Interview with Thea Cima, October 11, 2018

Partial Transcript: Today is October 11, 2018 and I am here interviewing Thea Cima at Independence House in Corbin, Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Thea Cima describes how she got arrested in 2012 for manufacturing methamphetamine, and how she spent two years in prison in Louisville. When she got out, she went to meetings, got a sponsor, started working the 12 steps and became dedicated to her recovery from substance abuse. She explains what a peer support specialist is, and talks about how she used her life experiences to help others and wanted to show other people that recovery was possible. She worked as a peer support specialist for two years before becoming a certified clinical drug counselor (she already had received her bachelor's degree in 2003).

Keywords: Barbourville (Ky.); Corbin (Ky.); Methamphetamines; Opioid misuse; Peer support specialists

Subjects: Drug abuse counseling.; Drug abuse counselors; Drug abuse--Law and legislation.; Drug abuse--Treatment.; Drug addiction; Drug addiction and recovery; Drug addiction--Treatment.; Heroin abuse; Intravenous drug abuse; Opioid abuse; Opioid use; Rehabilitation counseling.; Rehabilitation counselors.; Substance abuse--Law and legislation; Substance abuse--Patients--Counseling of.; Substance abuse--Patients--Rehabilitation.; Substance abuse--Treatment.

Partial Transcript: So could you talk about your day-to-day work here now?

Segment Synopsis: Cima describes her current position as the Intake Coordinator at Independence House, as well as a counselor. Her role involves contacting people on their waiting list when a bed opens up. She talks about how it is often hard to get in contact with people, especially when they are out in the world actively using. She talks about how she's had an intake scheduled for each day this week, but only one person showed up. She describes what it's like facilitating the process for intake, making sure women have the clothes and hygiene products they need, getting paperwork filled out, developing a treatment plan, and other aspects of the intake process.

Keywords: Independence House; Intake coordinators; Opioid misuse; Recovery; Waiting lists

Subjects: Drug abuse counseling.; Drug abuse counselors; Drug abuse--Treatment.; Drug addiction; Drug addiction and recovery; Drug addiction--Treatment.; Heroin abuse; Intravenous drug abuse; Opioid abuse; Opioid use; Rehabilitation counseling.; Rehabilitation counselors.; Substance abuse--Patients--Counseling of.; Substance abuse--Patients--Rehabilitation.; Substance abuse--Treatment.

Partial Transcript: So right now at Independence House it's women-only, is that correct?

Segment Synopsis: Cima discusses the length of the program (40 days for non-pregnant women, and 60 days or longer for pregnant women). She talks about how many of the women give birth while they are in the program, and how most of the women who come into the program come directly from prison or are required by the legal system to enter treatment.

Keywords: Maternal health; Opioid misuse; Pregnancy

Subjects: Drug abuse counseling.; Drug abuse counselors; Drug abuse in pregnancy.; Drug abuse--Treatment.; Drug addiction; Drug addiction and recovery; Drug addiction--Treatment.; Heroin abuse; Intravenous drug abuse; Maternal health services; Opioid abuse; Opioid use; Rehabilitation counseling.; Rehabilitation counselors.; Substance abuse--Patients--Counseling of.; Substance abuse--Patients--Rehabilitation.; Substance abuse--Treatment.

Partial Transcript: Uh, you mentioned a waiting list, but how many beds do you have at any given time for women?

Segment Synopsis: Cima describes how Independence House has 15 beds, in accordance with Medicaid laws. She describes the family dynamic of Independence House, how all of the women work together to take care of the house, and often forge close relationships. She talks about how most of the women are 18 or over. She also describes how, since they have women of all ages in residential treatment, older women will often cook the meals and end up being mother figures to the younger women.

Keywords: Friendships; Medicaid; Opioid misuse; Residential treatment; Women

Subjects: Drug abuse counseling.; Drug abuse counselors; Drug abuse--Treatment.; Drug addiction; Drug addiction and recovery; Drug addiction--Treatment.; Heroin abuse; Intravenous drug abuse; Opioid abuse; Opioid use; Rehabilitation counseling.; Rehabilitation counselors.; Substance abuse--Patients--Counseling of.; Substance abuse--Patients--Rehabilitation.; Substance abuse--Treatment.

Partial Transcript: Um, what are your thoughts on the opioid crisis?

Segment Synopsis: Cima talks about how in Kentucky, the availability of certain drugs depends on the region of the state people are living in, explaining how in Corbin, prescription painkillers are widely used, as well as methamphetamine, while in Northern Kentucky heroin is more prevalent. She talks about how Suboxone in Northern Kentucky may for the most part be used as it is medically intended, but in Corbin, Suboxone is widely abused.

Keywords: Corbin (Ky.); Methamphetamine; Northern Kentucky; Opioid misuse; Suboxone

Subjects: Drug addiction; Heroin abuse; Intravenous drug abuse; Medication abuse.; Opioid abuse; Opioid use

Partial Transcript: And I'm going to ask you since you work in this field, do you see an end to this whole epidemic of substance abuse, um, of, of more dangerous substances like Fentanyl being introduced...

Segment Synopsis: Cima talks about how she hopes that the epidemic will get better, but it scares her because she doesn't think it will stop, and she's concerned that heroin is now seeping into Corbin and surrounding areas. She doesn't see the epidemic ending.

Keywords: Drug overdose; Fentanyl; Kentucky; Opioid misuse; Substance abuse

Subjects: Corbin (Ky.); Drug addiction; Heroin abuse; Intravenous drug abuse; Medication abuse.; Opioid abuse; Opioid use

Partial Transcript: -------(??) being here at Independence House and seeing--I think, you know, something I realized talking to you just now...

Segment Synopsis: Cima talks about how it sometimes is hard to work in the field of substance abuse recovery, and how she tries not to take the secondary trauma home with her. She tells of the story of how, recently, a pregnant woman walked out, leaving to go get high after being in treatment for six days. Cima describes how she spent over an hour talking with the woman, trying to emphasize all the positives of staying, and how the experience took all of her emotional strength. But she stresses that more women choose to stay than choose to leave.

Keywords: Corbin (Ky.); Independence House; Opioid misuse; Pregnancy; Recovery; Substance abuse

Subjects: Drug abuse counseling.; Drug abuse counselors; Drug abuse in pregnancy.; Drug abuse--Treatment.; Drug addiction; Drug addiction and recovery; Drug addiction--Treatment.; Heroin abuse; Intravenous drug abuse; Maternal health services; Opioid abuse; Opioid use; Rehabilitation counseling.; Rehabilitation counselors.; Substance abuse--Patients--Counseling of.; Substance abuse--Patients--Rehabilitation.; Substance abuse--Treatment.

Partial Transcript: See, that's interesting too.

Segment Synopsis: Cima discusses the nature of addiction, telling the story of her own experiences: how going to prison was, for her, rock bottom, and how she decided she never wanted to be away from her family. She explains that another person's rock bottom may be entirely different and how, because of this, individualized treatment needs to be a priority.

Keywords: Corbin (Ky.); Independence House; Opioid misuse; Recovery; Substance abuse

Subjects: Drug abuse counseling.; Drug abuse counselors; Drug abuse--Treatment.; Drug addiction; Drug addiction and recovery; Drug addiction--Treatment.; Heroin abuse; Intravenous drug abuse; Maternal health services; Opioid abuse; Opioid use; Rehabilitation counseling.; Rehabilitation counselors.; Substance abuse--Patients--Counseling of.; Substance abuse--Patients--Rehabilitation.; Substance abuse--Treatment.