2018 was been a busy
year for our NCADD-NJ Advocacy Teams, and looking ahead to the coming year we
have no plans for stopping the momentum.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for
their warm welcome as I adjust to the role of Advocacy Coordinator. As an
NCADD-NJ Advocate for 6 years, I knew that Aaron Kucharski had made a
tremendous impact on countless advocates across the state, myself included, and
that taking over his role would be a large task. My background and experience
in addiction and recovery have prepared me well for this position, and it is an
honor to continue working with a program that has played such a pivotal role in
developing a recovery-ready New Jersey.
Six years ago I was introduced to NCADD-NJ through a
training held at Living Proof Recovery Center in Voorhees, NJ. I was an
employee at LPRC (one of 3 employees at the time: today there are more than
12), that helped plan and launch the second state-funded, peer-led recovery
center in the state. Part of my job was to book recovery-oriented events, and a
training entitled “Our Stories Have Power” was one of them. This training was a
major turning point in my own recovery, and in my professional path.
I approached Aaron after the training to thank him and to
let him know what a profound impact the last 2 hours had on me. I asked him directly: “How do I get your
job?” We laughed about it then, and we continue to laugh about it today. This
introduction to advocacy, and the power of language in recovery, woke something
up inside me. It would send me on a journey that culminated in receiving the
answer to the question I asked Aaron 6 years ago.
Since entering the recovery field, I have held various
positions that have prepared me for a launch into full time advocacy work. I spent
several years with a Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) team,
where we assisted people with mental illness/addiction diagnoses directly in
their communities and homes. When the OORP (Opioid Overdose Recovery Program)
grants were distributed I launched the program in Gloucester County, and
oversaw expansion into 2 additional hospitals in Camden County, bringing the
number of programs in the county to 3. I returned to school and was trained as
an addictions counselor, and have worked in this capacity at several treatment
facilities in New Jersey. I am a trainer in SBIRT (Screening, Brief
Intervention, and Referral to Treatment), as well as a certified trainer for
the CPRS (Certified Peer Recovery Specialist) certification in New Jersey. My recovery
has been blessed with these opportunities to become a well-rounded addictions
professional; these experiences also have shown me the many gaps in services,
education, and opportunities available for those in, and seeking, recovery, as
well as their families. I bring a slightly different perspective to our
Advocacy Program, but I hope to be able to use my experiences to assist our
Advocacy Teams in addressing the issues within their communities.
The power of grassroots advocacy cannot be denied. When I
started as an NCADD-NJ Advocate, our primary focus was getting police to carry
naloxone, and to get rid of the statute that prohibited EMTs from administering
the same medication. It is hard to believe that this was a mere 6 years ago. We
have come a long way, but must recognize that there is still much to be done.
By:
Heather Ogden
Advocacy Coordinator Public Affairs and Policy
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - New
Jersey
