Partnership to Improve the System of Care for People with Addictions

L+M Hospital, through its new affiliation with Yale New Haven Heatlh, is awarding $5,000 to Community Speaks Out to establish a voluntary certification program for sober houses in New London. Mayor Passero noted that "The opioid crisis has been particularly devastating for the City of New London, and sober houses are a critical resource in helping support individuals recovering from addiction. At this time, there are no state or local standards other than health, building, and fire standards for sober houses, and tragically, there have been fatalities in sober houses in New London in recent years. We applaud L+M for their vision in providing needed support for a vulnerable population."

Mayor Passero added "We fully understand the critical need to provide quality housing for individuals in recovery. We see the impact of the public health crisis of opioid addiction on a daily basis. Quality housing is an integral part of the continuum of services needed to help our neighbors."

Bill Stanley stated, "Lawrence + Memorial and Yale New Haven are pleased to partner with the City of New London and Community Speaks Out to implement this critical program.  When state budget cuts halted the process to support interested property owners in ensuring that their recovery homes meet national standards, our new partnership with Yale New Haven gave us the opportunity to step in.  Community building activities such as the recovery home program are essential to achieving a healthy community and link directly to L+M's community health improvement plan priority on opioid abuse. "

Community Speaks Out will oversee the voluntary certification program to help implement quality standards and accountability to New London's existing residences. The new standards will cover all aspects of recovery residence operation, including health, safety, ethics, administrative practices, maintenance of a recovery support environment, and good neighbor practices. 

Ken Edwards added, "Community Speaks Out understands destruction and pain caused by the epidemic and we are deeply committed to doing whatever it takes to support individuals in recovery. We are especially grateful to L+M for their support and we thank the City of New London for its leading efforts to find solutions for the opioid epidemic.

Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit, 308-bed general and acute care hospital providing patient care to medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric and obstetrical patients in southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island since 1912. Lawrence + Memorial offers cardiac acute, step-down and rehabilitation programs and is the only eastern Connecticut hospital that performs emergency and elective angioplasty. www.lmhospital.org