Breaking Transportation Barriers to Addiction Treatment
In an effort to bridge the treatment gap many Hoosiers with substance use disorder face, the Indiana Recovery Network partners with Lyft to provide rides for local residents to and from addiction treatment, recovery programs and other services related to health and wellness. The program launched this past April and has provided almost 1,700 rides to Indiana residents.
“Every Indiana community benefits when we recognize that addiction is a disease and provide opportunities to put people on a path to better health,” said Kristina Box, Indiana’s State Health Commissioner.
With the help of Indiana 211, the Division of Mental Health and Addiction and the rideshare company, the service is offered around the state. Hoosiers recovering from substance use disorder (SUD) have roundtrip access to anything covered by SAMHSA’s four major dimensions of recovery (home, health, community and purpose). That includes trips to medical detox centers, clinician appointments, probation officer meetings, the grocery store and recovery meetings. Participants must be “actively engaged” in one of the Indiana Recovery Network’s 20 recovery hubs to qualify for a free Lyft ride.
Indiana residents have access to free Lyft Rides to different recovery services through the Indiana Recovery Network.
Residents in Recovery Need Rides to Addiction Treatment and Jobs
Indiana’s partnership comes at a crucial time for residents in addiction recovery. The number of fatal drug overdoses due to fentanyl and other illegal street drugs is on the rise, with drug overdose deaths nearly doubling from 18.6 per 100,000 in 2015 to 33.6 per 100,000 in 2020, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Indiana also had the nation’s 13th highest rate of drug overdose deaths in 2020, according to the CDC.
Many people who survive overdoses don’t always seek treatment. However, Indiana 211, the state’s phone service that connects Hoosiers with local resources, reports that about 39% of Indiana residents who call the confidential line are looking for a ride to addiction treatment programs such as intensive outpatient or residential treatment.
WFYI reported that in Marion County, where Landmark Recovery of Indianapolis is located, an estimated 30,000 residents don’t have vehicles, making it harder for them to commute to their jobs. As a result, many county residents depend on public transportation like the bus and choose jobs that might not provide enough of a living wage. Central Indiana’s public transportation also stops at the Marion County line and doesn’t extend to bordering counties, which provides another barrier for rural residents in recovery who might need a ride to treatment, their job or the grocery store.
Conducting meaningful activities, like a job, is one of the four dimensions of recovery that would qualify residents without a vehicle or access to public transportation for free Lyft rides.
Indiana public transportation doesn’t always extend past county border lines, leaving rural residents without cars struggling to find transportation. (Jeremy D. Meier/Meier Photography)
How to Get a Free Lyft Ride
You must be a participant with a Regional Recovery Hub in your area to qualify for a free ride. The service is available Monday through Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Contact the regional hub to complete an eligibility assessment.
Regional hubs are located in northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest and central Indiana.
Free Lyft rides are available Monday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Scan the QR code to learn more.
Looking for Addiction Treatment Options?
The Indiana Recovery Network’s partnership with Lyft is another positive step toward destigmatizing people in addiction recovery. With drug overdose deaths at an all-time high, it’s more important than ever to continue the conversation about breaking the barriers to adequate treatment and services for drug and alcohol addiction. Therefore, people who might be on the fence about getting treatment don’t feel ashamed to ask for help out of fear of arrest or a lack of resources like transportation.
If you or someone you love struggles with drugs or alcohol, don’t hesitate – get help, today. Call 888-4448-0302 to speak to a recovery specialist at Landmark Recovery. A member of our team is available 24/7 to answer questions and point you in the right direction on your path to recovery.
For people who live in or around Indiana, we have addiction treatment centers in:
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