Nicole Poston volunteers to help others at Medford's Urban Campground, the same place she found herself 18 months ago after nearly dying of an overdose of drugs in a local motel room. The people and services she encountered at the site for people living without housing set her on a path of recovery from addiction. (Photo courtesy of Jim Craven)
Inside this newsletter
Building the village | A path to growth | Kids grieve, too | The future takes shape | Happy Smiles is back in schools
Thank you to the patients, group participants, and employees who gave La Clinica permission to share their stories and photos for this newsletter.
Building the village
Jackson County organizations band together in recovery network aimed at helping people succeed
They say it takes a village. Nicole Poston credits that village with saving her life.
She was addicted to alcohol, marijuana, and methamphetamine for 29 years before a motel-room overdose nearly killed her and she and her boyfriend ended up homeless at Medford’s Urban Campground, she said. “And I still couldn’t stop.”
But she did stop in the weeks that followed that low point in her life 18 months ago. It was thanks, she said, to people who showed her hope at the Urban Campground, La Clinica’s Mobile Health Center and Birch Grove Health Center, and an inpatient recovery program through Addictions Recovery Center. She started classes at Rogue Community College, got a job supporting others in recovery at the mental health agency ColumbiaCare, and volunteers at the Urban Campground, which helps people living without housing. She’s due to become a certified addiction counselor next year.
That kind of path to success is one local advocates hope to create for many others through what has become known as the Jackson County Recovery Network. Eighteen local organizations are splitting $17.5 million from the state targeted at creating a network of services that can help people succeed at overcoming addiction, also known as substance use disorder. The money is available because of a first-in-the-nation Oregon law that decriminalizes small amounts of drugs while funding recovery programs with revenue from marijuana taxes.
Most of the 18 organizations are doing some of this work already. The new recovery network aims to coordinate their efforts so that people attempting recovery can follow a connected trail of help designed to meet their needs. It designates seven types of services the agencies will provide, from screening and treatment to helping with housing and jobs.
Nicole felt the depth of support here as she dealt with some serious health issues, found a new home, got her driver’s license back, and organized herself to head in a new direction.
In the throes of addiction, “You don’t see another path. Everything starts looking dark,” Nicole said. “You need people who believe in you until you believe in yourself. You need connection. I think it matters a lot.”
Background photo: Nicole Poston, front, credits Brandon Biswell, left, John Glandon, and Alex Spray as being part of the community that has helped her recover from drug addiction. (Photos with this story courtesy of Jim Craven)
Connecting the steps to recovery
Oregon’s Measure 110 decriminalized small amounts of drugs and provides funding for networks of organizations to provide seven services that support people in recovery from substance use disorder:
- Health screening and assessment of needs
- Planning for how the recovery process will work
- "Low barrier" treatment such as medication to ease off substances
- Peer support and mentoring
- Housing services
- Distribution of nalaxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses, and other "harm reduction" measures
- Supported employment
La Clinica will use its share of the money to build up and staff the five services—screening, planning, treatment, naloxone distribution, and job training for people in recovery—it will provide as part of the network, said Stephanie Lyon, director of Birch Grove Collaborative. The collaborative is a group of eight partners that treat substance use disorder out of La Clinica’s Birch Grove Health Center.
Birch Grove partners include, in addition to La Clinica, Addictions Recovery Center, AllCare Health, ColumbiaCare Services, Jackson Care Connect, Jackson County Mental Health, Jackson County Community Justice, Options for Southern Oregon, and OnTrack Rogue Valley. Most are also part of the recovery network.
Local partners in the Jackson County Recovery Network
Addictions Recovery Center, ColumbiaCare Services, Community Works, Compass House, Family Nurturing Center, HIV Alliance, Jackson County Health & Human Services, La Clinica, Max’s Mission, Oasis Center of the Rogue Valley, OnTrack Rogue Valley, Options for Helping Residents of Ashland, Options for Southern Oregon Inc., The Pathfinder Network, Reclaiming Lives, Rogue Community Health, Stabbin’ Wagon, Youth ERA
A path to growth
La Clinica aims to help employees build their careers, one step at a time
At age 18, Ali Salazar knew she wanted to help people for a living. She started an entry-level position at La Clinica as a verifier, checking patients’ insurance plans and calling them to confirm their appointments. Little did she know that she would become La Clinica’s first medical operations director one day.
Ali is among many La Clinica employees who have grown in their careers. La Clinica is identifying career development experiences like Ali’s and sharing them to show job seekers what is possible.
“We believe our greatest strength is our people," said Human Resources Director Bryce Waters. "We have a long history of investing in staff learning and development to prepare them to grow in their skills and career with us. We have specific workshops, coaching, training opportunities, and career pathways underway so people like Ali can grow right alongside La Clinica.”
Ali’s managers recognized her patient skills and commitment to growth and learning and cross-trained her to work in other departments. However, after working for La Clinica for two years, Ali decided to work for a different community organization. She stayed working on-call for La Clinica and worked both jobs on some days.
Although she was still helping others at her new job, Ali felt unfulfilled. “My partner noticed that on the days when I worked at both La Clinica and at my new job, I came home much happier,” she said with a smile.
Ali returned to La Clinica as a coordinator in training and picked up where she left off. She helped open the Central Point Health Center and then the Women's Health Center. She became the practice manager at Central Point Health Center, working with behavioral health specialists, managing a large team, and hiring healthcare providers. Then Ali managed operations at the Central Point dental office.
