Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation Investments Provide Hope to Ohioans with Substance Use Disorder

By Dr. Stephanie Parrish

Substance use disorder is a pervasive problem that affects hundreds of thousands of people across Ohio each year. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, one in 13 Ohioans has a substance use disorder, rendering them unable to control their use of drugs or alcohol. It’s likely you know someone who has struggled with this problem.

Substance use disorder not only ruins people’s mental and physical health, it also rips apart families and devastates communities. It harms relationships, affects job performance, and can ultimately lead to devastating outcomes, including death.

It is one of the greatest health challenges of our time, and countless community-based organizations in Ohio work tirelessly to help those with addiction. But those organizations are often under-resourced. That is why the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation is stepping up, allocating significant funds to support organizations in Ohio that are focused on helping people overcome substance use disorder.

I am proud and grateful that the Foundation has awarded more than $3 million over the past three years to programs across Ohio that support prevention, early and long-term intervention, crisis response, and recovery. Many of these programs also help people deal with the additional problems substance use disorder can bring on, including trauma, homelessness, and challenging family dynamics.

As a behavioral health professional, I have seen firsthand the effects that substance use disorder has on patients and families, and I know how meaningful it is that the Foundation’s investment strategy includes mental health and substance use disorder. We know we can effect meaningful change by supporting and partnering with organizations that share our passion in this area. Consider these grant recipients, who are using the Foundation’s support to make a difference in the lives of people struggling with substance use disorder:

• Shelterhouse in Cincinnati is using its $225,000 grant to expand its drug and alcohol recovery program by adding another case manager and increasing transportation services to help residents access additional community resources.
• Alvis in Columbus got a $200,000 grant for its Family and Children’s program, which provides parenting education, reunification services, and substance abuse disorder interventions for families affected by addiction.
• HER in Cincinnati received a $100,000 grant to supports its Off the Streets program, one of Ohio’s only substance use disorder recovery programs for survivors of human trafficking. The grant helps fund Off the Streets and provide more housing options for participants in the program.
• CompDrug in Columbus received a $300,000 grant, which will help bolster its perinatal outreach program. The grant also will support a collaboration with Mount Carmel Health System to create and pilot an education program aimed at training health professionals to screen patients for mental health concerns as they are being discharged and to direct them to appropriate services as needed.
• LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland received a grant of $193,608 to expand its SMART recovery program with an additional outreach team, more recovery coaches, and increased access to individual counseling.

At Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we believe we have a responsibility to drive positive change in the communities we serve. Significant strides have been made in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorder, but more needs to be done — and it’s our hope that investing in these initiatives and others like them will help break the cycle of addiction. When we work together, we can make meaningful change and create a brighter future for thousands of Ohioans.

Dr. Stephanie Parrish is the behavioral health medical director for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid in Ohio.

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