critical peer-level support.

“I’ve experienced incarceration, I’ve experienced homelessness, I’ve experienced challenges with substance use and mental health, and how to overcome those things,” said Richard Hamner, LMSW, LCDC-I, RSPS, program manager of recovery support services for Be Well Texas. “So we use that experience along with our education and training to help build the resources that individuals need to improve their lives.”

And in research, Be Well Texas is conducting cutting-edge trials to find new treatments for substance use disorders, including for cocaine-use and methamphetamine-use disorders. Plus, the program is conducting two clinical trials for medications that could help individuals curb their withdrawal symptoms from cannabis use.

“The mission of Be Well Texas research is to leverage our science in order to address gaps in treatment for opioid-use and other substance use disorders, and ultimately to improve the lives of people in Texas,” said Tara Karns-Wright, PhD, senior director of Be Well Texas.

The new facility is located at 5109 Medical Drive, fourth floor, in San Antonio, 78229.  Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 888-85-BeWell (888-852-3935), or visit the Be Well Texas website at https://bewelltexas.org/.

Be Well Texas is working to provide access to high-quality, low-barrier, evidence-based care throughout Texas. A statewide program of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), Be Well Texas provides services to people who use substances and with a substance use disorder through a broad continuum of clinical, research and training services. This includes facilitating a network of state-funded addiction treatment providers, serving as a node for the NIDA Clinical Trials Network, operating a statewide telehealth clinic for the treatment of substance-use disorders and managing a statewide tele-mentoring and training center. Like us on social: @bewelltexas. Learn more: https://bewelltexas.org/.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is one of the country’s leading health science universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 41,100 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better^®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.

Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

'Be Well Texas' is expanding its recovery services thanks to a multi-million dollar grant.

To watch the full KENS-TV interview, click here.

Young adults with substance use disorders in Texas will now have an easier path to recovery housing services thanks to vouchers funded by a $3.4 million grant awarded to Be Well Texas, a UT Health San Antonio program.

The 3-year grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will be used to subsidize part of the cost of level 2 and 3 recovery housing services from 16 providers operating 44 homes around the state, including four homes in San Antonio. Those 44 homes contain beds for 440 individuals dealing with substance use disorders.

The recovery levels are established by the National Alliance for Recovery Houses, a nonprofit, where level 1 is the lowest level of care and level 4 is the highest.

Richard Hamner, the program manager of recovery support services for Be Well Texas, explained what level 2 and 3 recovery homes do.

“[Level 2 recovery homes] need managers that are there 24/7,” Hamner said. “Recovery support services have to be available. Level 3, they also have to provide life skill development — life skill classes — they have to have counseling available outside of peer support and recovery support, and generally they’re connected to an intensive outpatient treatment program.”

He added that recovery housing is worth subsidizing because of its proven efficacy in supporting the recovery process, including multiple studies by DePaul University of Oxford Houses, one major sober-living provider.

They found that individuals who stayed in Oxford homes were more likely to have higher incomes, lower incarceration rates, and lower substance use rates compared with those who did not use recovery housing services.

But for Hamner, the proof goes beyond research.

“I stayed in Oxford House for three years, and had I not gotten married, I probably would’ve stayed another year or two,” Hamner said. “That was over 15 years ago now. Where I was at one time, I was in Austin under a bridge.”

He said he’d also served time in prison for a drug-related felony conviction and had a warrant out for his arrest.

“So yeah, a lot to overcome, and sober living, recovery housing, played a big part in that,” Hamner said.

Besides a home manager and recovery support services, Hamner said a big part of the success of recovery homes is the personal responsibility that comes with them. Residents have their own chores and roles in the house, and they act to support and hold one another accountable to those tasks with the knowledge of the shared struggle they all face.

In addition to the four homes in San Antonio, three of which are for men and one of which is for women, there are 12 homes in the Houston area, 11 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, four in Austin, and a few homes each in Lubbock, El Paso, and Midland that will be available for subsidized living.

The voucher will pay for three to four months all on its own, but residents can provide a portion of the rent themselves to stretch out their time. They can also apply for a new voucher when they run out if funding is still available.

Hamner said the level 3 housing vouchers are worth $6,800 and the level 2 housing vouchers are worth $4,500. Rent varies from house to house, but goes up as the level of care does, ranging from around $800 to $1,500 per month.

The goal is that over time, individuals will move from higher care and higher rent level 3 or 4 homes down to lower care and lower rent homes at level 1 or 2 as their recovery process goes on. At level 1 Oxford Houses, rent can run around $500 or $600 per month, making it affordable for long-term stays.

