JULY 31 Chp 107 v 10 v 11 v 12 v 13 v 14 v 15 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH  FROM THE PSALMS 

 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,

imprisoned in iron chains of misery.

 They rebelled against the words of God,

scorning the counsel of the Most High.

 That is why he broke them with hard labor;

they fell, and no one was there to help them.

 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;

he snapped their chains.

 Let them praise the Lord for his great love

and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

STEP 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God !

This is why I try to study Gods Big Book (Bible) everyday . God has snapped my chains and I just don't want to give Him praise for that , I want to praise Him for the way He unconditionally loves me. God could have let me die in my sin and addictions , but He did everything He said He would in the Psalm . There are many in rebellion against God and society , you think your tough and your way is the way everyone should live .God will break you 

and send you to Hell ! God will be more than patient , He waited sixteen years for me to come back to Him . It broke Gods heart to see me one of His sons living sad , defeated drowning in my self made sea of uncontrollable urges to my addictions and sins. You matter to God and your rebellion will steal the wonderful life God has planned for you . It is time for you to wake up , the cemetery is already full of half lived lives with unfulfilled dreams . 

Psalms 68:6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

By Joseph Dickerson

As Drug Courts Expand, Critics Say They Aren’t Reaching Those in Greatest Need

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 29th, 2014/

As the use of drug courts expand, critics say people with minor marijuana infractions are more likely than those with serious drug problems to end up in these programs.

Drug courts allow drug offenders to receive court-supervised treatment instead of punishment, the Los Angeles Times reports. These programs can dramatically improve the lives of people addicted to drugs, the article notes. But a growing number of people are ending up in drug court because of minor marijuana infractions, some longtime supporters tell the newspaper.

In many areas of the country, people charged with marijuana possession are the largest group of offenders sent to drug-court programs. Often, people who chronically abuse hard drugs are not allowed to participate in these programs.

“For serious drug offenders it has been a far better alternative than prison,” said John Roman, a senior analyst at the Urban Institute, who studies drug courts. “The problem is very few people who have those serious problems get into one of these drug courts. Instead, we take all kinds of people into drug court who don’t have serious problems.”

In some cases, people who might have faced a fine for marijuana use in the regular court system are instead moved into the drug-court system. They are often forced to pay for costly treatment programs, and could face jail time if they break the program rules. “Once you get that deep into the criminal justice system, it can be really hard to get out,” Roman said.

Rick Jones, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Defender Service in Harlem, New York, says his nonprofit group often sees people with low-level marijuana offenses being pressured into drug-court treatment, while people addicted to drugs are disqualified. “It is not working the way we thought or hoped it would,” Jones said.

Abuse of Painkillers, Illegal Drugs Growing in Silicon Valley

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 29th, 2014/

In the high-stress environment of Silicon Valley, a growing number of high-tech workers are abusing painkillers and illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The issue of drug abuse among high-tech workers received intense media attention after Google executive Forrest Timothy Hayes died last year after being injected with a fatal dose of heroin aboard his yacht. A prostitute was arrested and charged with administering the injection.

“I’ve had them from Apple, from Twitter, from Facebook, from Google, from Yahoo, and it’s bad out there,” said Miami-based addictions coach Cali Estes, who says she has helped 200 tech workers. They are using prescription drugs such as oxycodone and Adderall, as well as cocaine and heroin, she says.

“And it’s a lot worse than what people think because it’s all covered up so well,” Estes told the newspaper. “If it gets out that a company’s employees are doing drugs, it paints a horrible picture.”

“There’s this workaholism in the valley, where the ability to work on crash projects at tremendous rates of speed is almost a badge of honor,” said Steve Albrecht, a San Diego consultant who teaches substance abuse awareness for Bay Area employers. “These workers stay up for days and days, and many of them gradually get into meth and coke to keep going. Red Bull and coffee only gets them so far.”

Many tech companies do not conduct drug testing on employees, Albrecht says. “They want the results, but they don’t want to know how their employees got the results.” Most large tech firms offer counseling, but many employees don’t want to use the services because of privacy concerns.

