Being the Changemaker: Helping Filipinos Recover from Substance Use
Meet Health Worker Karen Irene B. Dames
Primary Text“I wake up each day with a prayer that I will be productive, able to perform my duties to the best of my ability. Wearing my nurse uniform, I start every morning with the firm belief that I will be able to treat my clients."
Secondary Text—Nurse Karen Irene Dames
Karen works for the Rural Health Unit of Alanalang, Leyte – a small municipality in the Philippines.
In 2016, the government designated her as the focal person for the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation program. She was initially hesitant to manage.
“At first, I really did not want to oversee the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation program. I did not know what I should do, given my limited knowledge about it. I was so thankful when USAID's RenewHealth project offered training. I realized this is my calling. It is here where I have been able to help families affected by substance use, Karen shared.
USAID Renew Heath
In the Philippines, drug use is a national issue that impacts the health, social, and economic well-being of Filipinos. USAID RenewHealth (2019-2024) is USAID's project aimed to expand access to Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation programs in the Philippines, works in partnership with Philippine government agencies to help persons who use drugs, people in recovery, and their families obtain access to informal primary health care services, self-help or community-based rehabilitation and recovery support to reduce or prevent drug dependence. The project has trained more than 10,500 service providers to help enhance the quality of patient-centered and compassionate Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation services and strengthen local health systems as a whole.
Karen was trained by USAID using the Philippines’ government-compliant tools and treatment interventions. She then helped implement Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation in the health district where she works utilizing interventions developed by USAID that consists of a spectrum of services such as substance use screening, treatment, recovery, family support, aftercare and reintegration. Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation helps connect PWUDs, people in recovery, and their families with PHC and other supportive community-based services. As a community health worker, Karen is able to connect her local clients to the culturally appropriate services they need to stay on the path to full recovery. As the program’s focal point, she also utilizes her training to support the next cadre of Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation community health workers like her.
In 2023, thanks to Karen’s efforts, more than 300 people enrolled in the rehabilitation program with more than 90 percent completing treatment. Her role demonstrates how health workers are the backbone of providing person-centered primary health care.
Primary TextIt makes my heart melt when a family member sends me a thank you message because the program helped their relatives recover from substance use. I feel a sense of fulfillment because I can help others through the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation program,” Karen said.
In 2023, Karen received the Health Service Achiever award – a testament to her outstanding efforts in the effective implementation of their local Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation program. Her initiatives and achievements also contributed to her health district where she works, Alangalang, becoming one of the local government units nationwide that received the 2023 Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Award from the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation was a changemaker in Alangalang and in Karen’s life. “I end my day with a grateful heart – with a promise that I will remain committed to improving the health of our community.”
About this story
Written by: Mary Ubaldo is the Communications Officer of the Expanding Access to Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program in the Philippines or USAID RenewHealth project, implemented by the University Research Co., LLC
The USAID RenewHealth Project is the key contributor to this story.
Photo Credits: USAID RenewHealth