“We’re subsidizing the higher level of care, and then as they’re working then they can kind of support themselves,” Hamner said. “At the same time, now they’re able to develop those life skills — saving and budgeting, and doing those types of things, now they’re really setting themselves up to be successful.”

Though Hamner said the initial idea behind the grant was to stand up new homes, it ended up being more cost effective to plug into the pre-existing recovery housing provider field and pay for those providers to get nationally certified so they could subsidize stays in their locations.

For more information about the recovery housing subsidies, contact Be Well Texas at 888-852-3935.

Este lunes se lleva a cabo en el centro de Convenciones de San Antonio un Simposio sobre el Uso de Sustancias donde hay recursos disponibles para el tratamiento, además de información de especialistas.

Para ver la entrevista completa de Univision, haga clic aquí.

To watch the full Fox San Antonio interview, click here.

SAN ANTONIO - According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 107,000 people across the U.S. died from drug overdose in 2021. Over the next two days, the annual Texas Substance Use Symposium will be offering solutions.

Speaker at the conference and as a person in remission, Ariel Britt says she was a different person 11 years ago. Britt knew she wouldn’t have the life she has now if she kept abusing alcohol and cocaine.

"At some point my body just shut down and had this perfect window of opportunity and clarity that I wasn’t going to have the life that I dreamed,” says Britt.

The Symposium aims at increasing drug recovery programs to all 254 counties in Texas.

"We know when people are treated for a substance use disorder with evidence based treatment or science based treatment it reduces the likelihood of a death," says organizer of the symposium and vice president of research of UT Health San Antonio and Executive Director of Be Well Texas Dr. Jennifer Potter.

Potter says the conversation at the conference also includes drugs laced with Fentanyl.

"Young people, it’s very common they might experiment. When you experiment and there are very dangerous and illicitly made drugs like fentanyl. It makes it that much more dangerous for people to try even once," says Potter.

"Once you find recovery it doesn’t mean your life is over; it means you have a new life coming," says Britt.

And for Britt, she now works at the University of Texas for the Addiction Research Institute creating policies and serving as a true role model for change.

"I wouldn’t have this baby. I wouldn't have the amazing fiancé that I have today. I wouldn’t have this life," says Britt.

UT Health San Antonio’s grant will help facilities that house young adults 18-25

To watch the full KSAT interview, click here.

SAN ANTONIO – Finding safe, sober homes for young adults in recovery can be tough, but it’s crucial to end the cycle of addiction.

Trauma started early in 18-year-old Brianna’s life.

“I was adopted at a very early age of 8. Supposedly, I was sexually abused as a little girl and taken away,” she said.

Brianna struggled with that trauma, even after being adopted into a safe home.

She then decided to leave that home and go out on her own. That’s when she fell into some dangerous situations.

“I was pretty much on the verge of being homeless, ending up in motel rooms with men and just different, very unsafe places,” she said.

Brianna’s parents found Deborah’s House, a transitional home for women recovering from different addictions.

The house, run by Corazon Ministries, is one of several transitional houses across San Antonio, but many are not certified at a national standard. That’s where UT Health San Antonio’s “Be Well Texas” program comes in. It’s a program for people seeking help with substance use and/or mental illness. The program specializes in patients struggling with opioid addiction.

The Texas Department of Health and Human Services awarded Be Well Texas $3.4 million to strengthen recovery housing for young adults aged 18-25.

“We wanted to offer a higher level of care. So there’s an organization called NARR, which is a National Association of Recovery Residences, and they set some standards of what those levels of care are,” said Richard Hamner, the clinical research program manager at UT Health San Antonio’s Be Well Texas program.

With the grant money, Be Well Texas will cover costs to operate homes that are certified as “level 2″ or “level 3″ on NARR’s four-level service scale. NARR is the most widely referenced national standard for the operation of recovery residences, working with and supporting 30 state affiliate organizations.

“Level one is like an Oxford house, which is a self-run, democratically-run home. There’s a level two and a level three, which does provide more structure. So you have a house manager, and you would even have counseling services and that type of thing on site,” Hamner explained.

“Level two means that we have a recovery support peer specialist on staff, which is me,” Deborah’s House Director Ashley O’Leary said.

The new state funding provided O’Leary with extra training and certification. She said the new certification has offered structure and support to her team, which is necessary when handling such vulnerable clients.

“A lot of them are suffering from substance use disorder or mental health concerns. They’ve completed treatment, they’re coming out of jail, or we have one right now that was currently homeless at Haven for Hope that just moved in,” O’Leary said.

