Hollan Steen is no stranger to addiction. His decade-long dependence on drugs and alcohol began when he was a student at Apex High School. After several run-ins with the law, multiple rehabilitation attempts, a stint in prison and years of disappointing his family, Steen finally decided in 2018 to end his downward spiral and seek treatment.
Steen spent 72 days at the Asheville Recovery Center, an in-patient facility in the North Carolina mountains, and got sober – but he never left. Today, he works tirelessly to counsel men and women at ARC who struggle with substance misuse, and also serves as the executive director of Rise Recovery sober living homes for men in Asheville.
“I’m on the front lines of this disease every single day. It has become my passion and my drive to help people. I’m trying to give proof that recovery is possible,” he said.
Combining Forces
Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert had followed Steen’s recovery journey and often reached out to him through social media to offer words of praise and encouragement. The two men formed a close friendship. Wanting to help others, they co-founded the Mayor’s Substance Misuse Task Force, which officially launched in February. Its mission is to provide education and resources for those affected by substance abuse, as well as promote on-going education and prevention strategies with affiliated organizations.
“We are hungry to help, almost to the point of annoyance,” Steen said of his and Gilbert’s desire to strengthen the task force and offer hope to those fighting drug addiction.
Nine individuals share Steen’s and Gilbert’s vision, dedicating their free time as task force members. They include Dr. Karen Barbee, owner and CEO of Renaissance Wellness Services, and Danelle Kubisiak-Louder, its assistant clinical director; Apex police officers Victoria Carter and Jayden Fairclough; Abi Hyman, who is currently creating the nonprofit organization Opioids to Rest to reach middle and high school students; Pastor Kevin O’Brien, who founded One Step Ministry; Tom Klatt, the executive director of the WakeMed Behavioral Health Network; and Sara Schaefer, a health provider with Nourish Adolescent Wellness. Brenda Steen, Hollan’s mother, is the group’s project and communications manager.
The Reality of Addiction
The Mayor’s Substance Misuse Task Force, although based in Apex, provides assistance to anyone fighting addiction, whether it’s to prescription medication, illegal substances or alcohol. Addiction is chronic, progressive and, if left untreated, can be fatal. Recent statistics are staggering: According to the CDC, excessive alcohol use is responsible for more than 95,000 deaths in the United States each year. Since 1999, nearly 15,000 North Carolinians have lost their lives to the opioid epidemic. In Apex, 78 opioid-related overdoses were reported from 2018-2020.
“There are people struggling all over the state,” Steen explained. “Nobody’s born a drug addict. We’re not bad people, the disease makes us bad people. Part of what we work on [in recovery] is discovering what led to the addiction…so we can build ourselves back up and forgive ourselves of the past.”
Starting the Conversation
The team believes that by openly discussing substance abuse and its impact on individuals, families, law enforcement and the community, greater awareness about the disease can be achieved, access to treatment and recovery resources can be widened, and sobriety can finally be reached.
“We’re able to talk about everything under the sun, yet for some reason this thing that is literally killing more people than COVID ever will isn’t discussed,” he said. “We’re trying to get every family in Apex to acknowledge the disease of addiction and have important conversations about substance abuse. Let’s break the stigma, break the barriers and start the conversation.”
The group recently launched a series of virtual and in-person forums called Community Conversations, which are designed to get residents talking about substance misuse in Apex. Upcoming meetings are posted on the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/Apexsmtf.
Future Goals
As the coronavirus pandemic eases, the task force plans to target schools, churches, elected officials and medical professionals, and work with various agencies and organizations specializing in addiction awareness and recovery. It also hopes to identify space to house a substance abuse treatment facility in Apex, create sober living houses, and build a network of employers who are open to hiring individuals in recovery – all of which are crucial in providing hope for anyone affected by substance abuse – and help erase the stigma of addiction for good.
“What I have created and who I am today, there is not one drug or amount of drugs that is going to take away the peace of mind and clear-headedness I have now,” Steen said. “We have to build these individuals up, help them find a job, help them find meaning and pride in their day-to-day activities, and teach them how to forgive themselves so they can recover.”
Learn more about the Mayor’s Substance Misuse Task Force at apexnc.org/1540/Mayors-Substance-Misuse-Task-Force
