| By Kennedy Byrne and Terri Schreiber Not only does Terri Schreiber have professional research experience in public health, but she also has lived experience which drives her to achieve even more within her nonprofit work. Terri was prescribed opioid medication for pain during the peak of opioid prescribing. She sought medical attention for facet joint damage, a fractured spine, and three torn discs weeks before starting a PhD program. Her experience is intended to create the opportunity for others who experience chronic pain or who have been touched by the opioid crisis to have open discussions about stigma and the difference between dependency and opioid use disorder (OUD). Terri is willing to come forward because more people in the United States have lost their lives to opioid-related overdose than all the people that lost their lives during the AIDs epidemic; we need to find a venue for changing the conversation. The initial ideas for The Schreiber Research Group came during her taper off all medication. From the earliest days, she could feel her mind and body begin to heal. There were moments of clarity, and whether it was for 5 minutes or 30 minutes, she created PowerPoints about what a public health research-focused nonprofit would accomplish. She set out to help other chronic pain sufferers avoid the challenges of a treatment regimen that did not address the root cause of the pain response. Currently, she is working with the Provider Education network in Colorado to create recorded vignettes on her success tapering off medication and managing pain without pharmaceuticals. The target audience is opioid prescribers and pain patients so they may learn tapering techniques and that healthy outcomes are possible. Terri created her own personal guide for living with injuries that are chronic and degenerative. She then educated herself on the opioid crisis by reading journal articles, reviewing websites, watching documentaries, and identifying who else in the community was working to solve the problem. She would attend meetings at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Campus, where various work groups from the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention convened to solve the opioid problem across the state. She sat in to listen and learn in preparation for her own venture. “I thought to myself, ‘if I can get better and find alternative solutions, I need to go out into the world and make this happen for others’” said Terri, while reflecting on her pain journey. She did exactly that. Terri is the founder of The Schreiber Research Group, a nonprofit focused on research, prevention, and intervention regarding public health issues. The group’s main area of research is the opioid crisis. Terri originally started her work in Colorado, but has since expanded her reach nationwide. She has been named one of Microsoft Alumni Network’s 2020 AlumniHEROes and earned a $15,000 grant for her continued work. Terri was a senior manager at Microsoft in Human Resources Information Systems from 1997-2001. She left the company to pursue a Master of Public Administration degree in Leadership Development at the Harvard Kennedy School. Terri used her collaborative skills to hand-pick a diverse, skilled team to join her research group, including another Microsoft alum, a former United Way of King County fundraiser, and a former classmate. The Schreiber Research Group has partnered with and secured funding from her alma mater, the University of Colorado. Terri said it was gratifying when the university that she was once a part of started funding her work on a national study to understand what policy programs and activities are happening in response to the opioid crisis and how these efforts have been impacted by COVID-19. Also, the group recently learned that their project with Pueblo County Public Health and Environment will be funded by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration as part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. Her team will be working with hard-hit rural counties in Colorado as part of a collaborative multi-partner effort to find on-the-ground solutions with Colorado Rural Health Center and the Colorado Consortium. Terri spends her days doing a multitude of tasks, including participating in collaborative efforts to develop a clinic for benzodiazepine tapering and healing, building public health datasets for all United States counties, presenting at national conferences, and working with grant writers to secure funding. One of Terri’s goals is to raise awareness about the magnitude of the opioid problem. We know that before the pandemic, 128 people were dying each day. Recent reporting indicates these numbers are going up. To make a dent in this issue, prescribing practices need to change, treatment options need to become more widely available, insurance coverage for non-opioid treatments is needed, and stigma needs to be removed. Substance use disorder is a disease, not a moral failing. An additional goal is to change the conversation around this issue within the context of Microsoft. During her time there, she knew a co-worker who was prescribed medication because of a chronic back condition, but Terri did not understand substance use disorder or dependence, nor the daily struggles her co-worker experienced. Others at Microsoft may also have challenges with pain management or rely on prescription medications while trying to work while seeking the right treatment plan. It is her belief that at all levels of American society we need to bring these issues out of the shadows. They need to be front and center so we can find solutions. She hopes the Microsoft Alumni Community and everyone impacted by this issue will join her in her effort. |
A Fabulous 2019!
Dear TSRG Community,
As we wind down 2019, I sit with immeasurable gratitude for all we have accomplished this year. What started as an idea that I documented in a PowerPoint presentation while bedridden in 2016 has become an IRS-approved, Colorado-based 501(c)(3), with team members in Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington. This team of professionals dedicated to finding solutions to the opioid crisis will hit the ground running in 2020 with diverse and important research projects and amazing community partners. While we want to take a moment to recognize our achievements and donors, we also know our work has just begun. There is much more to do to help rebuild this country from the devastation to families and communities caused by the opioid crisis.