Her assistant director at the house is also in the process of getting trained and certified.

“We have counselors, we have mentors, we have classes we go to, and I love them,” Brianna said. “They’re directors, but they’re friends, and they’re family, and they’re counselors all at the same time.”

Similar funding will cover training and administrative costs for more than 40 transitional houses in the state, with a total of 440 beds.

“Those life skills may include employment readiness, GED education, healthy eating, home management and budgeting. And the homes also provide other essential social support,” Hamner said.

Hamner and O’Leary both know the importance of those things. They are both in long-term recovery as well. Hamner has been to inpatient and outpatient facilities, and O’Leary lived in Deborah’s House when it was established in 2012.

“Living in a home where everyone in there is dealing with the same challenges and the same issues, and they can mentor each other and they can kind of work through those for those programs, that’s just a huge thing,” Hamner said.

With the elevated structure from the funding, the hope is that these current organizations will be able to open even more houses.

“We definitely want to be able to expand. We’re looking into some different properties as a board and trying to grow our organization,” O’Leary said.

Brianna has friends that would like to get into similar housing, but many transitional homes are at capacity. She hopes more homes will open so people across San Antonio can find the recovery and safety she has.

“Deborah’s House is a definite safe haven for me. I feel loved every time I walk in here. To know that other people care makes us care about ourselves and makes us want to keep going and have a will,” Brianna said.

The program at Deborah’s House offers free rent for a month or month and a half while clients find a job and set out goals. Once they find a job, they only have to pay $400 in rent while finishing the recovery program that lasts anywhere from nine to 18 months.

“I don’t have to worry about all the light bills. I can worry about what I need to worry about right now and get done what I can so that I can stand up again on my own,” Brianna said.

Brianna now has a job and is getting her GED. She is finally emerging from darkness to see how bright her future can be.

People ages 18 through 25 with a substance use or mental health diagnosis can qualify for this program. For more information, contact Be Well Texas at (888) 85-BeWell, (888) 852-3935.

Boosting access to more than 40 houses, 440 beds statewide

Contact: Steven Lee, 210-450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu

SAN ANTONIO, March 21, 2023 – Young adults in Texas with a substance use disorder often face housing insecurity, marked by unstable or inadequate living arrangements without support for long-term recovery from addiction.

Be Well Texas, a program of UT Health San Antonio that treats patients statewide for opioid and other substance use disorders by partnering with organizations and building a network across Texas, has been awarded a three-year, $3.4 million grant for a pilot program to support recovery housing statewide for emerging adults ages 18 to 25 undergoing treatment and recovery.

The grant funding from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will help expand access to 16 existing housing providers with more than 40 houses and 440 beds, covering the costs of required certifications, training and technical assistance, and related administrative costs.

The recovery houses are for those seeking long-term recovery from a substance use disorder diagnosis, in safe, healthy, recovery-friendly environments. The need is particularly critical for young adults in recovery in Texas who often experience housing insecurity.

“Meeting their basic need for housing allows them to focus on the other areas in life that would promote their recovery and overall well-being,” said Richard Hamner, MSW, BASc, program manager of recovery support services for Be Well Texas.

“Bridging gaps for safe recovery housing involves peer support, counseling and teaching life skills to help individuals positively adapt and effectively deal with challenges of everyday life,” he said. “Those life skills may include employment readiness, GED education, healthy eating, home management and budgeting. And the homes also provide other essential social support.”

Originally, the state considered opening 12 new recovery residences, but funding was insufficient to build that many homes as startups.

Be Well Texas believed it would be more cost-effective to use funding to support existing recovery housing providers, but cover their costs to operate as homes certified as “level 2” or “level 3” on a four-level service scale of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences. The NARR is a nonprofit organization that has developed the most widely referenced national standard for the operation of recovery residences, working with and supporting 30 state affiliate organizations.

Aside from the state and the NARR, other partners include RecoveryPeople/TROHN (Texas Recovery-Oriented Housing Network) for the training and technical assistance, and the various providers of recovery housing services across Texas. Be Well Texas created a statement of work for the project and sent a request for applications to more than 300 providers. The hope is that these providers will continue to open new homes and beds in the future.

“By increasing access to recovery residences for emerging adults, Be Well Texas is filling a gap in the substance use disorder continuum,” said Briseida “Bee” Courtois, MSW, LCDC, director of substance use services for Be Well Texas. “We along with Health and Human Services are setting a benchmark in recovery housing through support of this one-of-a-kind, medication-assisted-treatment friendly, NARR-certified level 2 and 3 housing assistance program for a high need group of young adults.”

