Mercy Medical Center's Substance Abuse Navigator continues to help people find treatment

MERCED, Calif (KFSN) -- In the North Valley, the Substance Abuse Navigator at Mercy Medical Center has helped thousands of people find a pathway to treatment since 2019.

There are 29 similar services available in California through the Dignity Health system.

Each has the goal of providing immediate intervention and long-term support for folks battling drug addiction.

California continues to fight the ongoing drug crisis, and it's a problem that affects tens of thousands of people.

"We've seen a lot of people with addiction issues come in," said Brenna Halliday with the Substance Abuse Navigator Program.

Preliminary data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard shows in 2023, the state saw just over 7500 opioid-related overdose deaths, with over 6000 people hospitalized.

"We've seen an increase of people with addiction problems throughout the holiday season," said Halliday. "We are just trying to get everybody to where they need to be."

State numbers also show that last year, Merced County saw 43 opioid-related deaths. Fresno County had 125 deaths. While Tulare County stands at 61.

Halliday has worked with the Substance Abuse Navigator program at Mercy Medical Center in Merced for the past four years. She says opioid addiction isn't the only problem they deal with. Many clients are also struggling to kick an addiction to methamphetamine and cocaine.

"We have outpatient programs where people would go, and they wouldn't be committed to a stay, but they can still get help and counseling," said Halliday. "We have an inpatient where people with severe addictions would go and stay for a while."

The Substance Abuse Navigator also connects people with community resources. Dignity Health says its program has helped more than 36,000 people. There will also be more treatment for people with drinking problems.

"We will be starting a new project here in the ER for people struggling with alcohol use," said Halliday. "We're going to start giving them Vivitrol. It should be starting around January."

The healthcare system plans to add Narcan to most of its pharmacies across the state at no cost. Halliday urges people who are struggling with their addiction to reach out and don't delay seeking help.

For news updates, follow Ana Torrea on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.