Dothan mental health clinic raises awareness during Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - January is Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month.

It’s all about raising awareness for the treatment available, including medications.

A Dothan mental health clinic is on a mission to eliminate the stigma around using medicines to treat addictions.

For Kim Hart, helping people overcome addiction and changing their lives for the better is her passion.

“If we can give them sustained recovery by offering drugs like Suboxone, Vivitrol, or Naltrexone, we want to do that and we’ll come alongside them here at the SOAR clinic and offer counseling and support,” Hart said.

As the founder of SOAR Counseling and Recovery, Hart specializes in substance abuse recovery counseling.

“Isaiah 40:31 is my life verse,” Hart said. “So, when I opened the clinic, I wanted “soar” to be in it. I wanted this verse to be a part of it.”

Isaiah 40:31 in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) reads in part “Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles.”

Alabama has one of the highest percentages of opioid use disorder in the country per capita.

Hart wants people to know that there is help available to overcome addictions.

“People need to get the right treatment. They have a brain disorder; addiction is a brain disorder. They didn’t ask for it and if a patient continues to relapse, they are at high risk for overdose,” Hart said.

She is an advocate for medication-assisted treatment.

“We know that using medical-assisted treatment along with peer support and counseling is more effective than abstinence and peer support and counseling alone,” Hart said. “This is science-based.”

She believes getting the right treatment is life-changing.

“I see marriages saved, lives saved, careers saved, people getting promotions, when they get into recovery positive things start happening,” Hart said

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, Hart’s encouragement is to not put off getting treatment.

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