New Products Help Drinkers Monitor Their Blood Alcohol Levels

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 29th, 2014/

New products on the market are helping people monitor their blood alcohol levels. Some devices link to a smartphone, NPR reports.

One device, called the Vio, is a key chain alcohol test about the size of a lighter. It sells for $50. A person blows in the device, which then determines whether their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is around or over the legal limit for driving.

Keith Nothacker, the CEO of BACtrack, which makes Vio, told NPR the device might help reduce drunk driving rates. “Previously there was a stigma with alcohol testing, and we’ve been fighting that stigma,” he said. “We want people to talk about their BAC and not be embarrassed.”

Another device, the Breathometer, plugs into the audio jack of a smartphone, and connects with an app. It also sells for about $50. Both the Vio and Breathometer can help a person determine how long it will take them to reduce their BAC back down to 0. “So if you’re drinking late, you’ll see that you won’t sober up until the next day in a lot of cases,” Nothacker said.

The devices are not as accurate as those used by police, the article notes. But they can still be useful in helping people decide they shouldn’t be driving, said Michael McDonell, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. “In study after study, we see that just objectively tracking your use of [a substance] will reduce your use,” he says.

McDonell added, “If the outcome is to help a person stop using or reduce their use of alcohol, accuracy is less important. And those expensive devices are never going to get out there to everybody.”

PRO-ACT Family Addiction Education Program helps families address drug and alcohol addiction

Next free sessions start week of Aug. 5 at various locations in five counties

When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, the disease affects the entire family. Each month PRO-ACT (Pennsylvania Recovery Organization–Achieving Community Together) hosts a free Family Addiction Education Program to help individuals and families recognize and address an addiction problem in a spouse, parent, child or other loved one. Led by trained volunteers who have been in the same situation, these information and support programs begin the first week of each month and run one evening a week for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts two hours.

Programs are offered at several locations throughout the five-county southeast Pennsylvania region:

· Tuesdays—From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Media and Northeast Philadelphia.

· Wednesdays—From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Pottstown; from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in North Philadelphia; and from 7 p.m.to 9 p.m. in West Chester.

· Thursdays—From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Northern Liberties; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Bristol and Colmar.

Sessions are free and confidential—first names only. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 800-221-6333, weekdays 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., or visit http://councilsepa.org/programs/pro-act/family-education-program/.

	Dear Joseph, You may have noticed some changes if you've visited drugfree.org in the past few weeks. We are excited to announce a newly revamped website and a new name: Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. The community of strength and support that you built as “The Hope Share” lives on our new website, but with a new name: “Stories of Hope.” All of your stories, videos and photos have been carried over to the new site and will continue to offer inspiration to those who visit and share their own recovery stories. We’ve also added a new feature: those who submit a new story to the site can now add a recovery date, and the days, months or years of recovery is displayed next to their submission. Since your story already lives on the site, we would be happy to add your years of recovery for you. Simply send us an email and we will update your story with your recovery date as soon as we can. Please visit “Stories of Hope” on our new site, and share some love and encouragement for those who need to hear it.  And thank you again for helping us build such a vibrant and supportive community. Sincerely, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
We're here to help. Call our Parents Toll-Free Helpline 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)            DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds. To prevent mailbox filters from deleting mailings from Drugfree.org, add thepartnership@drugfree.org to your address book. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids | 352 Park Avenue South | Ninth Floor | New York, NY 10010 Forward to a Friend unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

Hello good people, 

I wanted to check in to see if any of you would be interested in a project called I Am Not Anonymous. The goal is to reduce stigma and inspire hope by putting a face and voice on recovery. There is more information in the below email from the folks leading this project. 

The quick and dirty version is that we are looking for folks to submit their recovery story (using the attached talking points to guide the narrative) and then get your picture taken on Saturday, August 9th. This is an awesome project that I had the honor of participating in and I think you'd enjoy it as well!! Check out the below email along with their website,www.iamnotanonymous.org , and let me know if you are interested!! Also, if you know of anybody else who may be interested, please connect them to me.

Thanks for your interest in participating in the I Am Not Anonymous project! This is a black and white portrait project that Kate Meyer (co-creator) is photographing. The focus, hope and vision of this project is to bring a face and a voice to recovery, in order to aid in breaking the stigma of addiction.

