What is Nevada Stronger and who do they serve?

Addiction is a disease and just as with any other disease, the key to battling it lies in finding the right treatment.

At Nevada Stronger, the goal is to connect area residents who are struggling with a substance use disorder with not only treatment but people who have fought against addiction themselves and understand the challenges faced by those seeking recovery.

“Nevada Stronger is a nonprofit organization serving Nye County. The program launched in 2023 through the HRSA Overdose Response Grant, serving 45 individuals in its first year,” Nevada Stronger Case Manager Lonnie Harris told the Pahrump Valley Times. “After the initial grant period ended, services continued uninterrupted and an additional 35 individuals were served the following year.

“We now have two active HRSA grants in place for the next four years and we are anticipating serving 128 individuals this year,” Harris continued. “And since August of last year, the program has distributed 158 Narcan kits to the community as part of its overdose prevention efforts.”

Citing national averages, Harris said there are an estimated 9,000 people in the Pahrump Valley with a substance use disorder and one of the most consistent stumbling blocks for initiating treatment is the fear of being judged.

“We want to transition away from this idea that people are criminals because they use drugs. It’s a medical disorder and you can recover from it,” Harris stated. “Think of diabetes. If you want to stay safe and health, you have to change your life. It’s the same thing with recovery from drug addiction. And that’s what we’re doing here at Nevada Stronger. We’re making an atmosphere of recovery here in this community.”

Another major component of Nevada Stronger is its peer support, which helps clients feel that they are truly being understood.

“I am their peer. I am on a later stage of my recovery but I have literally been where these people are in their journey of finding freedom from active addiction,” Harris remarked. “Most of our staff has lived experience with addiction and we are here to reduce the stigma around treatment and recovery.”

But Harris is only one part of the equation. The Nevada Stronger team is made up of licensed clinicians, psychiatrists, primary care physicians, case management and peer support recovery specialists all working in tandem to provide the client with treatment. Programming includes medication-assisted treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, therapeutic counseling and comprehensive case management, to ensure everyone involved in the clients’ recovery is on the same page.

“What sets us apart is instant access to treatment, integrated care and longer treatment durations,” Harris detailed. “If a person who is struggling with addiction or their mental health comes in here for help, we’re going to get them access to treatment right away. They will see a therapist, someone who can prescribe medication, a case manager like myself. And our treatment duration averages five and a half months of intensive, outpatient programming.”

Michelle Cicconi Strom is the therapist at Nevada Stronger and with more than two decades in the industry, she is well-versed in the world of recovery.

“Recovery isn’t just about stopping drug and alcohol use; it’s about changing your perspective, your life choices,” Cicconi Strom explained for the Times. “Drug and alcohol use is a symptom of greater things. It’s the inability to emotionally regulate, the inability to cope with life, to deal with stress, there’s so much that affects it. And addiction is the great leveler; it can hit any one of us. It doesn’t matter what kind of job you have, how intelligent you are, where you come from. It is the great leveler.”

Both she and Harris stressed that recovery is a lifelong process that requires significant change, which many people resist. However, accepting the discomfort that comes with starting a recovery journey is imperative.

“A lot of people feel hopeless but I want to tell you, anything is possible. I have heard and seen so many stories of redemption, about how people have stopped using drugs, engaged in treatment and then, one great thing after another happens – getting their kids back, going to college, getting expungements on their record and then working for a government agency. And it all started with a beginning. I’d love for the citizens of Pahrump to start their recovery journey with us here at Nevada Stronger,” Harris concluded. “Just walk in the door or call me. My phone number is 661-541-4531. There is also a 24-hour helpline, 702-202-6647, where you will get connected to someone.”

The Nevada Stronger Office is located at 1111. S. Highway 160, Suite 4.

For more information visit VegasStronger.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com