Virtual Town Hall about SUD by Tarzana Treatment Centers
On Saturday, March 27th from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, a Virtual Town Hall about substance use disorders (SUD) was provided by Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC). The focus of a Virtual Town Hall over Zoom is to offer both professionals and community residents quality and up-to-date information. By being a resource to the community, both live and in cyberspace, TTC offers multiple levels of support.
Not only is the Virtual Town Hallfree of charge, but it also offers prizes for participants. Indeed, the goal is to save lives and be of service. To make this happen, community engagement is a necessity.Thanks to TTC’s partnership with the Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) Department of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, participants were eligible to enter a free raffle and win abrand-newApple AirPods.
Virtual Town Hall Emphasizes Prevention and Treatment Options
Facilitatedby Maribel Briseño, the Virtual Town Hallbegins with a presentation by Dr. José C. Salazar, the Director of Program Development for TTC. With a Masters and Doctoral Degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, he dedicates himself to the substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and mental health fields since 1988.
At the Virtual Town Hall, Dr. Salazar expresses positive feedback to everyone in the virtual room and on the call. Since addictive relationships with alcohol and drugs are happening all the time, the work never stops. Thus, both prevention and treatment options are equally essential.
However, if prevention is going to be perspective and prevent the need for treatment, it needs to start young. Indeed, the formative years, surprisingly, are between the ages of twelve and seventeen. Thus, Dr. Salazar emphasizes the role of prevention, including the implementation ofevidence-based interventionsas earlyas elementary and middle school.
Jessica Saldana: Young People in Recovery + An Ally in Recovery
After the introductory presentation, Jessica Saldana, the day’s keynote speaker, takes the virtual stage. She is the California Chapter Coordinator for Young People in Recovery. Born and raised in the Antelope Valley, Jessica serves as a bridge for people needing SUD resources in her community. As an ally of people in recovery, she supports the journey to sobriety.
At the Virtual Town Hall, Jessica reveals her story. In high school and college, when Jessica saw her friends sinking into drug use, she backs away. Growing up with alcoholism in her family, she grew up going to Al-Anon meetings. She chooses to find her own journey, finding Young People in Recovery. Focusing on prevention, her calling becomes a peer support provider who helps her community.In the Antelope Valley, Tarzana Treatment Centers teams with Young People in Recovery at prevention events.
Substance Use Disorder Education in Smaller Groups
After Jessica’s moving presentation, everyone breaks up into groups based on what they want to learn more about. The SUD choices at the Virtual Town Hall include Opioids, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Alcohol, and Tobacco/Vaping. Since there are two smaller group sessions, each participantgets to pick two different topics.
In the smaller sessions, clinical experts from Tarzana Treatment Centers lead the participants in multimedia presentations. Proving valuable, these detailed presentations include videos and pictures, charts, and numbered lists. In a brief period, they offer a tremendous amount of quality information.
The Ongoing TTC Virtual Town Hall Experience
Realizing how easy it is for people to attend a TTC Virtual Town Hall from their home, Dr. JoséC. Salazar and Maribel Briseño plan to have more of these events in the future. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic changes the educational landscape of how people receive information. Responding to this change, Tarzana Treatment Centers will balance the traditional methods of SUD education and prevention with the latest technologies moving forward.