The findings from a series of community meetings to discuss substance use in the Pine River Valley reveal that the isolation of living in a rural community is both a contributing factor to substance use and a barrier to reducing harmful impacts.
The conversations were facilitated by Pine River Shares Executive Director Pam Wilhoite in partnership with Southern Colorado Community Action Agency. More than 50 people attended the five initial conversations, and 30 returned to follow-up sessions at which attendees review their community’s data to identify key themes and summarize the findings.
The entire region of Southwest Colorado is largely isolated from substance use treatment – but residents of the more rural parts of the region told facilitators that even basic public health information does not percolate through their communities as well as more populated areas in the absence of peer support.
“The isolation is what’s so deadly,” Wilhoite said. “We heard that out in Allison, Tiffany, in the Arboles area, down in Sam Brito, up in Vallecito – we heard that there’s no regular opportunities for people just to get together.”
Wilhoite said that Lori Niewold, SoCoCAA’s executive director, approached her about the idea because PRS maintains strong community relationships, which would be necessary to carry out such conversations. The project was made possible thanks to an $11,000 grant from the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health.
Participants reported that isolation, loneliness and depression were the most common reasons that people used illicit substances, of which alcohol, tobacco, methamphetamine and opioids were reportedly the most common.
The best way to reduce harm, attendees said, would be to make peer support more accessible.
Although there are no defined next steps, Wilhoite said she hopes the findings will lead substance use treatment providers to making community-based interventions a reality.
Although Axis Health Systems does offer peer support and there are several 12-step based meetings in the area, most are based in the incorporated towns and cities, not the more rural communities.
The findings concluded that the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Wellness Court and peer-supported interventions were among the most helpful resources available.
“Having folks coming in from outside was distrusted,” Wilhoite said. “I think if I were in the substance use (treatment) field, I would be looking at ways of mobilizing those communities to do that (themselves).”
Pine River Shares’ partner in the project, SoCoCAA, does provide some substance use treatment in Ignacio through a program called Peaceful Spirit. In a previous interview with The Durango Herald, SoCoCAA’s director, Niewold, said that the project “will help us evaluate where we need to provide or extend services, like with opioid or methamphetamine addiction.”
The release of the findings comes as the SouthWest Opioid Response District, the assembled entity responsible for making spending decisions with the region’s portion of money from settlements with pharmaceutical manufacturers, inches closer to action. In July, SWORD is expecting to have the final results of a feasibility study in hand that will provide more in-depth information about what substance use treatment needs the community has, and how money could be spent to address them.
In the meantime, Wilhoite says PRS has partnered with San Juan Basin Public Health to bring more information about harm reduction into the Pine River Valley.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
