The Christopher Wolf Crusade Alliance held a health conference on Sept. 18 in partnership with Mercer University School of Medicine and Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center.
Alongside healthcare officials in Macon, CWC announced a plan to add life care specialists (LCS) to hospitals throughout Georgia.
“We currently have life care specialists in six hospitals in Georgia. Each of our specialists was pinned during a ceremony at the conference by the Mercer School of Medicine, which certifies each of them,” said CWC Alliance Founder Cammie Wolf Rice.
The CWC Alliance is a nonprofit organization established in the memory of Wolf, who passed away after a 14-year battle with opioid misuse and dependency. The nonprofit's goal is to provide opioid education and resources, as well as mental wellness skills training.
“My son Christopher had a health crisis, and like many, his battle began with a prescription. He was heavily overprescribed OxyContin, an opioid,” said Rice. “This diagnosis led to surgeries and a lifelong struggle with pain management and addiction, the foundation of which is opioids."
“Because of the stigma around overdose, for two years I could not speak about the cause of his death because I wanted him to have a respectful death,” added Rice. “Then, one day, I woke up and realized that there was an essential part missing in the healthcare team. I created the life care specialist to be a role that provides everything I felt the hospital and I as a caretaker could not provide while my son was in his battle.”
Life care specialists are based around three core pillars: pain management, coping skills, and naloxone and opioid education.
These specialists will teach non-narcotic tools to manage pain and coach the patient on tapering off if they have to be on an opioid. These specialists also conduct risk assessments and offer resources to family members, and help patients find treatment plans, as needed.
“All the life care specialists have been trained with coping skills by the Trauma Resource Institute that will balance out the nervous system and help with anxiety and stress,” said Rice. “They also conduct a risk assessment if they determine there is already a substance abuse or addiction issue and help educate loved ones, coach the patient through it, and find the best treatment program.”
Life care specialists also teach and offer community training, as well as partner with other local events. In addition, CWC offers a Youth Prevention Program that uses the specialists to certify youth in administering naloxone. Then youth train their peers.
“Having a presence in the community and spreading that education is an equally important goal as their role in the hospital,” said Rice.
CWC is currently awaiting confirmation of a $1 million grant acceptance, which would enable it to expand the life care specialist position to additional hospitals throughout the state, with Baldwin and Putnam counties being the following regions of focus.
“In 2024, there were six fatal opioid overdoses in Baldwin. We feel that the community in Baldwin is a medically underserved community. They need more resources for mental wellness,” said Rice. “Your hospital definitely has the volume and need.”
Although funding for the region will not be announced until November, Rice said she anticipates it to be accepted.
“The regions are broken down by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities, and funding is for 18 years,” said Rice. “While life care specialists are hospital staff, we train each specialist and manage them. We do weekly calls to ensure they are educated, and we are updated. The goal is to make it as light on the hospital as possible.”
Once the funding period ends, Rice said many of the services provided by life care specialists are insurance-reimbursable. She added that CWC “is constantly working on that” to ensure the staff will remain in each county.