E78: Gateway to Recovery: Understanding Addiction and Treatment Options

What makes Carin Fraioli with Gateway Rehab a good neighbor?

Breaking down the walls of addiction stigma requires understanding, compassion, and accessible resources. Carin Fraioli brings 25 years of frontline experience at Gateway Rehabilitation Center to our conversation, revealing how substance use disorders are legitimate medical conditions—not moral failings or character flaws.

"These are not bad people," Carin emphasizes, challenging the harmful misconceptions that prevent many from seeking help. "Some of the most intelligent and smart people I've ever met have been clients of ours." Her passionate advocacy stems from witnessing countless recovery journeys throughout her career, which began as an internship and evolved into a lifelong mission.

Gateway Rehab stands as a beacon of hope across Western Pennsylvania, operating as a nonprofit for 52 years. Their comprehensive services extend from Erie to Greene County and beyond through telehealth options, tailoring treatment approaches to each individual's specific needs. Carin explains how prolonged substance use chemically alters the brain, creating dependencies that require medical intervention—similar to how we approach other chronic conditions like diabetes.

The organization works through multiple channels to connect people with help, including family referrals, employee assistance programs, physician offices, and spiritual leaders. Their commitment to accessibility shines through their 24/7 support systems: a website with educational resources and live chat (gatewayrehab.org), a dedicated helpline (1-800-472-1177), and extensive community outreach programs.

Whether you're struggling personally with substance use or concerned about a loved one, Gateway Rehab offers judgment-free guidance, information, and pathways to recovery. Visit their website to access their educational podcasts covering topics from opioid treatment to family support strategies, or simply reach out when you're ready to take that first step toward healing.

To learn more about Gateway Rehab go to: 

www.gatewayrehab.org

Gateway Rehab

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Lila Carter.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a drug andalcohol provider?
One might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
karen Fraioli, with GatewayRehab.
Karen, how's it going Good?
How are you?
Thanks for having me.
Very well, thanks so much forbeing here.

(00:34):
We're excited to learn allabout you and your business, so
please tell us more about yourorganization.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Sure, I work for Gateway Rehabilitation Center.
Sure, I work for GatewayRehabilitation Center.
We're an advanced recoverynetwork, so we are a drug and
alcohol provider that spans allof Western Pennsylvania, from
all the way up in Erie, all theway down to Greene County and
out to Westmoreland County.
We also can expand even beyondthat because we use telehealth

(01:01):
as well and we provide differenttypes of treatment based on the
need of a patient that comes tosee us and their usage of
substances.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Excellent.
So how did you get into thisbusiness, Karen?

Speaker 3 (01:15):
So I was an intern at 23 years old.
I had to do an internship and Ichose to do gateway rehab.
I was always interested in drugand alcohol services, mostly
probably because of own personalreasons within my family, and I

(01:37):
really learned so much.
It is a place that you canlearn a lot about family systems
, about mental health, aboutworking with people and really
learn good stuff about humannature.
And after that internship Ithink I was kind of hooked and I
was offered a job, and that was25 years ago.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Very good.
So what are some myths, ormaybe misconceptions, in this
industry?
Any that you'd like to addresstoday?

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well, I think the biggest thing is is that there's
such a stigma around folks thatuse substances, drugs or
alcohol to excess, and peopledon't like to identify it as a
disease and there comes a pointwhere somebody is not able to

(02:31):
stop using because their body ischemically changed and needs to
rely on that right.
So I think the biggest myth isone people can get better, but
they need to remove thatsubstance from their life and
they can recover, but it is arelapsing and remitting type of
disease, just like a diabetes is.
So really, people can getbetter.

(02:54):
These are not bad human beings.
I think that's another big one.
Actually, some of the mostintelligent and smart people
I've ever met have been peoplethat have walked through our
buildings, that have beenclients of ours.
So I think those are thebiggest myths that people can't
recover and why should we investtime in them.
And two, that this is not aboutbeing a bad person.

(03:18):
This is, unfortunately, adisease and we need to give them
the resources to help them andwrap around them to get them to
where they need to be.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah, and even if someone can't acknowledge
necessarily the disease,noticing the dis-ease or the
lack of ease in their body couldbe a first step for them to
that.
And so who are your targetcustomers as we're thinking of
marketing as the heart of anybusiness and how are you

(03:49):
attracting them?