Most importantly, everyone must understand that this project is IN NO WAY affiliated with any 12-step program. We take the tradition of anonymity very seriously here and respect the fellowships that so many of us have recovered, and continue to recover in. However, this project is all about breaking PERSONAL anonymity. And the deal is that it is all about the principle of attraction ironically. However, again, it has nothing to do with AA or any other 12-step fellowship. It just has to do with RECOVERY.

Currently the stigma of alcoholism / addiction is tremendous and terrible, and for good reason. The only vision of our kind is negative. The only thing that the public sees is the untreated alcoholic/addict. So what advocacy work, the recovery movement, and specifically this project is about, is about bringing a face and a voice to the treated addict/alcoholic. Showing the public what we look like. Breaking the stigma of addiction and alcoholism by showing how beautiful, funny, intelligent, helpful and productive we are when we are treated.

Unfortunately what happens is so many of us get sober and just matriculate into society wearing this cloak of 'anonymity,' which is not a bad thing. And everyone is entitled to personal anonymity if that is what they so choose. However, oftentimes there is a misconception about in order to be a "good member" of my 12-step fellowship, and follow the traditions; I need to be quiet about my sobriety. This is false. What the traditions do is ask for us to not identify specially as a member of said fellowship; and they also ask us not to expose anyone else's membership. That is all.

So I can talk about my personal recovery all day!! And so can you! We just exclude directly tying ourselves to a particular fellowship. Recovery and AA/NA/CA ... although for many of us are simply synonymous ... truly are two very separate things!

My personal opinion is that the stigma of alcoholism and addiction cannot and will not be broken until the recovering community of alcoholics and addicts becomes visible. That onus falls on our shoulders.

Now that we have the fine prints out of the way... On to the fun stuff!

The photo shoot with be held:

DATE: Saturday, August 9th

TIME: 10:00am - 5:00pm (Please let me know what time you can arrive!)

LOCATION: 123 S Broad St. 22nd Floor ; Philadelphia, PA 19109

CONTACT: Brooke Feldman; BFeldman@pmhcc.org; 215.681.5323

Along with your photo, is going to be your accompanying story, in your own words! And you need to write this before the photo shoot and email it back to me. If I do not receive your written submission before the day of the shoot, we cannot shoot you. We are asking that all written submissions be about 1000 words- however; please feel free to write more if you feel so inclined.

To give you some guidelines for your writing...

It is up to you what parts of your story you would like to share. Please keep in mind the goals of the project while you are writing your story. For those of you are members of 12-step fellowships, this is more than a normal "Experience, Strength and Hope" share. The goal is to combat the negative stigma surrounding addiction and spread a positive message about recovery. This should be more recovery heavy, then addiction heavy. Really try and think about how the stigma affected your journey. How you felt while you were still active... How you feel now that you are in recovery... Were you judged... Are you still judged even now that you are in recovery due to people’s ignorance or lack of understanding? Tom and Kate have compiled a list of questions (which I have attached) that may spark your interest and help you think of specific instances that you can write about. Also I am here to help you form your story. Please don't hesitate to call, text, email me, and we can go over it! Most importantly, write from the heart. There is nothing more powerful than an authentic share to help shape and change someone's mind.

Along with your writing, we will also need for you to choose the message that will be placed on your image. Just a couple words, but a couple of words that scream you, your story, and your message. A couple of examples that other subjects have used already are: "You Are Not Alone," "God Shaped Hole," "Seeing Through New Eyes," and "I Am No Less Than You."

If you have ANY questions, comments, concerns... Please feel free to contact me. I am so humbled and excited to be a part of this project. Kate and Tom thank you from the bottom of their hearts for your involvement.

