SHELTON, WA – When Katariena Tulk decided to break the cycle of addiction and put her addiction to heroin firmly behind her, she did it alone. It was a hard and lonely process. Now, six years after she used for the last time, Tulk wants to help people understand that they don’t have to be alone when they decide to become sober. Tulk is Mason Health’s new Peer Navigator and is undergoing training to become a Certified Peer Counselor to support people in addiction recovery.

“I continue to work in this field because I want to be the help I needed when I was getting clean and sober,” Tulk said. “This is a new position and I am just so excited to help people and show them that they are not alone. They can quit drugs and they don’t have to live that lifestyle.”

Tulk has lived in Shelton for more than 20 years, first moving here when she was 7. At 16, she had her first child, and began working at Pizza Hut after obtaining her GED. She had another child at 18, and then at worked at Domino’s as a delivery driver. When she was 20, she had her third child. At that point in time, the father of her children began to use drugs. They lived with her parents.

Then, Tulk also began to use heroin. She was in active addiction for a year and was able to hide to hide the drug use from her family.

“It was not my proudest moment in life,” she said. “I was what they call a high-functioning closet user. I was still able to be a mom and go to work.”

One day, however, Tulk found her children alone at home while their father was using.

“I realized they were going to have nothing if their mom doesn’t get clean,” Tulk said. “Then I quit, cold turkey.”

Tulk relied on counseling and therapy but kept her journey a secret while she worked in the community. Four years after she became clean, she started a job as a treatment attendant at the Shelton branch of Northwest Resources, a certified behavioral health agency that specializes in substance use disorders. She started at Mason Health in November 2021 as a peer navigator and is currently undergoing the requisite state exams and 36-hour training to become a Certified Peer Counselor. In Washington State, peer counseling is an approved Medicaid service that pairs individuals in recovery with trained counselors who share their life experiences.

Certified Peer Counselors, under the supervision of a mental health or substance use disorder professional and as part of a health care team, may:

• Assist an individual or family in identifying services and activities that promote recovery and lead to increased meaning and purpose.
• Assist individuals and families in developing their own goals.
• Share their own recovery stories that are relevant and helpful in overcoming the obstacles faced by individuals and families.
• Promote personal responsibility for recovery.
• Assist in a wide range of services to regain control and success in their own lives, such as developing supportive relationships, self-advocacy, stable housing, education and employment.
• Serve as an advocate.
• Model skills in recovery and self-management.
• Complete documentation about their services for Medicaid and employer requirements.

Patients are referred to Tulk in a variety of ways – either through their primary care provider at Mason Clinic or Hoodsport Family Clinic, when they’re an inpatient at Mason General Hospital, or if they come to the Emergency Department for substance use-related issues.

When patients are discharged from the Emergency Department, they receive a phone call to follow up with them about services they may need. If they are interested in speaking with a Peer Navigator or Peer Counselor, Tulk is called.

“There are not many resources in Mason County, and addiction is huge right now,” Tulk said. “That’s why it is so great that we have this position at Mason Health. I’m so happy to be a part of the Behavioral Health team. Everyone is wonderful and everybody is going above and beyond. They care about the patient’s well-being. It’s such a good feeling to be a part of that team.”

If you would like to speak to someone at Mason Health about substance use concerns, call 360-485-2513.

Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County, is certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.MasonGeneral.com.