For the Rapids City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – As substance use disorders continue to devastate families and communities, concerned individuals and organizations are coming together to target interventions – from enforcement to treatment. A new non-profit organization in Wisconsin Rapids hopes to bridge the existing gaps that are preventing individuals from being successful in their recovery.

Formed in April, Three Bridges Recovery WI, Inc. started a peer recovery coach partnership with Aspirus Riverview Hospital. Since launching the program in June, Three Bridges Recovery and Aspirus have served 15 individuals seeking support for their recovery, made possible by a grant from Wisconsin Voices for Recovery.

The grant provides financial assistance for an on-call recovery coach program, available to assist medical patients 24/7 who are seeking recovery for an opiate-related emergency services contact or overdose.

“Partnerships in advocacy are an important component of community efforts,” said Megan Birginal, program coordinator with Three Bridges Recovery. “Our partnership with Aspirus allowed us to build the organization around a working program. On a broader scale, our partnership with the police department and specifically Detective Kasandra Borchardt has been our foundation. It has increased community awareness on substance use disorders and what we can do by working together. Most people think that law enforcement cannot work with agencies that are in the trenches of helping those with substance use disorders. But, we have one vision in mind – and that is helping our community get healthy again.”

Three Bridges Recovery seeks to increase recovery efforts in Wisconsin Rapids and South Wood County by acting as a bridge in three essential areas: providing recovery coaching services, maintaining a strong presence concerning safe and sober housing, and increasing opportunities for those new to recovery to develop new skills around life and social behaviors.

For more information, visit threebridgesrec.wixsite.com/threebridgesrecovery or find them on Facebook.