For the past few years, Alpha Home Alumni (2012) Leila Brackley has served as Alpha Home’s Intake & Wellness Specialist. Her responsibilities have included receiving new client medications, counting the medication, creating a client self-administration treatment plan, and auditing compliance. “As a woman in long-term recovery,” said Leila, “giving back (Step 12) and being a part of someone else’s recovery journey has been rewarding.”
Leila is now transitioning into a new position, which builds upon her previous responsibilities. On October 1, 2022, Alpha Home began a new voluntary medication assisted treatment program as part of its overall substance use disorder treatment services. Clients looking to participate in the program will now be offered Naltrexone to help with reducing alcohol cravings. Leila herself takes Naltrexone and says, “it has been an important tool in cutting the cravings not only with alcohol but also my addiction to sugar.”
Leila completed her Recovery Coach Training in 2018 as a Certified Peer Specialist. With the new medication-assisted treatment program at Alpha Home, she will finally be able to put her recovery peer specialist skills into practice.
Medication-Assisted Treatment Intake Process
The new program’s intake process includes a Wellness Intake Interview along with the client completing a “MAT-AUD” questionnaire. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the questionnaire is a brief, 10-item screening tool “that primary care practitioners, healthcare paraprofessionals, and individuals can use to screen others, or themselves, for problematic alcohol use.” If the client meets the program’s initial screening criteria, they are evaluated by a physician. If the client is medically cleared for participation, they are eligible for one of three medication options.
Leila currently manages client consultations at the Dr. Usatine Wellness Center. Once a physician approves a client for program participation, Leila is assigned to her as a Recovery Coach. “Helping women find their strength to succeed has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember,” she said. “And it’s one of the main reasons I am almost done with my Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC – I) training.”
Leila wholeheartedly believes that “once the cravings and withdrawal symptoms are removed, a woman gains an advantage that will help her flourish in building a new way of life for herself and her family for generations to come.”
“The opportunity that has presented itself here at Alpha Home is a dream come true for me,” Leila continued. “There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a woman empowered by realizing how strong she is and transforming her life into something amazing.”