THROUGH OUR SILENCE, WE LET OTHERS DEFINE US.

http://www.iamnotanonymous.org

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.                                                   and           Pennsylvania Recovery Organization --      Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT)
Recovery in Our Communities July 29, 2014      Like us on Facebook                                   www.councilsepa.org                       Follow us on Twitter   Information and Recovery Support Line 24/7: 800-221-6333 "Never believe that a few caring people can't      change the world.     For, indeed, that's all who ever have."   Margaret Mead "TURNING A CORNER" IN RECOVERY Believing In The Road To A Better Life   Courtney Barnes works for The Council as a TASC Manager.  She helps clients who are involved with the criminal justice system and have a substance use disorder.   As Courtney explains, "I have recently been working with a young adult...at a critical learning point in his/her recovery process...The idea of staying sober is difficult...I help people understand that there is a realistic path to a better, more meaningful life, and then I help them walk the path they choose...The process of growing in understanding is all part of their journey..." In life, obstacles are to be expected.  Read Courtney's Story on how she helps individuals overcome challenges and believe in a better life.   PARENTS ARE "TOP INFLUENCERS" Talk To Your Kids & Make A Huge Difference Not surprisingly, parents are the most powerful influence in their child's life.  According to The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, "Parents have more influence over their child than friends, music, TV, the internet and celebrities."  But when it comes to talking to their kids about drugs and alcohol, many parents struggle because they fear the dreaded question, "Did you ever do drugs?"     Stop avoiding the subject.  Read "How to Talk To Your Kids About Drugs If You've Done Drugs."    The fact that you've had experience may be an advantage.  Be sure to visit The Council's website for resources on how to talk to your kids, including our  "Talk Kit For Parents."     REDUCE ADDICTION IN YOUR COMMUNITY A Personal Call To Action  Read Dr. Jana Burson's  practical summary of prevention research to learn how you can reduce addiction in your community.  This powerful article is a call to action for every spouse, parent, doctor, neighbor and friend.   Dr. Burson explains ways you can help to prevent the harm caused by addiction or substance abuse, intervene early and support your loved ones in recovery.   Decide today to get involved and stay involved.   Some Upcoming Events Beating the Blues8-session, web-based program on how to get through the rough periods of anxiety, stress and depression.  At PRCC.  Call 215-223-7700 to register.  Journaling for RecoveryTuesdays - 1:30pm:  Reflective writing as a process of self-discovery, change, and growth.   At SBRCC in Bristol.  Call 215-788-3738 x 100 to register. Morning Devotions Mondays 10-11am:  Jump Start Your Morning! Faith-based guided devotions consisting of quiet time, prayer and readings from the Life Recovery Bible.  At CBRCC in Doylestown.  Call 215-345-6644 for details. Aug. 20th:  September 12, 2014: 7:05 pm. Recovery Night at the Baseball Game, Phillies vs. Marlins, Citizens Bank Park. Click here for tickets.  September 20, 2014: PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014, Great Plaza, Penn's Landing, Philadelphia. Click here to register and get more information. Employment Opportunities: Please click here

Fingernail Drug Test Gives Vital Information to DWI Program

/BY CELIA VIMONT

July 30th, 2014/

A pilot program that uses fingernail drug and alcohol testing is helping to spot drivers who have been convicted of driving while intoxicated who are continuing to drink or use drugs. Fingernail testing captures a person’s history of drug and alcohol use for the past three to six months.

The program, in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, is testing drivers who have been convicted of at least three DWI offenses, says Guida Brown of the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, which assesses drivers convicted of impaired driving in the county. Drivers must successfully complete the yearlong program in order to maintain their driving privileges.

“We do a lot of assessment, but until now there’s been no teeth behind it – no ability to help people see they really have a problem – and help guide them in a way to stay abstinent,” says Brown. “With this test, when we say you can’t use drugs or alcohol for the one-year duration of the driver safety program, we can verify the results.”

A Breathalyzer test can be negative in as soon as 12 hours after a person drinks, according to Douglas E. Lewis of the United States Drug Testing Laboratories (USDTL), which makes the fingernail test. In contrast, a blood alcohol test called a PEth test can detect alcohol in a person’s system for about two to three weeks and a fingernail test can detect alcohol in a person’s system for about 90 days.

Lewis and Brown presented the findings of the pilot program at the recent annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence.

