Want to share your substance use care journey?
The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery and the Director's Council of Lived Experinece (COLE) announced today a new initiative focused on understanding and improving the experience of individuals navigating substance use and recovery. We are conducting in-depth interviews using a patient journey mapping framework to identify key barriers, supports, and opportunities for improvement within the medical and recovery systems.
The initiative aims to capture the lived experiences of patients from the first moment they recognize a need for help through their ongoing recovery. By using open-ended questions and encouraging personal storytelling, the interviews will provide a comprehensive view of the patient's perspective, from initial entry points to interactions with various services like medical providers, the criminal justice system, treatment programs, and peer support.
The interviews will cover critical aspects of the patient journey, including:
Access to Care
Exploring the ease or difficulty of finding help and the initial experiences with services like emergency rooms or detox.
System Navigation: Understanding how patients move between different services and whether they feel lost or "bounced around" during the process.
Stigma and Respect
Examining experiences with medical professionals and other helping systems and the impact of stigma from professionals, family, or the community.
Positive Supports
Identifying which services and individuals provided the most helpful support and hope throughout their journey.
The findings from these interviews will be used to create detailed patient journey maps. These maps will visually represent the patient's path, highlighting emotional touchpoints, pain points, and successful supports. The insights gained will directly inform new strategies and partnerships to enhance care coordination, reduce systemic barriers, and foster a more supportive environment for individuals in recovery.
Interviews will be confidential in nature and all individual responses published as part of a bigger report. Information that can identify individuals will be removed.
Interviews will occur between now and December 30, 2025 and can take place in person or online.
Interested? Complete the interest form below or contact Jamie Edwards at edwardsj@co.surry.nc.us