The view from the titular mesa at Serenity Mesa, which includes not only the sanidas, but the lush farmland of Albuquerque’s South Valley below. (Photo by Daniel Montańo / KUNM News)
A new detox center for young people will be the only such facility in New Mexico and it was inspired when Jennifer Burke-Weiss’ son, Cameron, was an athlete at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, he broke his collarbone twice in quick succession.
This article first appeared on KUNM News. It is republished here with permission.
Cameron had two surgeries, and two prescriptions for opioids. And Burke-Weiss found herself the mother of a child with a substance use disorder.
“And then I realized that there really wasn’t anything in New Mexico for adolescents,” she said. “It was like almost zero adolescent treatment for inpatient and outpatient. So, we really didn’t have a whole lot of options.”
She said she spent tens of thousands of dollars sending her son out of state for treatment and, through the process, decided to start a nonprofit to spread awareness of the opioid epidemic.