Most counties don’t do any drug or alcohol testing as part of their driver safety programs, Brown notes. “The big problem isn’t just drunk driving anymore – other drugs are becoming more of a hazard on the road, including marijuana and prescription drugs,” she says. The pilot program found 59 percent of those tested were positive for alcohol, suggesting they continued to binge after their last DWI arrest. Of those tested for drugs, 35 percent were positive. Cocaine, marijuana and opiates were the most commonly found drugs.

Lewis says the test typically costs $100. In Kenosha, clients of the DWI program pay for the testing themselves, which typically takes place about four times over the course of the year. While some counties see the cost of the test as a barrier to its use, Brown notes it is done much less frequently than a urine test, which must be conducted every few days to give accurate results. She has advocated for more state money to increase funding for drug and alcohol testing, and for extending the length of the program. “We’d like a longer monitoring program so we could help more people finish,” she says.

Drug testing using hair is more widespread than fingernail testing. Fingernails, like hair, are made of a protein called keratin. Drug and alcohol biomarkers are trapped in the keratin fibers of the fingernail. Biomarkers may be washed out of hair by common cosmetic treatments such as bleaches, dyes, permanents and straighteners. This reduces the presence of detectable substances. This isn’t a problem with nails, Lewis says. Unlike hair, which stops capturing drug and alcohol biomarkers once hair grows out of the body, nails continue to capture these substances as the nail grow in length and thickness.

Nails provide up to six months of drug use history and up to three months of alcohol history, according to Lewis. Biomarkers are detectable in nails as early as one week after drug or alcohol use. A typical sample is 2 to 3 millimeters, about the thickness of a quarter.

Lewis stresses the test won’t come back positive for the person who has a drink or two a day. “You need at least six standard binges—consuming five standard drinks in a two-hour period for a man, or four for a woman—in a three-month window for the test to come back positive,” he says. “This test finds someone who drinks often enough to cause concern.”

The test also detects amphetamines, opiates, cocaine, marijuana and PCP. While fingernail testing has been available for the past 20 years, until recently it has largely been used for research, according to Lewis. Improved technology has allowed scientists to refine the test so it can detect drug and alcohol use even when a person is not using these substances daily.

In addition to DWI programs, some professional health programs are using fingernail drug testing. “These programs, such as those for doctors, need clients to maintain a low level or as close to an abstinent level as possible for long periods of time,” observes Lewis. “This test allows evaluators to have an objective set of tools.”

History of Drinking Problems Linked With Memory Deficits in Later Life

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 30th, 2014/

A new study of thousands of Americans finds people with a history of drinking problems have more than twice the risk of memory problems later in life, compared with those who have never been heavy drinkers.

The researchers asked participants four questions: Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking? Have people ever annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? Have you ever felt guilty about drinking? And have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning? These questions come from a widely used screening questionnaire for alcoholism, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Participants were born between 1931 and 1941. They answered the questions about alcohol use when they were first interviewed, when they were in their 50s and 60s. They were considered to have a drinking problem if they answered yes to at least two of the four questions. They had follow-up memory tests every other year from 1996 to 2010, the article notes.

The 16 percent of participants who said they had a drinking problem at some point in their lives were much more likely to have memory problems later in life. The study appears in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

“We already know there is an association between dementia risk and levels of current alcohol consumption – that understanding is based on asking older people how much they drink and then observing whether they develop problems,” lead researcher Dr. Iain Lang of the University of Exeter Medical School said in a news release. “But this is only one part of the puzzle and we know little about the consequences of alcohol consumption earlier in life. What we did here is investigate the relatively unknown association between having a drinking problem at any point in life and experiencing problems with memory later in life

FedEx, Indicted on Drug Trafficking Charges, Pleads Not Guilty

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 30th, 2014/

FedEx, which was indicted earlier this month on drug trafficking charges, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. The company is accused of conspiring to deliver prescription drugs for illegal online pharmacies.

Bloomberg reports the company, the world’s largest cargo airline, was indicted on 15 counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and misbranded drugs and drug trafficking.

