Voices for Recovery

[Jaunty Guitar Music]

Mike: Welcome everybody. This is Avoiding the Addiction Affliction brought to you by Westwords Consulting and the Kenosha County Substance Use Disorder Coalition. I'm Mike McGowan.

Mike: Recovery from substance use disorder is everything from a challenge to a celebration. The recovering community is ever present to support folks through the challenges.

Mike: And to celebrate together every step of the way. We're going to talk about recovery and so much more with our very special guest today, Cindy Burzinski. Cindy is the current director of Wisconsin Voices for Recovery, part of the UW Madison Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. She is a licensed clinical substance abuse counselor, person in long term recovery and researcher interested in increasing access to supportive resources within the recovering community.

Mike: Welcome, Cindy.

Cindy: Thank you. Glad to be here.

Mike: Well, Cindy, for those that don't know what it is, tell us about Voices for Recovery.

Cindy: Yeah, absolutely. So Wisconsin Voices for Recovery is a statewide, peer led, recovery focused organization. So we do a lot of advocacy work and engaging of the community.

Cindy: We are part of the University of Wisconsin Madison Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. We did start in, I think, 2013 and we have a, a team structure with a number of team members. We have an advisory council that meets monthly, and then a BIPOC community advisory committee that meets quarterly.

Mike: Well, when we were talking ahead of this, I was amazed. You have a ton of programs.

Cindy: Yeah, we do. We do. Our main focus is connecting people, reducing stigma, education, harm reduction, and recovery support and peer support through organizations that we fund.

Mike: Well talk about some of the programs that you think people need to know about.

Cindy: Yeah, absolutely. They're kind of actually broken down into those five areas. So, Connecting People, Reducing Stigma, Education, Harm Reduction, and Recovery Support. And so, for Connecting People, we have an annual rally every year that happens during a recovery month in September, and it's usually the second Saturday of September where we all come together as many people as possible across the state to the Capitol in Madison.

Cindy: And we have a rally. We have speakers, we've got a lot of resource tables. We have a hobby and wellness area, which is new the past few years. We do Narcan trainings. We provide free Narcan fentanyl test strips. We have a DJ, food, kids area. It's a great time. So everybody can come together and learn and connect and support and advocate and really working on reducing that stigma.

Cindy: We have other events as well. So we attend recovery related events across the state and we have a stigma awareness event that we do each year that travels around the state. This year, upcoming, it's going to be, I believe, November 19th in Lac du Flambeau. We also do a lot of social media engagement and just connecting with people through that way.

Cindy: We also focus on reducing stigma. And so, through that, we do trainings and presentations. As I mentioned, we have our stigma awareness events. We have a podcast. It's called The Sober Podcast, which stands for Stories of Badgers Empowering Recovery. And these are people, yep, people typically from Wisconsin that either talk about their organization and the great work that they're doing, or we pick a topic.

Cindy: And we bring in a panel and have the panelists talk about the topic, such as stigma or harm reduction or other issues in the community. We also have a Saturday night chat. Where we post videos usually the last Saturday of the month, where we have somebody interviewed regarding the recovery story.

Cindy: And so the interviewer and the person in recovery come together, they decide which questions would we like to talk about, which parts of my story do I want to share, and then that person is interviewed and they share that also to raise awareness. Show that recovery is possible and eliminate stigma.

Cindy: And then we have our Speak Out on Stigma initiative, which is fairly new. It's been going on, I think, a little over a year, maybe a year and a half at this point. And for this, we have little five minute videos that we record. So we provide people with a list of questions. And have them pick one or two questions, or they can come up with their own, or they could modify a question.

Cindy: But really the main point is to talk to them about stigma and get their experiences and views on stigma. This is open to anybody and everybody. It's really focused on different sectors and perspectives and bringing together experiences. And so they select one or two questions, and then I interview them and ask them those questions.

Cindy: The videos are only five minutes. We post one usually every Monday. We've gotten a lot of interest and what we're really looking to do is get representation across different areas of the state, different sectors, different communities, different life experiences. So those are our two main ones.

Cindy: And then we focus on education as well. So we do community education. So with Narcan trainings or stigma trainings. We attend conferences and do those trainings or talk about one of our programs or initiatives. We also work with students. So we work with the UW Madison Physician Assistant Program and work with them to do NARCAN trainings in the community.

Cindy: We also work with the UW Madison Community Health Education Program, which are medical students that work with us on a project. We have four cohorts per year that come through and work with us. And what they do is they help us with the Saturday night chat interviews, and then we also give them another project to do as part of their section.

Cindy: And so for those interviews, it's a nice opportunity to have an incoming medical student be connected with someone in recovery to learn about their experiences and provide a positive experience for both the medical student and the person in recovery to have a positive influence on somebody going into their medical education.

Cindy: So yeah, so those are some of our areas, and then we have two larger programs above and beyond that one focused on harm reduction so we do Narcan training and distribution through that program, but our Nalox-ZONE program is focused on providing a, they're called Nalox-ZONE boxes.

