COLUMBUS, Ohio — Joe Smith did not picture raising his granddaughter at age 66, but when his daughter’s substance use disorder meant she couldn’t care for her child, that’s where Smith and his wife found themselves nineteen years ago.
The study also found that just one-third of those billions is borne by the government, with the remainder falling on the shoulders of individuals and the private sector.In Ohio, an epicenter of the opioid crisis, the state’s Department of Commerce is taking a one-of-its-kind approach to aiding families financially impacted by addiction, by making sure the people handling their money are educated about it.
In the program, financial advisers are taught to look for certain signs. These include large, unexpected withdrawals from their clients’ accounts, late or missing payments on important bills, recurring accidents or injuries, skyrocketing insurance rates or sudden custody of a minor family member. Ohio’s program also encourages financial professionals to break through the stigma and start the conversation themselves, ensuring confidentiality and approaching clients with empathy.
But treatment was not the only cost. Her son totaled a car while driving under the influence. He had to have special medical care for symptoms and injuries related to his disease. Eisel at times was forced to miss work. Smith is practiced in navigating the courts, Medicare and other state resources after having to do so for Olivia, her mother and his three other daughters, who also suffer from substance use disorder, for decades.