Moving forward, we will be working to understand the barriers that exist and that need to be understood to enable the development of robust policies and programmatic infrastructure while building healthy communities. We strive to identify strategies to facilitate a pathway forward. As such, we will participate in activities that contribute to a coordinated, multipronged patchwork of solutions.
We look forward to working with all of you as we embark on the New Year. Thank you for your support and we hope that all of you had a happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
Terri
2019 Highlights
Presentations/Contributions
- 10.10.10 (https://101010.net/)
- Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (Denver, November 2019)
- Benzo-Wise Colorado and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- The Challenge School Wellness Week (2019)
- Office of Behavioral Health – Colorado
- The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Symposium (UC Anschutz – 2019)
- Colorado Behavioral Health & Wellness Summit (Denver University, October 2019)
- Health and Human Services
- Jefferson County Substance Use Partnership
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)
- Tri-County Overdose Prevention Partnership (TCOPP)
- Urban Affairs Association (Los Angeles – 2019)
Other Accomplishments
- We received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS
- We launched tsrg.org
- We participated in Giving Tuesday
- We completed our first major research study on local governments
- We created a summary of our local government survey results on the local government response to the opioid crisis
- Steve Wright and Terri Schreiber created podcasts on benzodiazepines
- Colorado Behavioral Health & Wellness Summit (Denver University, October 2019) awaiting formal release
- Foster, D. E. (2019, October 6). Dialogue with the Doctor: A Conversation with Dr. Steven Wright (Part 1 of 2). Retrieved December 1, 2019, from https://www.benzofree.org/podcast/dialogue-with-the-doctor-a-conversation-with-dr-steven-wright-part-1-of-2-bfp021/.
- Foster, D. E. (2019, October 6). Dialogue with the Doctor: A Conversation with Dr. Steven Wright (Part 2 of 2). Retrieved December 1, 2019, from https://www.benzofree.org/podcast/dialogue-with-the-doctor-a-conversation-with-dr-steven-wright-part-2-of-2-bfp022/.
The Journey Begins
Hello and Welcome!
Over 702,000 Americans have died of opioid overdose since 1999. The CDC estimates that in 2017, 72,287 individuals in the United States died of opioid overdose, an increase of 10% over 2016. On average, 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.
This blog is inspired by the belief that many people’s introduction to a life of opioid-dependence, addiction, and overdose could begin with an injury and a prescription. I am one of the lucky ones. I survived years of opioid treatment for chronic pain, but not without difficulty. Due to my success in overcoming dependence and living with chronic pain for more than twenty-five years, a love of research, and a commitment to community service, I founded The Schreiber Research Group and this blog. One goal is to move the needle forward as the groundswell of interest in reducing overdose deaths gains momentum. An additional goal is to create community, a forum to share ideas.
As a starting point, I have identified “Core Principles” for The Schreiber Research Group (TSRG) based on lessons learned from a daily opioid treatment protocol that did not provide the relief I was seeking. Instead, I found living each day following these principles, I was able to reduce pain levels, maximize function, avoid surgery, learn to sleep, and experience joy each and every day. I am oversimplifying because the hard work of detoxing and finding measurable solutions is not an easy or straightforward path. However, in my experience, managing chronic pain without the use of opioids is achievable. It is also true that by adhering to these principles, I moved from being a bedridden pain patient to becoming the most productive and happy in my entire life. In short, I reclaimed my life.
Core Principles of TSRG:
- Becoming pain-free is not the goal. The goal is to restore function in order to maximize quality of life.
- Opioids are one treatment option. They come with risks and can be effective if those risks are understood and mitigated.
- Benzodiazepines and opioid combinations account for up to 50% of all opioid related deaths. Neither are intended for chronic use.
- When treating a patient (new or existing) non-opioid treatment options should always be considered.
- Awareness of (OIH) opioid induced hyperalgesia is essential for understanding pain response and treatment plan efficacy.
- There is no one policy that can fully address the opioid crisis. A multipronged approach that fits a specific context is needed.
With the enthusiasm that accompanies a new lease on life, I started this blog in 2019 with the hope of giving patients, providers, policy makers, and family members a virtual destination to consider our relationship to addiction-prone substances. Patients can learn about how to live with pain when the goal is not a pain-free life, but a life where function can improve or be restored. Providers can learn more about the patient perspective. Policy makers can learn about our latest research findings. Family members can find hope. At the end of the day, we can jointly share lessons learned and frustrations. We no longer have to suffer in quiet agony.
Do you have feedback on our research agenda or interest in supporting our work? I welcome feedback! Please write info@tsrg.org .
With profound gratitude and encouragement,
Terri