Cindy: So it's a type of opioid rescue kit where there's Narcan in it, a CPR mask in it, instructions on how to administer Narcan, and then resources. So people can access these boxes to obtain Narcan. They can be used in an emergency situation, but also just to access the box to have the Narcan. And it's really about increasing access across the state.

Cindy: At this point, we have over 500 boxes located across Wisconsin in over 60 counties at this point and it continues to grow, it continues to expand. In Wisconsin, these boxes are free. So if the organization or business in Wisconsin would like a box all they need to do is request one from us and we'll work with them to get them the box and then the supplies.

Cindy: The other program that we're starting up is a fentanyl test strip program. We'll provide fentanyl test strips also for free to Wisconsin organizations and communities. So that's our harm reduction area. And then we have a recovery support and peer support area where we have our ED2Recovery+ program, which is a program where we fund organizations that provide peer support, they're nonprofits that provide peer support to people in the community and also in the emergency department when they come in due to an overdose or seeking support for a substance use disorder.

Cindy: So when that person comes to the ED the medical staff there ask them if they'd like a peer support connection and then they call one of the organizations that we fund which provides a peer support provider. They meet, they talk about resources, they talk about, you know, what are they looking for in recovery?

Cindy: What support are they looking for? What guidance are they looking for? And they start a connection, and then these folks are followed up with over a period of time to help support their recovery journey. We also as part of that program provide free recovery coach trainings using the CCAR model, and then we also have an annual virtual peer support conference each spring that anybody can attend. It's free. CEUs are offered focused on in Wisconsin typically, but people can join. And then we also have a peer support provider directory that we are developing. So that's our most recent project. So we are reaching out to all of the peer support providers across Wisconsin, either organizations that provide peer support.

Cindy: Or people that are self employed that provide peer support. And they can sign up to be in this directory, which will, in the coming months, become accessible to the public. So if someone's looking for peer support, they'll have a listing in whichever area they're looking to have a listing for to see, okay, who provides peer support?

Cindy: Which organizations provide peer support in my area? So that is the overview.

Mike: Wow. Well, that's a lot of stuff. And as we were talking, I told you ahead of time that I had somebody say to me a while back that Wisconsin has a lot of usage. We lead the country in so many categories, especially around alcohol.

Mike: And she said, therefore it stands to reason we have a very strong recovering community, which I thought was a great way to look at it. But then when we were talking, you said, well, that depends, right? That's a lot of programs, but it depends on where you're at, right?

Cindy: Yeah, absolutely. So it's definitely by community.

Cindy: So, yes, there's strong recovery in this state. Also, it depends on resources. So, you might have more resources in an urban area. You might have less resources in a rural area. So, there's different barriers to access to resources, depending on where you are in the state, and so yeah, it can definitely vary by location and that's one of the things that we're trying to focus on is how do we eliminate barriers?

Cindy: How do we raise awareness? How do we build connections? The rally is one way we can do that because people can all come together and learn. Here's all the resources in the areas. Oh, I didn't know this resource existed. Now I'm going to go reach out to them. Or, Oh, I'm an organization and I didn't realize there's an organization, you know, in a city just like 20 miles away.

Cindy: Maybe we can collaborate on something. So it's really about building those connections and engaging at multiple levels. So at the individual level, at the organization level, and as much as we can, connecting people across the state to increase access to recovery and support.

Mike: So you're not just an advocate group, you're a funnel, you're a bridge, you're a connector.

Cindy: Yeah, we strive to connect and engage as much as possible.

Mike: We have a rather diverse audience of listeners, but one of your, and we've had, we talked about this before, there's some disparity in the amount and the care to certain groups in our country, let alone our state.

Mike: And you also address that racial disparity as well as rural disparity.

Cindy: Yeah, absolutely. There's definitely barriers and the more awareness we can raise, the more we can start to address these barriers.

Mike: Talk a little bit more about the you called it the ED2 Recovery?

Cindy: Yeah, the ED2Recovery Program.

Cindy: Absolutely. So, this program started in 2017 and it supports the provision of peer support services. We do have a request for proposal that goes out annually. It typically gets posted in June, where organizations that provide peer support that are non profit can apply for funding from us. So it's a really great opportunity for networking and connection and supporting the community.

Cindy: The overarching program goal is actually to unite these treatment systems to promote peer support. And really, the aims are to decrease the number of overdose fatalities in Wisconsin by having the service, increasing treatment and recovery support, reducing emergency department admissions due to overdose as well because there's more peer support out there.

Cindy: Providing peer support in community settings and then being a sustainable and collaborative peer support network. And that collaborative piece kind of also goes into, you know, the trainings that we have. So we have that virtual conference that we do each year. Those organizations that are participating in this program have a say in what topics do they want to hear about each year at the conference?

Cindy: What topics do they want supervisors to be trained on outside of the conference? What topics and trainings would be helpful for the peer support providers engaging one on one with people looking to be supported on their recovery journey?

Mike: Those of you who listen know that we're going to put a link on the blurb to the podcast the Voices for Recovery's website that has links to not only the Lac du Flambeau November event, but all of the trainings and education events.

