Taylor Leddin McMaster (Host): Hello listeners. Thank you for tuning in to the Well Within Reach podcast brought to you by Riverside Healthcare. I'm your host, Taylor Leddin McMaster. Joining me today is Lisa Barnes, Licensed Social Worker with Riverside Healthcare Behavioral Health Outpatient Services Pathways. Lisa is here to discuss the health risks related to alcohol, as well as Riverside's new substance abuse program called Substance Use Disorder. 

Welcome, Lisa.  

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: Thank you. Good morning. Thank you for having me.

Host: Thanks for being here. Before we get into the episode, we're going to take a quick break for a message about MyChart.

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Host: And we're back. So, Lisa, can you share a bit about your background and your work as a licensed social worker?  

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: Absolutely. I actually started my career with Riverside in 2015 as an intern at Riverside Resolve Center in Manteno. That's where I hit the ground running to learn about alcohol and substance abuse. My internship led to a job offer and I retained employment there until sadly we closed in December of 2018. I also completed an internship at Riverside Pathways and then quickly transitioned to the clinical case manager in the hospital on the Senior Behavioral Health Unit. 

I loved that unit. It certainly was a pleasure working with colleagues, worked with a group of people that were absolutely committed to that population. Then the opportunity came for me to transition to the medical floor. Certainly was a very steep learning curve, but something that I absolutely wanted to expose myself to.

Wonderful opportunity, learned a wealth of knowledge. And then I decided to go back home, so I returned to Riverside Pathways in October of 23. Insanely passionate about mental health, advocacy, and providing support to those who struggle with mental illness on a daily basis.  

Host: Yeah, well, we're lucky to have somebody who's so passionate doing that type of work because it's so needed. Can you tell us about what type of behavioral services that Riverside offers, including through Pathways?  

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: At the hospital, we offer inpatient behavioral health services for children, adolescents, adults, as well as geriatric patients. The average length of stay certainly varies based on patient need. Our goal is to provide further stabilization through symptom and medication management. Patients see psychiatrists daily. There are multiple psychoeducation groups that are facilitated throughout the day. Patients are assigned a case manager to help them navigate through the admission process and support them and help develop a safe and successful discharge plan. 

And then Pathways, of course, we are located at 400 South Kennedy Drive, Suite 200 in Bradley. We also offer group therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. In the children and adolescents level, we have PHP, which is partial hospitalization, and ILP programs. We provide services to patients who report a variety of mental health concerns from depression, anxiety, grief and loss,

to bipolar, eating disorders, PTSD. Again, our goal is for stabilization and provide education and encourage clients to utilize coping skills learned to improve their daily functioning, emotional stability, and their overall well-being. And anyone who's in need of mental health services is an eligible candidate to participate.

All they have to do is call the pathways number. A referral is not required in order to schedule an intake. A primary care physician can refer someone inside the hospital, other psychiatrists, schools, family member, probation. Basically, again, just call 779-701-2000 and inquire about scheduling an intake appointment. 

But the PHPRP programs, they're structured daily programming. There is morning and afternoon programming. Right now, our children's ILP is running concurrently with the PHP. So, in other words, someone that is in an ILP program would just attend one day less. The program services children ages 8 through 11.

We have had patients that are as young as 5, but those are a case by case basis. Our adult adolescence program, they range from 12 to 17. Our Pathways team is very flexible and well versed, and we often pivot and just provide support where needed. We do have two adult programs, in the morning and afternoon. Our adult programming in the morning is from 8:30 to 11:30. One of the morning programs is trauma specific, and that's typically an all female group. And in the afternoon, we had one program, and it was from 12:30 to 3:30. However, we've recently transitioned that program to a dual diagnosis program to include substance specific and mental health. So, again, we're essentially addressing both the substance use disorders, as well as mental health simultaneously, because as we know, they often intertwine and really require integrated treatment for effective recovery. Our ultimate goal is to split those groups and have a substance specific and then a mental health group as well. We're working diligently to get all of our ducks in a row so we can go live with them operating separately. But anyone that is interested in mental health and or substance use treatment can again contact Pathways at any time and we will take it from there and walk them through the process and get them scheduled for an intake to determine what is most appropriate for them.

Host: We are going to turn the conversation now to the subject of binge drinking, which continues to be a hot topic. How would you define binge drinking or too much drinking?  

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: If you drink alcohol often or even daily, you might find yourself wondering, how much is too much. I don't think the question is always straightforward or there's not a straightforward answer, since every person has their own tolerance level when it comes to alcohol.

That being said, certain patterns of alcohol use do pose some cause for concerns for some people. So binge drinking typically involves consuming several drinks in a short period of time. And so what that means, an episode of binge drinking can bring your blood alcohol level content to a dangerous even life threatening levels.

And as a result, you could suffer symptoms such as blackouts, vomiting, or even pass out. So binge drinking is typically drinking an excessive amount of alcohol within a two hour period.  

Host: And how would you say that binge drinking differs from what's known as social drinking?  

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: Well, typically, social drinking is more when a person is out, they're at an event, and they wouldn't necessarily consider drinking if they weren't there. It is more controlled. It is a choice. It's usually less excessive. Where binge drinking is, I'm going to drink multiple drinks in excess within a very short amount of time, which is going to increase your blood alcohol level to a dangerous level, which could cause lot of very complex outcomes.

