Dear Friends and Family,
This has been a particularly hard year for those seeking recovery. COVID-19 has led to an increase in mental health and substance use disorders, driven by isolation, unemployment, and wellness concerns among others issues. Here are several poignant data sets:
- According to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP), “There was a 17.59% increase in overdoses reported during the post stay-at-home order time period [March 19, 2020 – May 19, 2020], with over 61% of ODMAP participating counties reporting an increase in that time.”
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH) reports:
- Nearly half of Americans report coronavirus crisis is negatively impacting their mental health
- There was a 1,000% increase in emotional distress reported to emergency hotlines
We’ll repeat what we said in our summer letter: your support was critical in lending much-needed aid, and we hope this update is a bright spot in a universally difficult year.
We hope you’re encouraged by the following updates from The ARCHway Institute and Tulip Hill Recovery. In this season particularly, we are thankful for your partnership in Ben’s legacy.
With gratitude,
The Ben Lucas Foundation
The ARCHway Institute:
- Year to date, ARCHway has released just under $45,000 in grants to aid the recovery community. About $9,000 of that has been for education and awareness in order to help break the stigma around addiction and mental health and increase knowledge in the community of the resources available for those seeking recovery. The rest went to recovery housing, treatment, and recovery community organizations to support individuals struggling with addiction and to help initiate a path towards long-term recovery.
- We were able to provide $10,000 in grants around April 2020 specifically to combat COVID-19 effects on recovery housing providers. They were finding that residents were struggling to pay rent and afford food/essential items due to layoffs. They also had added expenses such as cleaning supplies and thermometers that were needed.
- During our Holiday Hope Campaign we will release $5,000 in grants to recovery-oriented organizations (housing, RCOs, and treatment).
Tulip Hill:
I am writing this letter with appreciation and gratitude for the relationship Tulip Hill Recovery has historically had with your foundation. The previous support your foundation provided has helped the clients we serve in some of the toughest moments in their lives. Your generosity has truly supported people whose lives are on the line.
- COVID-19 has caused the drug epidemic and mental health issues that plague our society to worsen. The overdose rates from opiates, as well as other drugs, have risen dramatically during the pandemic. The sad truth is that suicide rates have also risen during this extremely challenging time for our country. This has led to more clients seeking our care which had caused Tulip Hill Recovery to expand our service capabilities.
- Tulip Hill Recovery hired a new medical director during 2020. Dr. Rakesh Amin, MD is a Psychiatry specialist who specializes in mental health and substance abuse disorders. Dr. Amin has enabled Tulip Hill to treat more co-occurring mental health disorders along with our client’s substance abuse issues.
- Increased demand has led to the addition of 5 brand new single-family homes for our residential housing component. Each house has 8 beds that limits each room to no more than 2 clients per room. The houses have been an added expense at a crucial time of demand for substance abuse treatment providers. This has increased our ability to treat more clients, but also added to the monthly operating expenses it takes to help individuals recover.
-Zachary Ragan, Executive Director