
Beating Addiction, Improving Mental Health
Change Grow Live believes in people and believes that creating an environment for connecting, growing, and learning is essential to supporting individuals as they confront substance misuse. Across the CGL network, nearly 800 fully trained volunteers and over 4,000 staff members work with over 220,000 people a year. “Over 220,000 people beat their addiction with us last year,” according to CGL’s annual report, referring to the 12-month period ending in March 2019. It added that 17 out of 20 the people CGL served are no longer at risk of eviction (a common peril), and 75% reported improved mental health.
“We’re seeing an increase in the complexity of needs for the people who are using our services,” Minesh said. “Often, symptoms of substance misuse are related to other life events, such as trauma. You rarely get someone who comes in solely with substance abuse issues,” he explained. “There are other things going on in their lives. We can’t treat substance use in isolation. We need to listen, learn and understand what has led to the person using substances.”
Knowing a person’s satisfaction with their services gives CGL another data point for understanding their clients’ struggles and how its frontline teams can better address them.