Over the past few weeks, we have been watching, listening, reading and conversing to learn and understand how we can do better as individuals and as an organization to help address inequities that impact Black communities. Out of that reflection, Caron recognizes we have a responsibility to do better. How we can start to do better is by ensuring Black families struggling with substance use disorder gain access to quality care.
The sad truth is that quality treatment is often financially inaccessible for many families, especially those in our Black communities. In fact, over the past few years, we made the decision to increase access to Caron’s treatment services by expanding in-network insurance-based options. While it is still early, our efforts to expand access are working. We have seen our Black patient population double just this calendar year. But we need to do more.
How we can do more and have an immediate impact is by allocating $500,000 in treatment scholarships specifically to help Black families access substance use disorder treatment at Caron. We also are addressing our cultural competency to best serve the Black community – undertaking additional training, support and guidance from Black addiction treatment experts. In addition, we are seeking out the guidance of Black leaders from other not-for-profit organizations in the areas we serve to learn how we can use our resources to better help Black families struggling with substance use disorder. We will also continue to work with our partners in the behavioral healthcare sector to create meaningful change to improve access to care for Black communities.
Like recovery, this is a journey for us personally and professionally. We will continue to listen and learn with open hearts and open minds – that is our commitment.
In a message to our staff last week, I encouraged them to continue to embrace the principles of recovery to make change happen not just in our organization, but in ourselves. We must use the spiritual principles of recovery that we teach our patients: honesty, integrity, humility, brotherly and sisterly love and service. With these, we can help change the world.