According to the indictment, the shipping company knew for a decade that illegal online pharmacies used their services. “While some Internet pharmacies were managed by well-known pharmacy chains that required valid prescriptions and visits to the patient’s personal physician, others failed to require a prescription before filling orders for controlled substances and prescription drugs,” a U.S. Sentencing Commission news releasestates. “These Internet pharmacies filled orders based solely on the completion of an online questionnaire, without a physical examination, diagnosis, or face-to-face meeting with a physician. Such practices violated federal and state laws governing the distribution of prescription drugs and controlled substances.”

According to prosecutors, government officials warned FedEx at least six times since 2004 that illegal Internet pharmacies used the company to deliver drugs.

At a hearing in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday, Cris Arguedas, a lawyer for FedEx said, “We are a transportation company, not a pharmacy, not a website, not a doctor.” Prosecutors said that by the end of August the government intends to present an updated indictment to a federal grand jury that is investigating the company.

The company said it repeatedly asked the government to provide a list of online pharmacies engaging in illegal activity. “Whenever DEA provides us a list of pharmacies engaging in illegal activity, we will turn off shipping for those companies immediately. So far the government has declined to provide such a list,” FedEx said in a statement when the indictment was announced.

Bill Aimed at Curbing Prescription Drug Abuse Passes in House With Bipartisan Support

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 30th, 2014/

A measure designed to reduce prescription drug abuse passed in the House on Tuesday with bipartisan support, according to The Hill.

The bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act, changing the definition of “imminent danger to the public health or safety” so that it would apply to drugs that pose present or foreseeable health risks, the article notes.

Under the measure, called the Ensuring Patient Access to Effective Drug Enforcement Act, prescription drug manufacturers registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) could submit a “corrective action plan” before a drug is suspended.

“Any legitimate business involved in distributing or dispensing prescriptions welcomes appropriate oversight and regulation,” said bill co-sponsor Tom Marino, a Pennsylvania Republican. The bill was also sponsored by Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee; Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, and Judy Chu, a Democrat from California.

“Prescription drug abuse is claiming lives all across this country,” Welch said in a news release. “Painkillers are falling into the wrong hands while delivery of these same drugs is being stalled to the patients that need them, including seniors and those battling cancer. To fix this problem, drug suppliers and federal officials need to be able to work hand-in-hand to improve our drug delivery system and that’s exactly what this legislation does.”

“Simply acknowledging the epidemic of prescription drug abuse isn’t enough,” Blackburn said in a news release. “Congress has a responsibility to make sure the law is crystal clear for both DEA and legitimate businesses who want to understand what the rules are so they can do the right thing. That is why I am so pleased the House has acted today on our legislation that seeks to ensure the prescription drug supply chain is safe and secure for the patients that truly rely upon it to alleviate pain and treat illnesses.”

NAADAC Institute Call for Webinar Presentations

Development of the 2015 NAADAC Institute Webinar Series is underway, and we invite you to collaborate with us! The Webinar Series is wildly successful, with over 45,000 professionals trained so far.If you are a subject-matter expert on a topic relevant to addiction professionals, we encourage you to complete the online Call for Webinar Presentations for a chance to present on a nationally-broadcasted webinar.

All NAADAC webinars are free to participants, with optional CE credit provided to NAADAC members for free (join now!) and to non-members for a nominal fee, and are recorded as a live event to be posted on the NAADAC website for future, free, on-demand viewing. Click here for more information about what NAADAC will provide to presenters and how webinar presentations will be selected. A Selection Committee will contact chosen presenters by December 1, 2014.

Submissions Due Date: August 22, 2014

[ More Information ] and [ Apply Now ]

Look for NAADAC's Magazine in Your Mailbox

The Summer edition of Advances in Addiction & Recovery, the official publication of NAADAC, has been published and is arriving in mailboxes of NAADAC members across the nation! NAADAC's magazine is a membership-benefitand focuses on providing useful, innovative and timely information on trends and best practices in the profession that are beneficial for practitioners. Join now to get your copy!

CE Feature Article Available to Both NAADAC Members and Non-Members: Read "Promising Integrated Treatment Model to Help Veterans with Co-Occurring PTSD & Substance Use Disorders" by Robb Hicks, MD, pass the online CE quiz, and get 2 CE credits for $25!