Individuals ages 18 through 25 with a substance use or mental health diagnosis can qualify. For more information, contact Be Well Texas at (888) 85-BeWell, (888) 852-3935.

---

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), is one of the country’s leading health science universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 41,100 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.

Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Be Well Texas is UT Health San Antonio’s substance use disorder program. It is funded by Texas Health and Human Services, and it supports patients around the state.

But officials at Be Well Texas argue their approach to addiction recovery goes beyond medication and 12-step programs. They said their holistic approach means more paths to recovery.

Dr. Tara Wright, the senior director of Be Well Texas, explained the philosophy behind their approach.

“We really try to look at it from a more holistic perspective, of what does this patient need?” Wright said. “That’s why there’s case management in our clinic to figure out what do they need — do they need food vouchers, is there legal assistance, is there housing insecurity issues that are occurring? What are the problems that individual is facing? Because all of that contributes to the substance use disorder.”

The virtual and in-person clinic services are free for low-income Texans, but Wright and others realized that paying for the services wasn’t the only barrier between patients and treatment. Another huge issue was transportation.

So, in late December, Be Well Texas finalized a deal with Lyft Healthcare to offer free rides for patients to get to the San Antonio clinic, and to labs and pharmacies around the state.

When a patient needs to make a clinic appointment or get to labs or a pharmacy, they will call their case manager at Be Well Texas and provide them with a pick up and drop off location. Then, support staff will arrange the ride and provide the patient with a window of time that works for them. All the patient has to do is get to the right location, get in the car, and they’re on their way to critical services.

Richard Hamner, Be Well Texas’ program manager of recovery support services, said when he was dealing with the worst of his substance use disorders, having free access to transportation would have been a lifeline.

“I still had a warrant out for my arrest, I had to take care of those issues, I didn’t have a driver’s license, didn’t have a vehicle, couldn’t get around,” Hamner said. “I also had legal challenges and other things that came with that — so I had appointments to make, I had to meet with parole officers, I had classes to attend, not to mention outpatient [care]. I needed mental health services at the time, with the bipolar and depressive disorders that I also had. Had I had Lyft, that would have made making those appointments quite a bit easier.”

He said that when he was dealing with all of these issues 15 years ago, he had to rely on public transportation. It was a critical tool but it wasn’t adequate for his needs. He added that it remains inadequate for the needs of many dealing with substance use disorders. So he had to make hard choices about what parts of his life to tend to and which parts to neglect.

“When I have to make all of these different appointments, I’m probably going to either no-show or not make some of those appointments. And then I just have to prioritize what’s most important. Generally, medication, making those appointments, were low on the priority list. They were most important for me physically, but not legally.”

Claudia Draper, a practice manager at Be Well Texas, said about 40 people around the state utilized the free Lyft Healthcare services to get to appointments, pharmacies, and labs.

She explained that the initial contract with Lyft Healthcare is a year-long, with the likelihood of renewal.

Be Well Texas is also starting to subsidize recovery housing for 18- to 25 year olds dealing with substance use disorders, finding ways to get people connected to internet services, and working with people in prison so that they can be on a path to recovery by the time they get out.

Wright said part of the reason for all of these services is that the need for substance use disorder treatment is so great in Texas — and it’s only increasing.

“Since the year prior to the pandemic [to] the year after, we saw almost a 79% increase in overdoses in the state,” she said. “So it is a huge need in our state alone, so in San Antonio it’s just the same.”

She said Be Well Texas has grown to try to accommodate that need, going from nine employees four years ago to more than 90. With that growth, and a new clinic which is in use but has not yet had its grand opening, Wright said they’re able to accomplish more.

“This space means the world to us because what it means is we’re able to come together and do things like problem solve for our patients and ensure that we’re collaborating with all of our experts and program managers like Richard [Hamner] to come up with creative solutions to barriers our patients hit,” she explained.

One of those creative solutions is Be Well Texas’ peer to peer support services, inspired by Hamner’s own experience as someone in long-term recovery from substance use disorders.

“I was what they called a 'serial relapser.' I was in and out of all kinds of treatment programs — residential, outpatient, you name it, and none of those were really successful,” he explained.

He said it required engaging with multiple different types of programs, including faith-based counseling, a men’s accountability group and a 12-step support group before he really saw results. That’s what made him realize that no one method to recovery will work for all people, and in fact, many people will need numerous different methods simultaneously in order to make progress.

“Whether it be mental health treatment, substance use treatment, whether it be some kind of job training, GED, whatever that is that we can help connect them for," he said, "we’re there, and we can do those things.”