Recognizing the immense pressures of the dental profession, the CDA Foundation offers a lifeline to those who need it most through its Wellness Program. The initiative provides confidential support to California dental professionals facing substance use disorders and other wellness challenges including anxiety, depression and burnout. Led by compassionate volunteer members and recovering dentists, the program focuses on safeguarding both the health and careers of participants, ensuring they receive help without fear of reprisal.
“There are people in my community who will tell you that the Wellness Program is probably the most important benefit they’ve received as a CDA member,” said Matthew Korn, DDS.
Helping families navigate challenges together
Because wellness issues can affect the entire family, the program also provides guidance and support to the partners, children and other immediate family members of dentists and dental professionals. Program resources are designed to help families navigate these challenges together, fostering a holistic approach to health and well-being.
Peer volunteers are an invaluable asset to the Wellness Program as they provide guidance and understanding from a place of empathy and experience. Volunteers work in partnership with CDA Foundation and dental society staff and allied health professionals. Their role is not to judge or penalize but to assist participants confidentially in their journey toward recovery.
Leadership understands the impact of assistance
Dr. Korn, who serves as chair of CDA’s Wellness Committee, has a personal connection to the Wellness Program. He battled alcohol dependency from his college years and into his early years practicing dentistry. He later developed prescription-opioid dependency. “For years I remember thinking I was too smart to succumb to this disease,” Korn recalls. “Obviously, I was proven wrong.”
Eventually, enforcement officers with the Dental Board of California’s Diversion Program showed up at his dental practice with badges and guns. “I thought my life was over,” Korn said. Instead, that pivotal moment was the beginning of his recovery.
Korn participated in the dental board’s program, but today CDA members have the option to participate in the Foundation’s Wellness Program.
“Every single dentist who has successfully completed a Wellness Program recovery contract reports that their lives are not only better than before, but better than they thought possible,” Korn said. “We are here to serve patients and to help dentists recover their lives and livelihoods with proven, effective support.”
How the program works
The two primary purposes of the Wellness Program are to perform interventions and provide support following successful treatment.
Typically, the committee chair in one of the program’s five California regions receives a call from a concerned spouse or significant other or the dental office manager. Executive directors of local dental societies also receive calls. Korn notes that most of the calls he receives are from executive directors who have spoken to a struggling dentist or a dentist’s loved one.
The call launches an investigative process wherein the Wellness Committee seeks confidential firsthand knowledge of the dentist’s behavior. If they have enough valid information to perform an intervention, the intervention follows.
“The only goal of an intervention is to open something up in a person,” Korn said. “But we then make a recommendation, which is simply to accept referral to a medical professional who does an assessment.”
Each regional Wellness Committee has an established relationship with a team of medical professionals who perform the assessment. That assessment would indicate abuse, dependence or missing coping mechanisms. The Wellness Program always follows the recommendation of the medical assessment team and implements after-care programs to help dentists continue their journey to healthy living. For health care professionals, 90 days of treatment is typical.
Wellness Program volunteers are available around the clock, trained and equipped to handle concerns with the utmost sensitivity and care, ensuring participants never feel isolated in their journey toward wellness.
Confidential support is available now
In addition to substance abuse, some signs that you or someone you know may need support to regain balance are:
- Drastic weight loss or gain
- Social isolation
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Apathy
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
For more detailed information or to seek confidential help, dental professionals and their families are encouraged to learn more about the Wellness Program and find contact information online. Individuals can access additional resources and connect with their local dental society or the Wellness Committee in their region. A copy of the Wellness Program Brochure is also available to download and share.
The program’s dedication to confidentiality and professional aid ensures individuals who are struggling receive the help they need with less fear of repercussion. Help for dental professionals and their loved ones is just a call away.