Grand Isle County residents struggling with substance misuse now have a new resource to help them recover thanks to the construction of a new Turning Point center in Alburgh.After United Way of Northwestern Vermont’s partner funding team learned about the gap in substance abuse services in Grand Isle county, they completely funded the project to put a Turning Point Center in Alburgh.The organization used $15,000 of its own money and a sub-grant from the Vermont Health Department of $17,000.Turning Point centers uses peer networks to help people on the road to recovery. Oftentimes, those providing mentor services are people with their own lived experience of substance abuse, like Hannah Rose.“I was lucky, through divine intervention or whatever, I managed to get into recovery at 20 years old,” Rose said. “So, I haven’t had some of the consequences that other folks have, but I sure get the nature of it.”Since that time in her 20s, Rose has done work in addiction intervention. She is now the outreach coordinator at the new Alburgh Turning Point inside the Northern Tier Center for Health facility. It’s where one-on-one coaching, support groups for families and medicated assistance treatment are facilitated.“It didn’t really surprise me but stood out, there’s families that are just desperate for support because they’re terrified about a loved one going through this experience and they just don’t know what to do,” she said.Before this center, someone looking for care would have to drive an hour or more to the Turning Point of St. Albans, or the Burlington location.“We are continually learning at United Way about the needs in the community, and we are reaching out all the time to different organizations and different partners,” said Megan Bridges, the Community Impact Manager at United Way Northwest Vermont. “And learning that access to transportation is a huge barrier in our community, being able to provide those services and meet people where they’re at was really essential.”The Turning Point Center in Alburgh is open on Fridays from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m The funding covers two years of services, free of charge.The organization is spending the next two years trying to expand services and make the program sustainable for the future.
Grand Isle County residents struggling with substance misuse now have a new resource to help them recover thanks to the construction of a new Turning Point center in Alburgh.
After United Way of Northwestern Vermont’s partner funding team learned about the gap in substance abuse services in Grand Isle county, they completely funded the project to put a Turning Point Center in Alburgh.
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The organization used $15,000 of its own money and a sub-grant from the Vermont Health Department of $17,000.
Turning Point centers uses peer networks to help people on the road to recovery. Oftentimes, those providing mentor services are people with their own lived experience of substance abuse, like Hannah Rose.
“I was lucky, through divine intervention or whatever, I managed to get into recovery at 20 years old,” Rose said. “So, I haven’t had some of the consequences that other folks have, but I sure get the nature of it.”
Since that time in her 20s, Rose has done work in addiction intervention. She is now the outreach coordinator at the new Alburgh Turning Point inside the Northern Tier Center for Health facility. It’s where one-on-one coaching, support groups for families and medicated assistance treatment are facilitated.
“It didn’t really surprise me but stood out, there’s families that are just desperate for support because they’re terrified about a loved one going through this experience and they just don’t know what to do,” she said.
Before this center, someone looking for care would have to drive an hour or more to the Turning Point of St. Albans, or the Burlington location.
“We are continually learning at United Way about the needs in the community, and we are reaching out all the time to different organizations and different partners,” said Megan Bridges, the Community Impact Manager at United Way Northwest Vermont. “And learning that access to transportation is a huge barrier in our community, being able to provide those services and meet people where they’re at was really essential.”
The Turning Point Center in Alburgh is open on Fridays from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m The funding covers two years of services, free of charge.
The organization is spending the next two years trying to expand services and make the program sustainable for the future.
