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SAR personnel complete training at Guam Lighthouse Recovery Center
Ten members of the Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation Program under the Office of the Governor completed a three-day training exercise in one of Guam’s inpatient/residential facility for men, the Lighthouse Recovery Center.
The LRC is a residential facility that helps homeless, at-risk of homelessness, and low/moderate income men transition from chemical abuse and dependence back to an independent, drug-free life through a structured program.
SAR staff were educated in substance use disorders and the neurobiology of addiction, the Core Treatment and Treatment Levels of Care of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, treatment planning, and stages of recovery. The training was conducted by the facility director Valeria Reyes and clinical supervisor Leinani Naholowa.
Charlotte Flores, one of SAR’s behavioral health technicians, believed the training was very informative and concise.
“Our team really enjoyed the training. The instructors kept us engaged from the beginning to the end. We now have a firm understanding about what we can do here at home in the CNMI,” Flores said.
Two of SAR’s associate alcohol and drug counselors—Taylor Ada and Becky Dania Mettao—noted the benefits of learning the operation(s) of the Guam inpatient/residential facility and how it applies to the goals of the SAR program.
“A handful of the things we have gained from this training are tremendously helpful for me as a counselor and our program overall,” Ada said.
“The rise of this epidemic in our area is affecting our people, our community and our islands as a whole. The fight to decrease the use of this substance is not going to be easy, but it is possible. I firmly believe that as long as we work together as one CNMI, change is possible,” Mettao added.
Special assistant for Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation Yvette R. Sablan expressed her utmost appreciation to LRC for their swift response and genuine eagerness to assist the SAR program progress in their endeavor to provide professional training for the staff and on the services on substance abuse. (PR)
