S2 E16 First Responder Addiction Treatment: New Approaches

On this episode, Bonnie and David speak with Michele Giorgianni, First Responder Liaison at Aware Recovery Care @awarerecoverycare, and  Jason Palamara, Director of Veteran & First Responder Engagement at Forge VFR @forgehealth Our topic:  Substance Abuse Disorder treatments for First Responders.

AWARE offers home-based recovery care including in-home withdrawal management, and Forge offers evidence-based, trauma-informed outpatient treatment programs and Telehealth services. Both providers have programs designed specifically for First Responders.

We answer these questions:

Why should Substance Abuse Treatment be different for First Responders than for the general population?

What is unique about police culture and how it relates to wellness and resilience? How do payments and insurance work for treatment?

What are some dos and don’ts when working with first responders?

Why is it more effective for First Responders to work with first responders?

What is your role at AWARE and Forge VFR?

Why is the speed of receiving care so important for a Law Enforcement Officer?

Michele Giorgianni is the First Responder Liaison at Aware Recovery Care.  She is 33 years sober, and a Former Juvenile Probation counselor. Michele has been a P/T Dispatcher at a Police Department in Fairfield County and has worked in recovery for over 25 plus years.

Jason Palamara is a U.S. Navy Veteran and a retired New York City Police Department Cold Case Homicide Detective with twenty- years of experience in forensic and criminal investigations. Jason has served as a peer support counselor with the NYPD and is the director of Veteran & First Responder Engagement for Forge VFR.  Jason is currently writing a book on police wellness and resilience with Barbara Rubel.

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