December 2024

First Call, a cornerstone of Kansas City’s addiction recovery landscape since 1958, has long been dedicated to reducing the impact of alcohol, drugs, and addiction through education, prevention, and recovery support. Its 24/7 crisis call line, community education programs, and tailored recovery services reflect a commitment to meeting individuals and families where they are, offering immediate lifelines and sustainable pathways to wellness. For First Call, addiction is not just an individual struggle—it’s a systemic issue requiring collective action and innovative solutions.

Throughout its history, First Call has prioritized addressing not only the immediate effects of addiction but also the societal structures that perpetuate substance misuse. By combining harm reduction strategies with robust education and recovery programs, the organization has become a trusted resource for individuals and families seeking support. Its work extends beyond intervention, focusing on prevention efforts in schools and community spaces to tackle addiction at its root. This holistic approach underscores the belief that sustainable change requires addressing addiction from multiple angles.

When the Kansas City Health Equity Learning and Action Network (LAN) invited First Call to join its mission of addressing health inequities, it marked the beginning of a transformative journey for the organization. As one of the LAN’s 15 action team members, First Call has committed to using the equity-centered methodologies learned to identify practices that perpetuate injustices and develop coherent strategies to address them through an anti-racist lens. Ultimately, the LAN’s goal is to eliminate disparities in health care delivery while realizing measurable improvements steeped in equity-centered, culturally responsive health outcomes for all health care consumers.

The LAN includes a CEO roundtable, a learning phase followed by an action phase, providing a forum for engagement, girded by a shared agenda, with education, training, tools, and expertise to markedly change systems, policies, and structures that perpetuate health inequity based on race and ethnicity. LAN action teams address everything from birth equity as it relates to Black maternal and infant health, to equitable measurement of kidney disease acuity, treatment options, and transplant referrals for Black patients – to name just two.

The LAN’s structured framework resonated deeply with First Call’s leadership. Emily Hage, who stepped into her role as President and CEO in 2021, saw the initiative as an opportunity to reimagine how First Call could better serve its community.

The COVID-19 pandemic played a central role in this transformation. It forced First Call to confront the inequities inherent in their service delivery model. The organization’s office near 90th and State Line was designed to provide a welcoming space for clients, but the realities of the pandemic underscored that physical space alone could act as a barrier. With transportation challenges and restrictions on in-person interactions, many clients struggled to access the support they needed. “The way we were working had to evolve,” Hage explained. The pandemic magnified the preexisting disparities many clients faced, including poverty, limited transportation, and unreliable access to digital tools. These challenges became the foundation for their project with the LAN.

Melissa Gard, First Call’s director of operations & administration, described the LAN as a catalyst for this introspection. “We started by asking, ‘Where are we as an agency, and how do we align our work more intentionally?’” Through this process, First Call uncovered both strengths and gaps in its approach. They realized their work extended beyond physical spaces into the “spaces” where they partnered with other organizations and engaged with the community. Identifying these gaps prompted the organization to reconsider how it worked, not just where.

Barriers to transportation were one systemic issue that surfaced during this reflection. Many clients faced challenges in accessing First Call’s services simply because they lacked reliable transportation options. Another key realization was digital inequity, particularly during the pandemic, when internet access became essential for connecting clients to resources and counselors. These systemic barriers underscored the need for First Call to adapt their services and seek partnerships that could help fill these gaps. Hage noted that the LAN encouraged First Call to think critically about not just what they do but also how they do it—and for whom.

The LAN also encouraged First Call to take a closer look at the diversity of its client population and the systemic barriers they face. Hage noted that the pandemic emphasized the need to better understand and address disparities that disproportionately affected marginalized communities. This focus on equity pushed First Call to rethink their partnerships, ensuring they worked with organizations that served more diverse populations and could broaden their collective impact.

The LAN’s learning phase also introduced tools and shared language that transformed how First Call approached health equity. Gard emphasized that this alignment allowed the team to better communicate internally and with external partners. For Hage, the initiative reinforced the importance of accountability, formalizing instincts into actionable goals. “The LAN pushed us to take what we had been doing and create a measurable framework,” she said.

Collaboration was another key component of the LAN experience. Participants included a diverse range of organizations, each bringing unique perspectives and expertise to the table. This diversity created opportunities for cross-sector learning and innovation. Gard described how the initiative fostered a sense of connectionality that extended beyond the immediate goals of any single organization. “It wasn’t just about what we were doing—it was about understanding what others in Kansas City were doing and finding ways to align,” she said. By working alongside peers who shared a commitment to health equity, First Call was able to refine its approach and strengthen its impact.

This collaborative spirit extended to First Call’s existing partnerships, particularly in harm reduction. For example, KC CARE Health Center, also a valued LAN member, has collaborated with First Call to contribute to broader community efforts aimed at reducing overdose deaths. While multiple factors influence these outcomes, First Call’s focus on equitable access to addiction services has been a critical piece of the puzzle. The organization’s commitment to removing barriers, such as transportation challenges and digital inequities, continues to shape its work.

Beyond its internal goals, First Call remains deeply committed to reducing addiction’s impact within Kansas City. The organization’s emphasis on equity and collaboration is rooted in the unique challenges faced by local communities, from limited access to addiction recovery resources to systemic inequities that shape health outcomes. By building partnerships with organizations like KC CARE Health Center and participating in the LAN, First Call has worked to address these gaps, ensuring that individuals and families have the support they need to recover and thrive.

Understanding addiction as a systemic issue also prompted First Call to rethink its long-term strategy. The organization’s five-year vision includes expanding digital resources, deepening community partnerships, and reaching underserved populations. Hage described this plan as a commitment to “move the needle” on addiction’s impact in Kansas City, emphasizing the importance of leveraging data and community insights to drive systemic change. “The opportunity to connect and learn through the LAN helped us see our work with a new level of intention,” she said.

The organization’s focus on collaboration and equity has ripple effects throughout the Kansas City area. By working with a wide range of partners, First Call has not only expanded its reach but also helped to build a more cohesive network of addiction services. This network ensures that individuals and families can access the resources they need, whether it’s crisis intervention, ongoing recovery support, or education on substance misuse prevention. 

Reflecting on the organization’s evolution, Hage characterized the LAN experience as both a challenge and a gift. “It gave us the tools to evaluate not only where we are but also where we’re not—and that’s been a powerful shift for us,” she said. Gard added, “The sense of accountability and alignment it created has been more impactful than we could have ever imagined.”

For First Call, the path forward is clear: to continue evolving, connecting, and leading in the fight against addiction, creating a healthier and more equitable Kansas City for generations to come.