BRiDGES, Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc.

BRiDGES, Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. is based in Oneida, New York. While they don’t treat substance abuse disorders directly, they do provide education, harm reduction services, community advocacy and referrals to treatment centers.

BRiDGES aims to support and bring hope to anyone who’s been impacted by addiction. Their main services are educational and preventative. Their harm reduction program tackles drug use from every angle, starting with educating schools and communities on overdose prevention and building awareness around drug use. They also run several safe medication disposal sites so anyone can dispose of drugs safely.

They also teach communities how medication can help during addiction recovery. This helps remove the stigma around needing medication for long term sobriety.

They also distribute and provide training for Narcan, which is a life saving medication that supports breathing during an opioid overdose. When the body is overwhelmed by opiates, it’s hard to breathe deeply or at all. Administering Narcan can help stabilize someone’s condition until emergency services can get to them, potentially saving their life.