Sep 23, 2024 | By: Sydney Dick
Northern Access Hosts Bi-Monthly Meeting to Discuss Rural Disparities in Sober Housing
Northern Access, a Treatment and Government Organizations coalition, held their bi-monthly meeting at the Beltrami County Administration Building in Bemidji. They met with several other nonprofit organizations to discuss homeless and addiction recovery access throughout northern Minnesota.
Many representatives from different organizations met at their bi-monthly meeting in Bemidji to address rural disparities and issues with homelessness and substance use disorders across the Northwoods.
“Governmental agencies and non-governmental agencies coming together to see how they can better provide access to to treatment for people that are struggling with substance use disorder.” explained Nameless Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Reed Olson.
“What we want to do is increase access to treatment, make it work well for clients, and in doing that, we found that collaboration is the essential ingredient.” said Northern Access Co-Chair Lance Egley.
And one of the main points of discussion during the meeting was the importance of sober housing and how many people it can actually help.
“A safe and supportive environment for people coming out of treatment or coming from unhoused situations to have a bit of a moment to breathe and to be able to build up things that are vital to one’s recovery,” explained Minnesota Association of Sober Homes Office Administrator Ashley Wolf, “Like social connections, employment opportunities, life skills…”
Although Minnesota does have sober housing and addiction program resources, most of them are located in or around the twin cities, and rural areas see a lot fewer options.
“So my goal here today is to assess the need and the desires of the community here and work with people here on developing some sort of program or initiative to start up sober homes.” said Wolf.
And sober housing and addiction resources do so much more than just provide a place for people to stay.
“We’re keeping people out of jail.” said Olson, “We’re keeping people out of the emergency room. We’re helping them coordinate their health care. We’re helping them get into housing. And we’re taking away a lot of the desperation that people have when they’re on the streets. They say that the best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, but the second best time is today. So the fruits of our labors right now may not be realized for five, ten, 15 years, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t start now.”
Northern Access believes in four kinds of collaboration to complete their mission… networking, training, projects in the community, and policy. They are hoping to bring these ideals and create more sober housing and addiction recovery access around the Bemidji area… as well as the rest of rural Minnesota.