[ Read CE Article ] and [ Take CE Quiz ]

Have an innovative strategy or research to share? Have your years of experience given you unique insights into addiction prevention, intervention, treatment, or recovery? Share your expertise as a contributor to Advances in Addiction & Recovery. For more information, please contact Jessica Gleason.

[ Submit Article ]

Advertising space is still available. Contact Elsie Smith for information about opportunities in NAADAC's magazine and bi-weeklyAddiction & Recovery eNews.

CALL OUR ADDICTION & COUNSELING HELPLINE: 1-844-543-3242 (1-844-LIFE-CHANGE)

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Lighthouse Network Welcomes Barak Rush to Team We at Lighthouse Network are extremely excited to welcome Barak Rush, MS, LPC, to our growing team. Barak brings a great balance of clinical and administrative experience and expertise to our team. Barak has a love for people, compassion for those who are struggling, and a zest for bringing the Bible and Jesus into each person’s healing and transformation process. Barak has provided clinical services for many behavioral health issues over the years while specializing in addictions. More recently, he successfully started and ran Intensive Outpatient Addiction programs for Trinity Behavioral Health and then Rehab After Work, learning the administrative and marketing side of behavioral health as well as providing clinical counseling services. To reach more people, Barak combined his keen problem-solving skills with his compassionate heart to deliver an array of case management services for Ceridian, a national EAP company. Barak fielded calls by people who were struggling, encouraged and infused hope, then used his knowledge of the system to find the best treatment option for the caller. Most recently, Barak and his wife have developed two recovery Hope Houses to disciple in a more personal way those who are struggling. Barak’s title will be Partner Network Coordinator, and his role at Lighthouse Network will be to oversee this very exciting and unique Partner Network of clinicians, pastors, ministry leaders and social service agencies. Lighthouse will share more information soon about this powerful resource and service Barak will oversee and how you can access it or become part of it. Barak is well-suited for this position, given his clinical, administrative and case management experience, as Lighthouse Network is driven to expand our case management services as well as provide better support and engagement with those of you on the front lines of this spiritual battle. Please join me in welcoming Barak to the Lighthouse Network team. To learn more about Barak, click here... Lighthouse Network's Dr. Karl Benzio: Violent Crimes Often a Result of Addiction   PHILADELPHIA -- This summer has been especially violent for the city of Chicago. In July alone, 26 people in Chicago have been murdered in the first half of the month; all but four victims were under the age of 30. Last month saw 36 homicides in Chicago; the youngest was just 15. Thus far in 2014, 1,080 people have been shot and wounded in the city, while 184 have been killed. Dr. Karl Benzio, founder, executive director and a psychiatrist at Lighthouse Network (www.844LifeChange.org), an addiction and mental health counseling helpline, estimates that many of the homicides were very likely drug-related, with drug addiction often leading to violent crimes. "We know that drug abuse and addiction have a definite correlation to violent behaviors such as rape, assault, arson, hate crimes, robberies, suicides and homicides," Benzio said. "Studies have shown that 17 percent of state prisoners and 18 percent of federal prisoners stated that drugs were somehow involved when they committed their offense. Approximately 60 percent of individuals arrested for most types of crimes test positive for illegal drugs at the time of arrest. And nearly 50 percent of jail and prison inmates are clinically addicted. Other facts tell us that about two-thirds of domestic violence offenders also struggle with substance abuse."  Click here to read more... Tune in to hear Lighthouse Network's Karl Benzio, MD, on the air! Hearing Hearts with Gloria Gay "The Holics" Listen online... Living Well "Sarcasm for Kids" Watch online...   Check out other media interviews including TV appearances, radio programs, print features and articles here... Dr. Karl Benzio in The Christian Post Jesus' Purpose: Start a Behavioral Health Revolution This article's headline might sound like I am missing the theological mark, but I challenge you to read on, then form your opinion. As a psychiatrist, I apply a BioPsychoSpiritual model to help people explore and understand how God designed them, how the design got broken and how to restore it for joyful and fulfilled living. So first, a few definitions. • Behavioral Health (BH) is a branch of medicine that focuses on the reciprocal relationship between a holistic view of human behavior and the well-being of the body as a whole entity. In other words, BH uses our external behaviors as a starting point to understand what's going on internally with the purpose of improving on the inside. • A Revolution is an overthrow of one social order in favor of a new one. • Psyche is Greek for the soul, spirit or core inner essence of a person. When Jesus came, man was struggling. The human condition was in a desperate state, and people were overwhelmed and short on answers. Jesus started healing people in amazing numbers. He even sent his disciples out and empowered them to heal as well. Read the full Christian Post article here... Truth For Women Mentor Training September 27 | Bethlehem, PA This event will train ladies who mentor other women who are struggling. They will be trained in counseling and in teaching decision-making skills using the SPEARS decision-making model. Moments of Change 2014 Addictions Conference September 29-October 2 | Palm Beach, FL Dr. Karl Benzio, MD will present on "Addiction: Sin, Disease, or Psychological Defect?" as well as his SPEARS decision-making model, which is key to real biological-psychological-spiritual treatment by integrating science and faith. He encourages people to practically apply the Bible in daily living to truly renew the mind.  Focus on the Family Physicians Resource Council October 1-5 | Colorado Springs, CO This is a meeting of Christian physicians who help guide and define Focus' position on various medical and psychiatric/psychological issues which affect individuals, families, society and public policy. All Access ARC Conference November 4-6 | Saddleback Church, Orange County, CA Dr. Benzio will equip church leaders with his insights in decision-making and using science to glean transformational truths out of the Bible for practical growth and maximum fulfillment. National Association of Christian Social Workers National Conference November 6-9 | Annapolis, MD Lighthouse Network's Dr. Karl Benzio will lead a workshop on how to be a shining light through godly decision-making skills as he teaches his unique bio-psycho-spiritual model which actually rewires your brain circuits, thus renewing your mind as Romans 12:1-2 clearly states. Click here to view all events.  Lighthouse Network Radio Feature:"Life Change with Dr. Karl” Lighthouse Network is sharing its newest, life-changing radio features with the purpose of bringing scientific expertise and Biblical principles together to examine some common daily struggles to help people successfully navigate life’s obstacles and enjoy fulfilled lives. Lighthouse Network's "Life Change with Dr. Karl" radio feature airs Monday through Friday on more than 425 radio stations nationwide. Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 21: Key to Being Light in this World Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 22: Be Strategic, Not Random Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 23: Bible is the Best Instruction Manual Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 24: Six Components to Every Decision Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 25: Role of the Holy Spirit    Click here to listen to “Life Change with Dr. Karl” archives or read transcripts. Resources from Lighthouse Network