Ali attributes her career growth to managers, mentors, and La Clinica’s structured training programs. “Tara Kirk (La Clinica's chief operations officer) is one of my most influential mentors. She created a way for me to come back to La Clinica and develop leadership skills,” said Ali.
Ali became La Clinica’s first medical operations director in 2020 and oversees all medical operations. Like Tara before her, Ali paves career pathways for others now. She said, “I’m proud to be a part of many current leaders’ growth within La Clinica.”
Background photo: Ali Salazar leads medical operations across La Clinica, her latest promotion in a long series. La Clinica is developing approaches to helping other employees grow within the organization as well. (Photo courtesy of Steve Johnson)
Kids grieve, too
WinterSpring, now at La Clinica, brings back a program to help children through loss
One by one, the children spoke, some barely audible as they sat in a circle with their parents.
From a young boy: I’m here for my sister.
From a teenage girl: I’m here for my older brother.
From the tiniest person in the room: I’m here for my mom.
When someone close to them dies, kids grieve, too. Free group sessions to help them process their feelings are available for children 6 and older as part of WinterSpring, a grief education and support program that has been available in the community for more than 30 years and is now part of The Learning Well, La Clinica’s education and support service.
WinterSpring paused grief services for children early in the COVID-19 pandemic and has restarted them just this fall. WinterSpring hosts an ongoing group program for children at the La Clinica Center for Learning and Innovation, and any school can request the service, which is free, for groups of five or more children or teens. So far this fall, WinterSpring teams in the community have worked with elementary school kids after the unexpected death of a teacher, followed up on suicides at a school and with sports teams, and conducted training for school employees helping kids cope with parent deaths.
“Kids do grief differently,” said Amanda Constable, WinterSpring manager and a clinical mental health counselor. “We help them learn tools to verbalize their emotions and increase their chances of getting their needs met. A lot of times the groups are the only place where they can normalize their grief experience.” WinterSpring’s program for children is modeled after one developed at The Dougy Center in Portland.
At the recent session that started with sharing in a circle and included kids of a variety of ages, activities included crafts, dressing up, playing board games, and making up puppet stories as well as a closing circle at which kids had the opportunity to share a favorite memory about the person in their life who died: The sister who’d snuck screen time late at night when she thought no one knew. The father who yelled about politics every day. The stories brought smiles, giggles, and tears, all part of the process of healing.
“This program is of enormous benefit to the children and families in our district,” said Amy Muhler-Herbst, student wellness coordinator for the Medford School District. “Their grief support groups provide a safe place for students to share the story of their loss with their peers, understand they are not alone, and learn healthy coping skills that empower them to move through their grief.”
197
Number of children and their connected adults served so far this fall through WinterSpring's programs for children
To learn more
- For in-school programs: Call 541-552-0620 or email info@winterspring.org.
- For the Children's Program at La Clinica: Visit WinterSpring online for information.
- Stay connected: Sign up to receive our updates and schedules.
The future takes shape
Expanded Acute Care Clinic buildings expected in 2024
More details are becoming clear in La Clinica’s plan to expand urgent care services by the middle of 2024.
The organization has launched a $4.4 million community fundraising campaign to remodel its existing Acute Care Clinic on Market Street in Medford and build a companion building that’s three times its size across a driveway. Between the two buildings, the facility will offer 12 exam rooms, x-ray and ultrasound services, and a drive-up pharmacy. The larger building will offer same-day, walk-in care for ailments and injuries and will be designed to accommodate infectious disease outbreaks.
“COVID-19 taught us that we need to be ready,” said CEO Brenda Johnson. “We’re moving forward with this project with that in mind and with the knowledge that adding x-ray and diagnostic services will allow us to address broader urgent-care needs for our patients and in the community.”
The project
- Remodel the existing 2,278-square-foot clinic to add x-ray services and a drive-up pharmacy
- Build a new 7,038-square-foot clinic to house 12 exam rooms, a nurse triage room, and a procedure room with ultrasound services
To learn about donating to this project, contact Chief Development Officer Maria Ramos Underwood.
Happy Smiles is back in the classroom
In-school dental team has returned fully after a pandemic pause
The COVID-19 pandemic kept La Clinica's outreach dental team out of schools entirely in the 2020-2021 school year and limited classroom dental education last year. But the team is back in full this fall, providing education, dental screenings, fluoride applications, and sealant coverings on teeth, along with referrals to a dentist for kids who need one.
The program, which prevents cavities and limits student absences and time away from work for parents, is offered at no cost to families. (La Clinica bills insurance when it is available.) It serves about 15,000 children annually in 27 area schools.
The program is funded by grants and sponsorships. One funder, the Reed and Carolee Walker Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, helped launch Happy Smiles in 2004 and has generously funded Happy Smiles for 18 consecutive years.
(Background photo: Happy Smiles Dental Assistant Muna Saeed, left, and Hygienist Ashley Stead work with a young patient at Washington Elementary School.)
From all of us, thanks for all you do
La Clinica couldn't help the community the way it does without your kind and generous support of this work.
Please use the link below to make your 2022 year-end gift. you can designate your gift to a specific use by clicking on the link to donate online. If you have questions about the best way to support La Clinica, please contact our chief development officer, Maria Ramos Underwood, at 541-890-4987.
We wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons.
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