At SouthLight, we believe in the idea of shared humanity.

We as helpers are no different from those we serve. As humans, we understand that we are all learning as we go and doing the best we can along the way.

It’s as if we are all climbers, each navigating our own mountain. You’ve been on your mountain for your whole life so YOU are the expert of it, not anyone else. We recognize that there are some parts of the journey where it’s easy to navigate and other parts that are much more difficult.

Our role as helpers is not to tell you how to climb your mountain but to give you skills, tools, and support to help you learn to walk your path with more ease.

Engage, Educate and Empower

SouthLight’s former Chief Medical Officer, Mike Lancaster, M.D., explains how SouthLight approaches substance use treatment and mental health recovery through the three E’s.

Person-Centered Treatment

We strive to be Person-Centered in our approach. We recognize that each person is whole, complex, and unique and we celebrate those differences. Each person who walks through our doors (virtually or in person) has their own wants, needs, values, preferences and goals.

We work with each person to identify and set goals that are important to them. We help them learn the skills and receive the support they need in order to achieve their goals and build a life of fulfillment, meaning, and purpose. We use Evidence-Based Practices to meet folks where they are and to help them get where they want to go.

Evidence-Based Practices

An evidence-based practice (EBP) is a method, approach, or clinical intervention that has been scientifically researched and tested over a span of time and has consistently proven that it is effective and brings about positive outcomes.

Letitia Hazel, M.D. was named Chief Medical Officer at SouthLight Healthcare — Dr. Hazel, SouthLight’s Chief Medical Officer speaks to the community about the dangers of fentanyl.

We strive to train ourselves in evidence-based practices and integrate those into our daily practices. The evidence-based practices we use include, but are not limited to, the following:

Motivational Interviewing
Cognitive Behavioral Strategies
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Practices

Harm Reduction

Harm reduction is an evidence-based philosophy and a set of strategies focused on providing skills, resources, and information to folks who use substances without requiring them to be fully abstinent in order to access those supports. Harm reduction strategies are designed to improve well-being while decreasing the likelihood of overdose as well as other negative consequences. As an added benefit, harm reduction approaches often help folks get into treatment sooner or stay in treatment longer than they would without those supports.

Harm reduction includes:

Reducing the frequency and duration of use
Developing safety plans and planning ahead; if there is a person who typically drives after drinking, harm reduction for them is helping them come up with strategies to not drive or have the means to drive after drinking
Providing condoms to promote safe sex, to prevent the spread of STIs, and to prevent pregnancy

Identifying ways to use substances more safely; which could look like switching means of use from intravenous to smoking
Reducing the amount of substances used
Providing Narcan to those who use opioids - or who have loved ones who use opioids - to prevent accidental overdose

Another form of both harm reduction and evidence-based practice that we use at SouthLight is called Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). MAT uses medications paired with counseling to provide treatment to those using substances. While MAT is commonly associated with the Opioid Treatment Program, MAT can also be used to help folks who are using other substances.

Treating Opioid Use

We aspire to choose interventions and approaches based on your unique needs, goals, and values.

The practices, strategies, and interventions by which we collaborate are rooted in the central theme that we are more alike than we are different. 

We engage, we educate, and we empower. We’re here to help you move toward stability, independence, and freedom.

To learn more or to make an appointment, call (919) 787-6131 or contact us.

If you are a provider you can make a referral here.

Our Approach to Treatment