Host: On that subject, what would you say are some of the health risks that are associated with alcohol in general, but also long term or binge drinking?  

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: There are so many risks when it comes to alcohol in general. Certainly it's going to depend on the consumption, but even if you've never binge drink all the same, consuming large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time can still contribute to serious health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, liver disease, whether that means fatty liver, liver inflammation, irreversible liver scarring, issues with your pancreas.

But one of the scary statistics are according to the World Health Organization's global status report that roughly 70 percent of alcohol attributable deaths happen as a result of health issues, and the rest are due to injuries. So keep in mind that, alcohol use disorder can have effects that extend beyond your physical health. So that leads into excessive use could impact your family dynamics, your ability to main those relationships, your ability to sustain employment, and certainly leading to financial hardships or even legal issues, as well as, symptoms of mental health.  

Host: Before we get more into this subject, we're gonna take a moment to talk about the importance of primary care.

At Riverside Healthcare, your primary care provider is dedicated to being in your corner, helping you and your family stay healthy and thrive. Find the right primary care provider for you at riversidehealthcare.org/primary care. From annual screenings to well checks and everything in between, having a primary care provider that you can trust makes all the difference.

We are back with Lisa Barnes to discuss the Substance Use Disorder Program at Riverside as well as the topic of binge drinking. So, Lisa, can you tell us what are some of the most effective strategies for quitting or moderating drinking that you've seen in your experience? 

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: Absolutely. If someone is generally interested in seeking treatment for substance use, I think one of the most important steps is to reach out and ask for help. If they're recognizing unhealthy patterns or concerns with their drinking habits, reaching out to a treatment center is really the best first step.

Because not everybody can stop drinking on their own, and sometimes there's a lot of underlying reasons for why the person is binge drinking or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for a long period of time, and they may not even be able to recognize that. I truly believe all behavior has purpose, and sometimes a person who's struggling with an addiction isn't able to identify that. 

So if someone wants to cut back on their drinking or quit drinking altogether, there are absolutely options. So again, reaching out to a treatment center, inquiring about group therapy, inquiring about what we call MAT, medication assisted treatments, to help reduce those cravings and urges to drink alcohol.

There's many medications that are an option for someone who is struggling with opioid dependence. I would encourage anyone to establish a sober support network, whether that's through AA or NA, if that's through online, if that's through expanding their support system within their support circle. 

So, really, the first step is acknowledging that there's a problem, accepting that you need support, and the willingness to take those first steps to make it happen.  

Host: Definitely. And before, you were speaking about some of the health impacts and risks associated just with alcohol in general. I'm curious how quitting or moderating alcohol intake can help one's health. 

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: Well, certainly if you're reducing the level of intake, it's going to give your body a break. If someone typically drinks an excessive amount on a consistent basis, they've more than likely built a tolerance, and so their body has built up that level of tolerance that they can possibly drink more than the next person.

And a lot of that tolerance will depend on age, sex, weight, height. So, it's different for everyone. But certainly, I think people need to take into consideration that any excessive amount of drinking and or substance use is going to have an impact on your health eventually, even if you don't recognize those signs in the beginning.

So moderation is everything. And if drinking is something that poses multiple issues for you, then getting into treatment and being able to achieve sustained sobriety certainly may be the best choice for you.

Host: Yeah, and on that subject, you had earlier mentioned the substance use disorder program through Pathways. Could you tell us about how people can get more information on this and who's eligible for this?

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: Absolutely. Anyone is an eligible candidate to be screened for services. I would encourage them to contact Riverside Pathways directly, voice their preference, whether it's for mental health, whether it's for mental health as well as substance specific treatment, and we will take it from there.

We will schedule an intake. There are some brief questions that our general manager typically asks. We get them scheduled. They meet with a clinician. We go over the program, we address any concerns, we explain the expectations. There's a complete intake process that goes along with that, and then we get them enrolled, and they typically start the same day.

Host: Oh, wow. Okay. That's great. Is there anything else on this subject or the services offered through Pathways that you would like listeners to know about?  

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: I think the bottom line is, whether you want to address your long term relationship with alcohol or break a pattern of binge drinking, a recovery professional can offer guidance and support. Alcohol intake can have life threatening effects if left untreated. While initial treatment can be effective, I think the most important thing to keep in mind is ongoing support is critical. I think that it's important for those struggling with addiction know that it's a process. It requires consistent effort, it requires patience, and it's lifelong. It will always be a work in progress. I think something else to note is that relapse doesn't mean failure. Relapse can be inevitable for some people, but that doesn't mean that you can't get back up and again achieve that sustained sobriety that you need to work through your recovery. 

Host: Thank you all for tuning into the Well Within Reach podcast with Lisa Barnes of Riverside HealthCare Behavioral Health Outpatient Services Pathways and your host Taylor Leddin McMaster. To learn more about the services provided by Riverside's Behavioral Medicine Department, visit our website at riversidehealthcare.org or call the Central Intake Department at 844-442-2551.

Lisa Barnes, MSW, LSW, CADC: Thank you.

Host: Thank you.