Featuring Region 4
Board Member: Claudia Wilcox
CADC II (OR), CADC Vice President
Region 4 Representative
Education Committee
My Journey
Hello, My name is Claudia Wilcox and I am your Region 4 Representative and a veteran in the field of Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery. God Willing, I will take a 24 year chip on September 1st. When I got clean and sober, I had no idea September was National Recovery Month or what that even meant. I soon learned how special the month of September would become in my life and life of so many others.
I was honored to be Idaho’s 2009 Recovery Delegate for the National Recovery Month Celebration in New York City that Faces and Voices of Recovery, SAMHSA and A&E sponsored. Ten thousand recovering individuals walked across the Brooklyn Bridge in representation that people CAN and DO recover from the negative effects of SUD.
In efforts to reduce stigma around addiction we were all willing to record our personal struggles in addiction and our journey of recovery for the public to view. I have been blessed beyond belief to work and live a life of sobriety and mentorship, I am proud of the work I have done and the person I have become. I am willing to share my story in hopes others might take something from it that would help them. We were told that in the near future, so many people would be seeking treatment, the workforce would not be able to meet the demand. Well, I believe we’re here!
I have spent the past 27 years working in SUD Treatment and Recovery. For me, Harm Reduction and Problem Solving Courts have been some of the most rewarding models to work in. I have seen thousands of miracles and met amazing people personally and professionally. I have been afforded so many AMAZING opportunities throughout my career. In September, I will be retiring from providing direct service and move into a teaching position to help develop the Recovery Coach workforce in the Treasure Valley.
Why IBADCC matters
I served 8 years on the Addiction Counselors Certification Board of Oregon before moving to Idaho. I have been a member of IBADCC for approximately 8 years and have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges brought to the board. We have a hard working board and we have been able to meet some pretty important challenges for our clients and the field.
One of those being, taking on the Recovery Coach Certification. Creating this para professional certification that could be monitored and represented by a certifying body, IBADCC, making it legit!!
We did that and now have approximately 50 CPRC’s and CRC’s combined in the state and are working to certify more. Providing a Preliminary Certification so potential trained RC’s could intern and work towards the hours needed to test is another important challenge the board created at the request of stakeholders and constitutes.
We are a hard working board and have a couple positions open if one wanted to get involved at the certification level. We will be putting on some fund raisers in the near future and are looking for volunteers. Please contact the office or a board member to discuss the different possibilities to get involved.
The Beauty of Region 4
What I love about this Region besides all the great shopping and outdoor activities is that there are so many providers and opportunities for people who suffer from addiction to get help. We have the largest provider group in the State with approximately 43 behavioral health agencies and we are still growing. With the current demands on the system, agencies are lacking ability to fully staff them, please be patient and courteous when making appointments or expecting call backs, we are all doing our best.
Happenings in Region 4
I spoke to Monica Forbes, Executive Director of Peer Wellness Center. Besides running a Community Recovery Center providing recovery support services in multi-facets, she and her staff have been working on the Sept 4th Recovery Rally at Julia Davis Park.
There will be information booths, music, games for the kids, and food. Look for flyers to come out soon. She has also been a catalyst obtaining IROC Grant monies for Opioid treatment in Idaho.
She has been a leading advocate for treatment dollars at the legislative level for over ten years. She shared, “the CDC just disclosed that drug overdoses are up 30% since the pandemic and they are seeing more polysubstance overdoses.”
Clients are sharing they are using “OXY 30’s” which she indicates there is “No Such Thing” and that “OXY 30’s” are actually the Heroin laced with Fentanyl people are dying from.” CDC data show 81,230 overdose death occurred in the US from June 2019-June 2020. She is working with the Coroner’s office to obtain the exact numbers for our area. Also, they are seeing an increase of Cocaine and Methamphetamine overdose deaths.
If you’re following the news you know people are overdosing every week to Heroin/Fentanyl in this Region.
Upcomings in Region 4
September is NATIONAL RECOVERY MONTH!
Look for upcoming events and celebrations throughout the State to get involved. Recovery is Connection, come get involved and be part of the SOLUTION.
Taking your health for granted is a dangerous notion!
With the high humidity and temperatures in the triple digits over much of the state in the past month, H20 is CRITICAL. Drinking HALF your body weight in OUNCES is the basic guidelines for daily hydration. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you will need to drink 70 ounces of water daily for adequate hydration.
Advice to IBADCC Community
Recovery Coaches are changing treatment failures into treatment successes. The data is clear how valuable these para professionals are to the profession, our clients and their success. SAMSHA just awarded 250 Million dollars to train, increase services and positions in behavioral health centers across the country. Take a look.
I AM SO GRATEFUL TO SERVE REGION 4, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me at 208-405-1092 or another board member. You can find our contact information on the website.
Enjoy the Rest of your Summer!!
Thank you
Claudia Wilcox
CADC II (OR), CADC