INDIANAPOLIS — First responders experience situations every day as they help the public that some of us have never had to feel or see.
"As a police officer, I saw a number of things. Fatalities, the worst was children fatalities," former law enforcement officer David Reid said.
Reid was a member of a county sheriff's office in Georgia for five years. During his career, he investigated crimes against children. Prior to that, he was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy.
"I wore a uniform, I carried a gun, the things you've seen, I've seen them too," Reid said.
That is the message he will tell first responders as the lead therapist for the RESCU program at Recovery Centers of America in Indianapolis.
"I feel like I've come back to my tribe in a way," he said
The substance use disorder treatment center just opened in December on Township Line Road near West 86th Street. The RESCU program launches on Monday.
The focus will be on helping first responders with addiction treatment.
"It's really to take those people who have been exposed to trauma over and over again and they have begun coping and dealing with that stress and trauma through substances," Stephanie Anderson, CEO Recovery Centers of America at Indianapolis, said. "It's really not that uncommon, it's really common across the general population and then you add all this increase exposure to constant high-risk high trauma situations and first responders aren't great at asking for help."
Anderson has a background in corrections as a deputy juvenile officer in St. Louis. When deciding what programming to add in Indianapolis she says the RESCU program was near and dear to her heart.
"It just felt right. It felt like the right program. No one else in Indiana is offering something of this caliber for this particular group of individuals we know they need it so bad," Anderson said,
At RCA first responders will be part of a small community of fellow first responders experiencing similar challenges. Treatment will include private group therapy sessions, peer support groups and individualized treatment.
Reid has this message for those that may currently be struggling with substance use.
"It's ok to take care of yourself, it's all right, probably going to need some help until you learn how to do it well, the person that can help you as someone who has been there," Reid said.
Resources
If you or someone you know is dealing with a substance use-related emergency, call 911.
For more information on a recovery organization near you, you can visit the Indiana Recovery Network website.
You can call 211 for help 24/7 in Indiana.
You can call the Indiana Addiction Hotline at 1-800-622-HELP (4357).
To find where you can get Naloxone near you, click here.
To view more resources from NextLevel Recovery Indiana, click here to visit its website.
Learn More
Click here to learn more about substance use disorders.
Substance use disorder-related data from the state.
