The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Clean way to sober
Let’s Get Real adds Harm Reduction Clinic to ease suffering
Let’s Get Real, a nonprofit in Lorain, has a sole mission of helping people suffering with addiction and their families on their road to recovery.
The group has announced a new program called the Harm Reduction Clinic, which is open three days a week.
“Us, along with the Nord Center, the MHARS Board of Lorain County, family planning, violence counseling, Lorain County Public Health, Medworks and the Nord Family Foundation,” said Kim Eberle, executive director of Let’s Get Real. “Reports and studies unanimously support the conclusion that harm reduction programs reduce HIV/AIDS and hepatitis transmissions, and do not cause rates of drug use to increase.”
Eberle said there are clinics in Cuyahoga County.
“This was modeled after several mobile units that are established in Cuyahoga County where people can bring in dirty needles and get clean needles, and have availability to referrals and other treatments,” she said. “What we are doing is at the Nord Center location at 3150 Clifton Ave. It is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.”
Eberle said the clinic provides a variety of services.
“The services that are available are syringe exchange, (naloxone) kits and peer support,” she said. “Peer supporters, I work with, are certified peer recovery supporters.
“They are people in longterm recovery that have taken a number of classes, passed an exam and are certified by the state of Ohio to assist others. They are subject to the same continuing education every two years that other people in the recovery field have to have.”
Eberle said the supporters can build relationships with those they help.
“The difference is, we are peers, we are people in recovery, we know what these people have been through,” she said. “We have a very unique relationship with the people that we serve.”
Other services
Eberle said the Harm Reduction Clinic provides other services.
“We have counseling and access to drug treatment,” she said. “It also offers HIV, AIDS and STD testing and education, assistance with benefit applications and resources for families and significant others who are trying to cope with loved ones”
Eberle said Let’s Get Real served a lot of people even during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“We served over 2,000 people in 2020,” she said. “We do an average of 50 people a month that we take into detox and drive them. In addition to that, we have what we call a Warm Handoff Project through Let’s Get Real where we responded 24/7 to hospitals.
“In 2020, we responded to 610 calls to hospitals where we walk in there where they ask for help ...
“We will then connect them with any of the local, Lorain County treatment providers and get them right into continued suboxone.”
Eberle said Let’s Get Real also works with the courts.
“We also do specialty dockets,” she said. “There are four recovery courts in Lorain County, and we provide peer support for those courts.”
Eberle works with law enforcement.
“We also do the police-assisted project,” she said. “It’s for anyone that walks into a police station in the county where officers need that extra expertise when helping folks with substance abuse.
“We do pre- and postrelease projects to Lorain County Jail and we get about 14 or more referrals a month to provide support to inmates.”
Eberle said the group does different meetings for support.
“It all starts by calling 440-963-7042, that line is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and it is open Friday all through the weekend,” she said. “We also offer numerous recovery support meetings. It’s virtual and face-toface (at 1939 Oberlin Ave.).
“We also have a family support group for folks, a kids group for those affected by drug and alcohol addiction, a meditation group, a recovery management group, we do a recovery life Bible and we do a grief support group.
“We use the many pathways to recovery approach. We are recovery navigators that connect folks with different things and provide the gaps in other services.”