Speaker 3 (03:59):
So I mean, obviously the individual person is with
referral sources and,potentially, places so that we
can work with them to make thisas a process that's easy for
them to help folks get intotreatment.
I would say one of our biggestreferrals, though, is family
right Mom, dad, brother, sister,aunt, uncle, whatever it may be
.
That's one of our biggestreferral sources out of concern

(04:22):
and love for their person.
We also work with EAPs, whichis an employee assistance
program, so a lot of employersthat are of a certain size have
an EAP, and if they haveconcerns or have identified a
concern with someone that worksfor them, we will work with an
EAP as well.
So we market to them someonethat works for them, we will

(04:43):
work with an EAP as well, so wemarket to them.
We will market to physicianoffices, because they obviously
would be identifying potentialissues or someone may go to them
.
One thing I love that we doevery year is we do a spiritual
conference where we havespiritual leaders come to us and
we try to encourage them andmake them understand what we do
so that if someone were to cometo them and, in confidence, talk

(05:04):
about their concerns and orissues related to their own use,
or somebody that they know isuse what they could do to help
them get into treatment.
So you know, marketing comes inmany ways.
It's community outreach, it's,you know, events and fairs.
It's you know, events and fairs.

(05:40):
So Facebook, instagram andLinkedIn.
So those are the ways we getget information out.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
So there's so much to learn about not only what these
people might be going through,but also, maybe, the ways to
best support them and whatresources are available.
Support them and what resourcesare available.
So, as you're thinking aboutall of this content that people
are trying to know aboutregarding this information, have

(06:09):
you ever thought about possiblystarting your own podcast to
discuss all of these topics?

Speaker 3 (06:14):
It has definitely been a discussion.
We actually were working with alocal radio station and
promoting a podcast that one ofthe folks that worked there
really wanted to do that and getit out there, and we were doing
that.
And I'm not saying that we'renot done doing that, but yes, I
agree with you.
I think it is something thatdefinitely could be in our

(06:38):
wheelhouse and another way topromote.
I know myself personally, whenI'm in the car I'm listening to
podcasts and I think a lot ofpeople do as well, so it's a
great avenue to get informationout.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
Absolutely, and so, outside of work, what are you
doing for fun?

Speaker 3 (06:55):
Well, I have two kids so they keep me busy, so it's
usually being an Uber.
No, I'm kidding Things I like todo for fun is to socialize.
I certainly like watching themajority of Pittsburgh sports,
so Steelers season starts thisweek.
You know Pirate Games, yeah, goSteelers.

(07:16):
So I definitely like tosocialize and do that with
friends.
I don't know if I can totallyconsider myself a foodie, but I
like to try new places and trynew things.
So, um, and I really want tospend some more time traveling.
So that's kind of my goal forthe next couple of years is is
get to get to see places Ihaven't seen.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
Very nice.
Where's the next place on yourtravel list?

Speaker 3 (07:40):
Um, I'm going to be going to Seattle.
I'm going for a work-relatedconference, but I'm also going
to tick off some of the thingsthat I've never been to Seattle.
So tick off some of the thingsthat I want to do, like going to
see whales in the ocean.
That's a big bucket list itemfor me.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
Oh, very cool.
So, karen, please tell ourlisteners one thing that they
should remember or that shouldstick with them, about Gateway
Retail.

Speaker 3 (08:09):
Um Gateway Rehab is a nonprofit agency that has been
around for 52 years.
We are um available all hoursof the day and all days of the
week.
Um, we can reach anybody andyou can reach us Certainly.
Go to the internet forinformation or even if you just

(08:30):
want to do a little fact finding, that's um gatewayrehaborg.
Or you can call us if you justwant to do a little fact finding
, that's gatewayrehaborg.
Or you can call us if you havequestions, whether you're the
identified person or you'resomeone that needs answers, or
questions that you're just notsure about.
It's 1-800-472-1177.
We even have a live chat on ourwebpage, so certainly can reach

(08:53):
out to us and we will dowhatever we can to get you those
answers or to help you or aloved one get the services that
they need thank you so much forthe services that you're
providing the people ofpittsburgh and beyond.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
I mean, it's so important, and so how can our
listeners learn more aboutgateway rehab?

Speaker 3 (09:13):
um, I think one of the things is, if you do go to
our webpage, those podcasts thatI was talking about, you're
able to listen to those, andthey are podcasts about things
significant to people that wantto find out about substance use,
whether it's opioid usedisorder, what detox or
withdrawal management means, howto treat a family in addiction.

(09:35):
So I think our website is awonderful place for people to
get resources, so I always liketo drive people there.
Certainly, follow us on social,because we like to highlight
stories and the great thingsthat we're doing in our
facilities to help people getbetter.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
Excellent.
Well, Karen, I reallyappreciate your time today and
having you as a guest on theshow.
We wish you and theorganization the best moving
forward.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
Thank you very much.
Thank you for having us.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
Thanks for being here .

Speaker 1 (10:09):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to gnppittsburghcom.
No-transcript.