The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.
Pennsylvania Recovery Organization --
Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT)
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Recovery in Our Communities
April 7, 2015
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"Rethinking Stereotypes: Overdosing in Older Adults"
Medications, Alcohol and the Emergency Room. It's no surprise that adverse drug events are a huge public health issue across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), these events "cause over 700,000 emergency department visits each year, with nearly 20% resulting in hospital admissions."
What may be a surprise is that a growing portion of these ER visits are in people age 65 and older, involving prescription medications, including in Bucks County.
As people age, they are likely to take more medications - to cure infectious diseases, prevent problems from chronic health issues, and alleviate pain. But these same medications can also cause a great deal of harm.
"When alcohol is added to the mix, it only further complicates the issue," according to Stacey Conway, Ph.D., director of evaluation and outcomes at The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. "Besides the potential dangers of using alcohol with a variety of medications, there is the additional problem of an aging metabolism, which usually doesn't tolerate alcohol as well as it did when the person was younger."
Telltale Signs for Family and Physicians. Family and friends are usually the first to notice an older parent or other loved one struggling with falls and failing memory, who may now seem more accident prone; but they may just chalk it up to the aging process. And maybe that's all it is. Or maybe there's something more significant and avoidable at play.
Inf ormation and Referral Resource. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that this is a growing problem. "For instance, visiting nurses of older adults with chronic health problems are noticing the problem in patients they care for," according to The Council's Sandy Lochrie, R.N., who works with the medical community through a program called SBIRT - Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment. The approach incorporates simple tools that can be used during a medical visit to determine if a person's alcohol or drug use may be causing potential health problems.
The program offers guidance to health care providers to determine the right questions to ask at the right time. If they suspect that a substance abuse disorder may be at the root of their patient's problem, The Council can be a valuable resource for the provider, their patient and/or the patient's family.
SBIRT consultations and training are offered free of charge to all Bucks County health care providers, through the support of the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Inc. (BCDAC). Beyond Bucks County, the program is offered to health care providers as a fee-for-service.
For confidential information and referral resources for all types of addictions recovery support, please contact The Council at our 24/7 intervention and recovery support line at 800-221-6333, by email at helpline@councilsepa.org , or by visiting us at councilsepa.org
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"Planting the Seeds for a Healthy Life in Recovery"
The Council's Women's Recovery Community Center offers a safe environment and transitional housing for women in need from the Central Bucks area.
To add to the cozy home feeling, two of the Center's volunteers are planning to establish a "Community Garden for Recovery" this spring and are looking for support to get some essential supplies.
Garden donations needed include three general areas: 1) fencing, materials for raised beds and composting structures; 2) organic soil, seeds, seedlings - annuals, perennials and vegetables; and 3) basic gardening tools, hoses and tomato cages. Nominal financial donations also will be happily accepted.
The project offers so many benefits for women in recovery, such as, building a sense of accomplishment that comes with the upkeep of a garden, reaping the fruits and vegetables they sow, and providing a stabilizing routine and a place close to nature filled with joy and serenity.
Additionally, the project will focus on the value of home grown vegetables, using organic food sources and eating healthy as a way of life. Cooking demonstrations, canning/preserving vegetables, understanding our eco-system, and learning how to eat healthy and plan meals on a budget, are other aspects of the project.
The garden co-creators, Bridgett Hagen, CRS, and Jennifer Seitzer, CLC, are both in long term recovery; and while Bridgett is an expert gardener, Jennifer brings nutritional guidance and organic knowledge to the table.
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Volunteer for The Council/PRO-ACT !!
Contact one of our Volunteer Coordinators:Central Bucks: Email or call Rick at 215-345-6644
Volunteer Training Schedule
Volunteer Orientation TrainingApril 10, 2015 1 pm - 2:30 pm at Central Bucks Recovery Community Center
Group Leadership/Facilitation Training
April 8, 2015 1 pm - 3:30 pm at Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center
April 9, 2015 10 am - 1pm and 5 pm - 8 pm Philadelphia Recovery Training Center
April 24, 2015 1 pm - 3 pm at Central Bucks Recovery Community Center
Please contact the volunteer coordinator for questions or to attend.
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AT OUR CENTERS
FASD: Implications for Children and Adolescents - April 9, 2015, 9:00 am - Noon at Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center, 1286 Veterans Highway, Bristol, PA 19007. Get an in-depth look at Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and how tools such as alcohol screening can assist in reducing the number of children born with FASD. Approved for 3 PCB credit hours. To register email or call David at 215-230-8218 x3162. Click here for details.
Expungement Clinic - April 27, 2015 3:00 - 4:30 pm at Central Bucks Recovery Community Center, 252 W Swamp Road, Unit 12, Doylestown. Get the information you need if you believe your criminal charges are keeping you from gaining meaningful employment. To register email or call Rick at 215-345-6644 x3151.
Planning to Sustain Recovery - every Tuesday 7 - 8:30 pm and every Thursday 10 - 11:30am at Central Bucks Recovery Community Center (CBRCC), 252 W Swamp Road, Unit 12, Doylestown. Educational support group to help individuals in all stages of recovery plan goals and action steps to sustain recovery. To register email or call Jeanne at 215-345-6644 xt. 3120.
Gateway to Work every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:00 am at SBRCC, 1286, Veterans Highway, Unit D-6, Bristol; Mon. - Fri. the first week of the month at PRCC, 1701 W Lehigh Ave., #6, Philadelphia, PA 19132; 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at 11:00 am at CBRCC, 252 W Swamp Road, Doylestown. Get help with resume building, barriers to employment and motivation. Contact Rick at 215-345-6644 xt. 3151 or email for more information.
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Save the date! Gather your team, consider sponsorship!
PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2015
September 19
Register free; Form a team; Join the Honor Guard; Donate; Volunteer; or become a Sponsor by
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- Go to www.smile.amazon.com
- Log in with Amazon account info or register if you are a new member
Type in The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. and click SEARCH
We will come up, hit SELECT
- Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Council.
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| DONATE | Donations help us to reduce the impact of addiction for more individuals and families. The Council is a 501(c)(3) organization. |
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