Understanding Cutting Cutting can be hard for parents of teens to understand. This DVD resource shares the causes and reasons young people cut and skills to help them handle the pressures they are facing.  Addiction: Sin, Disease or Personal Defect? Theologians, clinicians, researchers and philosophers have argued for centuries whether science blends with religion, spirituality and faith. In this DVD, learn how God gave us science to validate the Bible’s accuracy. Eyes That See the Truth   How we look at our everyday situations determines our life. Learn how in this DVD.

Free Stepping Stones Devotional Click here to receive The Stepping Stones Daily Devotional, which will encourage and challenge you while helping you grow in your daily walk with God. If you or someone you love needs help, call our FREE 24/7 Lighthouse Network addiction and counseling helpline, 1-844-LIFE-CHANGE (1-844-543-3242). Lighthouse Network is a Christian-based, non-profit organization that offers an addiction and mental health counseling helpline providing treatment options and resources to equip people and organizations with the skills necessary to shine God's glory to the world, stand strong on a solid foundation in the storms of their own lives, and provide guidance and safety to others experiencing stormy times, thus impacting their lives, their families and the world. Lighthouse Network offers help through two main service choices: Lighthouse Life Change Helpline (1-844-LIFE-CHANGE, 1-844-543-3242), a 24-hour free, national crisis call center, where specialists (Care Guides) help callers understand and access customized treatment options. Life Growth and self-help training resources for daily life, including online and DVD series and training events to help individuals achieve their potential.   unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Follow Us On Facebook Follow Us On Twitter Visit Our Website