CWC Alliance brings substance-abuse training to southwest Georgia

ALBANY – A training course held recently for mental health workers and volunteers was designed to help them be more effective in working with the community. 

“Awareness of the strength in collaborating with other leaders in southwest Georgia, the importance of being able to regulate one’s nervous system so we can help others overcome drug addiction and mental health crises in the community” is what Angel Patterson, president and southwest Georgia advocate for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Albany, said she got out of the training session held all day at the Phoebe East facility.

The training was offered by the CWC (Christian Wolf Crusade) Alliance and was funded through payments made to the state through opioid case settlements. 

The sessions used the community resiliency modality and reinforced the four pillars of NAMI: awareness, education, support and advocacy, Patterson said. 

“They use hands-on group empowerment … putting (it) to use training adults and youths to be mentors to others who are being (affected) by addiction.”

Atlanta-baded CWC has led a number of training sessions as part of its mission, providing training on wellness, coping strategies, and opioid and fentanyl education, Phylicia Hancle, youth program director for the alliance, said. So far CWC has trained more than 130 individuals through the sessions. Another Albany-based organization, Connect the Dots, also participated.

“We train youths and young adults across the state on substance-use prevention,” she said. “It’s been incredible to partner with NAMI Albany. Through this training, they will become youth prevention mentors. We’ve also created a community plan that they will (implement) within 30 days after training.”

On June 23, Phoebe Putney Health System and Aspire Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Services of Albany will present a luncheon session open to individuals in the community interested in learning about mental health and behavioral health issues.

The session will be held from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Northwest Library Event Center on Dawson Road.

“It’s open to any and everybody wanting to learn more about supporting the community with behavioral health and the resources that are available,” Patterson said.