By Guest commentary Saturday, December 14th, 2024

By Heidi Allison

The County of Ventura recently announced its Fentanyl is Forever awareness campaign, releasing a series of pretty staggering stats related to the increase of Fentanyl found on our Ventura County streets.

According to the county, there is five times the amount of Fentanyl found on the streets from just five years ago.

The stats also help shine a light on the many different ways bad actors are lacing pills with the deadly substance. 

Did you know that California youth experience some of the highest rates of mental health issues and substance use disorders in the nation, with Ventura County’s rates nearly double the state average?

It’s a startling statistic and one I experienced firsthand, when my then 14-year-old son, Nate, found himself battling a drug addiction. 

He fought back. 

We were able to send Nate to a treatment center to receive the help he needed — an option we know isn’t accessible and affordable for everyone — and he was able to overcome his addiction through the help of residential treatment, intensive outpatient treatment and peer recovery coaching. 

All this has helped him lead a very meaningful drug-free life, inspiring those around him through his passion for fitness and a healthy lifestyle, while also taking Addiction Studies in college.

Tragically, we lost Nate in January 2022 after he died from injuries sustained in a car accident involving a semi-truck.

I’ll never forget the enormity of my feelings as surgeons wheeled Nate into surgery to prepare his organs to donate. 

And while our world came crashing down, amid that early shock and grief, came an outpouring of stories from those whose lives had been touched by Nate. 

Friends shared that he had inspired others around him to be their best selves and reached out to those who were struggling. 

And they remembered how much he really believed in everyone’s potential. Nate always had so much empathy, and we knew that he was not done helping people. 

The key to Nate’s long-term recovery was working with a peer recovery coach for 1.5 years; a young man who was in recovery himself and had a huge impact on our son. 

He took Nate to 12-step meetings, worked with him one-on-one and encouraged Nate in activities like weightlifting, boxing and playing the guitar. 

While we were able to get Nate the help he needed, we know that it is not easily attainable for so many vulnerable young people in our community. 

And so, Larry and I created Nate’s Place, A Wellness and Recovery Center to honor our son. 

Today, in a clubhouse-style setting, we provide primarily BIPOC youth with free transportation and access to our recovery and wellness center, which deploys “Nate’s Recovery Recipe” — a program that includes 1:1 peer recovery coaching, recreational activities and group counseling/education. 

And it’s working. 

In a recent self-report survey completed by participants in our program, 96% reported improvement in reducing the use of substances, and 95% reported improved overall mental health since attending.

We’ve also partnered with Ventura County Behavioral Health to provide community support services for mental health and to conduct Teen Intervene Prevention groups at 11 schools this year throughout Ventura County. 

As our county’s budget faces massive cuts in funding across agencies and services, the County’s partnership with nonprofit providers, like Nate’s Place, will become more critical than ever. 

Nonprofits will be called upon to help the County address gaps in services for community members in need. 

Operating at near capacity, having supported hundreds of youth through our program, we know that expansion must happen in order to meet the growing need and face these challenging issues head-on.

We all know someone affected by a mental health or substance use disorder — they do not discriminate.

As the County continues its important work to increase awareness about the dangers our youth and adults face and are susceptible to, and as nonprofits countywide collaborate on supportive programs and services, I have a call to action for our community: In honor of Nate, be the helper. Lend out your hand to lift someone up. 

Help us fill the gap. I promise you it’s a life well-lived.

Heidi Allison is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience, treating mental health and substance use disorders. She founded Nate’s Place, A Wellness and Recovery Center in 2022 alongside her husband, Larry.