Mike: Cindy, in my introduction, I said you're in long term recovery. How did you get involved with Voices?

Cindy: How did I get involved with voices? So that, so two ways, two ways. So being a person in long term recovery myself, I started to see back in 2013 when this started, right? Oh, there's a rally. This is very interesting.

Cindy: I want to check it out. And so I went to my first rally. And so it was a great welcoming and energizing experience. And so from that point, I continued to go to rallies. After a while, there was an opportunity to volunteer, and so I volunteered. At that same time, I was already employed by the university.

Cindy: And so, being employed by the university, knowing that, okay, well, this is also affiliated with the university, got me connected in that way. And so, being a researcher with the university, working on a variety of different projects, there was an opening to work on this team as well. And so then I, I took that opportunity and became engaged in a career sense as well.

Mike: We have, and I know you've done other work too, and I want, if you don't mind, I want you to talk just a little bit about that, especially your work with veterans, your research with veterans.

Cindy: Yeah, absolutely. And I will just make a correction that I haven't done research with veterans necessarily.

Cindy: But I was 1 of 2 subject matter experts on the development of some materials to support veterans. The Whole Health Project so that is, it's the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Whole Health. It's part of their library, and I worked on the substance use modules.

Cindy: And so these are resources, clinical tools for clinicians to help support veterans. We've got tools such as recovery oriented mutual self help groups, reducing relapse risk, a tool on substance use disorder treatment, complementary approaches, overviews on substance use disorders and tobacco use disorders.

Cindy: So yeah, these are tools that can help and aid clinicians in supporting those in recovery for veterans.

Mike: Yeah, I wanted you to mention that because we talk about underserved groups or groups that kind of fly under the radar and they've done so much and that's a group that does fly under the radar when it comes to substance use disorders.

Mike: Thanks.

Cindy: Yeah, absolutely.

Mike: You know, you also have done work with mindfulness, right? And I have a personal friend of mine and back pain.

Cindy: Yeah.

Mike: Talk about the back pain.

Cindy: Yeah, absolutely. There's a large multi state research study that we actually just completed and it's called the STAMP study. It's Strategies to Assist with Management of Pain. And so this was a collaboration between UW, with University of Wisconsin Madison, Pennsylvania State University, Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard, and University of Utah College of Social Work.

Cindy: And so, these four sites, we came together, we worked on looking at individuals who had long term chronic low back pain treated with long term opioids. And so we looked at, I think it's 770 individuals across these different areas. And we provided them with one of two different therapies.

Cindy: So mindfulness based therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. We followed them for, each of them for a year and we're looking at the impact of those therapies on their back pain, their function, et cetera. And so we are working on our initial primary outcomes paper now, so keep eyes open for that.

Cindy: We do have a paper out already on the, the study protocol. And so it's a very interesting read. The interventions, they were eight weeks long, there were group interventions, and they were two hours per week for each one. So yeah, we're very excited. The study lasted six plus years.

Cindy: And yeah. Yeah,

Mike: And so you don't have a conclusion yet or?

Cindy: Yeah, there's no preliminary results that I can share at this point But I would say, you know, keep checking back The principal investigators on this are Drs. Zgierska and Dr. Barrett And so, you know, if you you google their names especially, Dr. Aleksandra Zgierska articles should come up.

Mike: Excellent. You also talked about what you do for individuals all over the state. And on your website, there's a link, a blog section. Is that what you were addressing when you were talking about the five minute videos, too?

Mike: Because there's a, there's some of those up there, too.

Cindy: Actually, no. The videos are on our YouTube channel.

Mike: Oh, okay.

Cindy: And so, yeah, so we have a YouTube channel where those videos live. That's also where our Saturday night chats live. The Share Your Story on our website was a different initiative where we had people talking about their story.

Cindy: They wrote a little paragraph and then kind of where they are today.

Mike: I love those.

Mike: If somebody wanted to get involved with Voices, how would they do that?

Cindy: So they could reach out to us, they could email us, they could message us on our Facebook page, but usually the best way to reach us would be through email [email protected]. We also have, depending on what they're looking to learn more about different program emails. So, we have a separate email for our Nalox-ZONE program because it's a full program, and then our ED2Recovery+ program, we also have a full email address there for that.

Mike: Yeah, and I'm going to put a link to the main one on, on the end of the blurb.

Mike: I'll let you get away from us by giving you a little go away question.

Mike: On that little summary, there's a quote from a woman named Becca, who summarizes her story of addiction with a great big smile. Your picture of her has a great big smile. And I love this. She says, I am present. I have hope. I have a life. It's kind of what it's all about, right?

Cindy: Yeah. Being present. Living life, engaging in life, healing.

Mike: That's terrific. I'm just so glad you were able to do this today, and if you want more information about the rallies, the event coming up in Lac du Flambeau, or any of the many programs that Voices offer, just click on the link and give yourself a little bit of time, because there's so much there. You can get lost in it. It's great.

Mike: Thanks so much, Cindy, for being with us today. And for those of you listening, you can join us anytime, of course, that you're able to and until we see you again please, please stay safe.