October's Building Bridges Newsletter

October is Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month Banner

October is Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month and we invite you to tell your prevention story.

To inspire action, each of us can share how prevention is improving lives in our community.

The aim is to prevent substance use in the first place, prevent the progression of use (to a disorder), and prevent consequences associated with use.
Prevention science (with decades of research and community-based experience) shows that prevention works.
Prevention strengthens protective factors and reduces risk factors in individuals, families, schools, communities, and society.
Prevention helps us get ahead of substance use and mental health challenges so that youth, families, and communities can thrive.

Prevention Month lifts up the national conversation to showcase prevention’s positive effects on communities across the country.

Join us, as partners in prevention!

SAMHSA and WestBridge invite individuals, families, schools, communities to tell your prevention story.

Download and use the toolkit at Share your #MyPreventionStory

on social media.

Monthly Resource Tip

Families often feel powerless when a loved one misuses substances, but small actions matter. One of the most supportive things you can do is learn the language that reduces shame. Words like “addict” or “junkie” can push someone further into isolation, while person-first language: “my brother is living with a substance use disorder” signals compassion and dignity.

Practice swapping out one stigmatizing phrase for a respectful alternative. It may seem minor, but changing your words can change how safe your loved one feels in reaching out for help.

Here are some clear swaps that replace stigma with support:

Instead of “addict”, say “person with a substance use disorder”

Instead of “clean” (for sober), say “in recovery” or “substance-free”

Instead of “dirty test”, say “positive drug test”

Instead of “abuser”, say “person who uses substances”

Instead of “alcoholic”, say “person living with alcohol use disorder”

Instead of “relapsed”, say “experienced a recurrence of use”

Instead of “drug habit”, say “substance use” or “misuse”

These swaps keep the focus on the person rather than reducing them to a label.

Staff Spotlight - Delia Cimpean Hendrick, M.D. – Psychiatrist and Medical Director

Dr. Hendrick is triple board-certified in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, and Internal Medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the American Board of Preventive Medicine, and the American Board of Internal Medicine.

-Medical School: Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

-Residency: The Combined Psychiatry/Internal Medicine Residency Program at Geisel Medical

School of Dartmouth College.

Dr. Hendrick spent 15 years in academic Clinical Psychiatry and Internal Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center prior to joining our team full-time. Dr. Hendrick has been with us since 2010, and we are very fortunate to have her directing care at WestBridge. She is sincerely invested in the care and progress of the participants, as well as their families. Her collaborative approach and ability to sort out clinical complexities make her a vital and highly valued member of our team.

Dr. Hendrick has extensive experience in treating individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders. She is dedicated to the utilization of evidence-based and integrated treatment. She presented at the United Nations International Panel of Experts on Medical and Psychiatric Care of People with Substance Use Disorders.

Among her many publications, Dr. Hendrick is co-author of Addressing Chronic Diseases - Health Management Strategies for Use with Behavioral Health Clients, a comprehensive handbook that assists health professionals and their clients to better understand and address the chronic health issues that are common in those with mental health concerns.

The Oxford Textbook of Community Mental Health is a leading edge publication at the juncture of medical sciences, social values, policy formation, and global mental health. Dr. Hendrick co-authored three chapters of this prestigious publication. According to co-editor and WestBridge board member, Dr. Bob Drake, “Dr. Hendrick is one of the top experts in the world on serious mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorder, and co-occurring physical illness. Her contributions to this textbook have been invaluable.”

Delia was recently approved to be an ORN Physician Addiction State Champion, which is a great honor!

Established in 2018, the Opioid Response Network (ORN) is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and operates under the leadership of the American Academy for Addiction Psychiatry. ORN has the goal of providing evidence-based technical assistance for prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use disorders. The ORN represents over 2 million constituents across the nation and has already made a significant difference, with impact that continues to grow every day.

To learn more about WestBridge and WestBridge's Programs please visit our website.

WestBridge Open House

RSVP to Attend Here

Come see our programs!

We’re having an open house to (re)introduce you to WestBridge. Come meet our staff, tour our facilities and learn about our programs. You’ll have an opportunity to see our residential program, intensive outpatient program, community integration program and future partial hospitalization program.

Hors D’oeuvres will be served, created by our full-time residential Chef.

WestBridge is a family-founded, private non-profit organization dedicated to providing compassionate mental health and substance use treatment to adults and their families. We specialize in treating psychosis & thought disorders, mood & anxiety disorders, trauma and PTSD and co-occurring substance use disorders.

- In-network with most commercial insurance plans -

Resources

Addiction an information guide: A guide for people with addiction and their families

Myths Families Face Regarding Substance Use Disorders

The Science Behind Addiction

New Hampshire Substance Misuse Prevention Services

The Next Step Toward a Better Life

Self-help strategies for cutting down or stopping substance use (ASSIST)

Breaking Free of Addiction: 42 Therapeutic Tools

Cannabis Use and Psychosis

“Treatment gave me my whole life back. It gave my parents their son back. It gave my siblings their brother back.”

– Brian, a WestBridge Participant