New London County CARES Launches Substance Abuse Podcast

Press release from AFL:

April 25, 2021

The New London County CARES project developed by the Overdose Action leadership team, ALLIANCE For Living (AFL), Ledge Light Health District and the City of New London is launching a new audio podcast series called – The Drug User Health Podcast – to provide resources and expert commentary on a range of subjects from harm reduction to hearing about people’s lived experiences and how that changed their lives.

Kelly Thompson is the CEO of The ALLIANCE For Living, “The ongoing Covid pandemic has seen an increase in overdose rates and deaths in New London and across the State as people remain even more isolated. We hope this podcast series will let people know they are NOT alone, and that services and people are still out there. As Covid restrictions begin to lift for our communities here in Connecticut, we want to remind people that others still remain isolated and that has to end.”

The New London County Cares provides a range of services and programs for vulnerable members of the community and their ‘Cares Navigators’ are on the frontline every day to make sure they reach those in need and provide therapeutic and emotional support during difficult times.

Carol Jones is Director of Harm Reduction at ALLIANCE For Living, “AFL’s outreach efforts are multi-faceted. We have used our Cares Navigators out in the community to talk one-on-one with those who need help and assistance or just reassure them that someone is there for them. It’s been difficult because of the pandemic and reaching those that are open to our support, but we have continued to do outreach throughout this difficult time. The podcasts are an extension of harm reduction, giving people access to experts with lived experience and information about services at their fingertips, when they need it, on demand, and judgement free.”

The podcast series kicks off with a conversation between Carol Jones from the Alliance For Living, George Walker, a Lead Counselor for the Intensive Outpatient Program at The Root and Zach Siegel a 29-year-old freelance journalist living in Chicago, and someone with lived experience as they discuss their own former experiences with substance use.

A new podcast episode will be launched every month and can be found at the Alliance For Living’s website on the podcast page at - https://www.allianceforliving....

The podcast will also be available on the Alliance For Living’s Facebook page at -
https://www.facebook.com/Allia...

For more information contact Kelly Thompson on - (860) 447-0884 or Kthompson@allianceforliving.org

This press release was produced by AFL. The views expressed here are the author's own.