Lindsay Rossiter

I've been working in the substance use field for 3 years, though I've been at Altman Hospital since 2014. What brought me to this field is deeply personal - I'm from a small town with not a lot of resources, and while I've never had a substance use disorder myself, I've had friends growing up who had substance use disorders and they are no longer here. My brother died in a drunk driving accident. The lack of resources and the stigma associated with substance use hit my community pretty hard, and that's what really drove me to this field. I'm trying to break the stigma and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. In my role as Altman Hospital's first-ever substance use navigator, I help acute patients in both the ER and inpatient settings. When I get consulted by a doctor, I go to the patient's room and introduce myself to make them feel more comfortable. I work to rebuild that bridge and help them get more trust in the health system, because a lot of times people aren't as honest because they're fearful of getting in trouble, being stigmatized, or being judged. I'm here to help build that bridge between physician and patient. I do a brief introduction about myself and what I do, then we go into their substance use - how long they were using, what type of substances, how they're administering the substance, and how often. We navigate what type of treatment would probably work best for them. I also facilitate SMART Recovery groups, giving people an alternative pathway to recovery instead of the traditional AA, which has brought some people the change they wanted. I work very closely with Juan Rodriguez, who has lived experience, and where I come from a clinical standpoint, he brings the lived experience perspective, which can sometimes differ from what you're being taught in textbooks. I've learned a lot from him.