Merger of Hazelden and Betty Ford Center Approved

By Join Together Staff | February 11, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Addiction & Treatment

California has approved the merger of the Hazelden Foundation and the Betty Ford Center, the Star Tribune reports. The new organization will be called the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. It will be the nation’s largest nonprofit treatment organization.

In a statement, Mark Mishek, President and CEO of the merged organization, said, “We are now well-positioned to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by health care reform and the rapidly changing marketplace. Together, we will be able to better utilize the addiction treatment field’s most extensive expertise, knowledge and data to accelerate innovation in treating the chronic disease of addiction and expand our already robust national system of care. Together, we will be better able to help all those who seek recovery find it.”

Analysts said the merger will allow the organizations to reduce administrative costs, and to bring treatment into more outpatient settings. Each organization has its own specialties, such as Betty Ford’s programs for treating chronic pain and addiction, and Hazelden’s programs for treating health care professionals and young people, the article notes.

The combined organization operates 15 sites in nine states. It will be headquartered in Center City, Minnesota, where Hazelden is based. It offers residential and outpatient services, a publishing house, an addiction research center and an accredited graduate school of addiction studies. The Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California will keep its name. It will add the tagline: “a part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.”

The boards of both organizations announced last June that they were considering a formal alliance. At the time, officials at both organizations said one incentive for a possible alliance was the Affordable Care Act, which is expected to greatly increase the number of Americans who will receive health care coverage.

Addiction Professionals  RSVP

You're invited to the

Addiction Professionals  RSVP

"Love of Recovery" Free Concert and Dance

The Addiction Professionals Meet and Greet Will Be Held In The VIP Section This is a Rockers In Recovery Concert and Network Event: We do this through Rockers In Recovery Radio and Productions Inc. RIR has once every quarter a concert and network meet and greet. This is a great way to get to know other addiction professionals with main stream traffic of the general public. This combined together brings professionals and community together.

When

Saturday Feb. 15, 2014 From 7pm to 10pm

Where

The Venue of Fort Lauderdale, 2345 Wilton Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305.

Addiction Professionals  RSVP

February 5 v 21 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

For the Lord sees clearly what a man does,

examining every path he takes.

STEP 5- Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Honesty is key in everything you do ,especially for those of us in recovery. After all the time I wasted in my addiction I realize the person I lied to most was myself . GOD can see all things so why try to hide or deny what you have done. Honesty with self GOD and others will bring change in your life .

Jesus said I am the truth the life the way and no one comes to the father but through me!

Sat. Feb. 22, 7:00 pm: Movie Night at COA Kids Are Dying Trailer Come to the Dwier Center (392 Church Street, Groveville, NJ) onSaturday, Feb. 22 for an early showing of "Kids Are Dying" a brand new documentary from Steered Straight's Mike DeLeon. This film discusses the addiction epidemic sweeping the nation, and will be featured on A&E cable TV later this year.   To watch the trailer, click the image on the left.  To listen to last week's COARR radio show with Mike, click here.   In The Press    Excellent new article on the Mercer County heroin epidemic in the Trenton Times, with an inspiring story from COA. ....  to read the article, click here.   Expanded COA Recovery Radio Archives Let's Talk About Recovery!   The COARR archives have recently been expanded with show photos and links to resources. Catch up on your favorite shows and listen to episodes you missed!   COARR can be accessed via any Internet-enabled device - for the free smartphone app, visit your iphone or android store.      For "Women & Addiction" with Terri Thomas, click here. For "Hope Fiend" with Minister Rich Mollica, click here. For "Emotional Sobriety" with Andy Finley MFT, click here. For "Journey Thru the 12 Steps with the Life Recovery Bible," click here. For "Share Your Scars" with Vicki, click here. For "Wings Over Water: Creativity in Recovery" with Kathy Moser, click here. For "Laughter & Recovery" with Wil B. Kleen, click here. For "Relationships in Recovery" with Alexa, click here. For "Saving Lives" with COA Director of Interventions Tom Redneck Clark, click here. For "Nar-Anon Families of Addiction Information Line" click here. Medical Care for Addiction City of Angels NJ, Inc. works closely with many different health care providers including secular & faith-based inpatient facilities, outpatient programs, counselors, therapists, holistic health care practitioners, clergy, and physicians.    Located in West Windsor, NJ, InFocus Urgent Care  has become a trusted resource for medical care and therapies related to addiction and other conditions.  To learn more about InFocus, click here.  To listen to a COARR show featuring Dr. Seeta Arjun discussing suboxone and other therapies for addiction, click here. (Dr. Seeta's segment appears about halfway thru the recording). Rosary Prayer Group at The Dwier Center   There will be a meeting of the new Tuesdaynight Rosary intercessory prayer group at 6:30 pm tonight at the Dwier Center. The Rosary group meets weekly to pray the Rosary for the entire COA family, including those in recovery and those not yet. Like other forms of meditation/spiritual connection, praying the Rosary has been shown to produce profound benefits...  to learn more about how this practice can help you, click here.

If You Tweet, Tumbl or Pin....   ...Follow COA on our new social media! For Twitter, click here.   For Tumblr, click here. For Pinterest, click here.   Tidbits COA hosts support group meetings for both recoverees and their families every day of the week at the Dwier Center (392 Church Street, Groveville, NJ). This includes 12-step meetings, Men's and Women's Recovery groups,  Relapse Prevention Group, Thursday night veteran's support group, Saturday night self-injury support group, Sunday night Spirituality Meeting, and the popular Sunday morning family support group, The Breakfast Club. To check out our online calendar, click here.   For directions to the Dwier Center, click here.  The COA website offers an Addiction News Feed with the latest studies, reports, news and other info on addiction. It's updated in real time with the top 30 articles. To read the feed, click here.  More than 28,000 viewers around the world have watched original videos on the  COA YouTube channel. To tune in, click here.       Check out COARR's new Tumblr page!     For COA's Twitter page, click here.     Join COA's Pinterest community! To visit the boards, click here.       Keep current on COA activites - join the COA group on Facebook!  COA news is posted first on Facebook, and this page often has photos not available elsewhere. Click here to visit.     City of Angels NJ, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides many services to addicts and their families including interventions, recovery support, Family Program, counseling services and more. All of our services are provided at no charge.

Marijuana-Infused Snacks Alarm Parents, Schools and Some Doctors

By Join Together Staff | February 4, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed inCommunity Related, Drugs & Youth

Parents, schools and some doctors are voicing concern about children’s access to marijuana-laced snacks, which are becoming increasingly popular in states where recreational or medical marijuana is legal.

In Colorado, where recreational marijuana for adults ages 21 and older is now legal, marijuana-laced snacks are becoming a booming business, according to The New York Times. Products include chocolate-peppermint Mile High Bars and peanut butter candies infused with hash oil, the article notes.

Retailers say the products are popular with customers who want to experience the effects of marijuana without smoking and coughing. Critics say the snacks are ending up in the hands of teens who want to get high discreetly, or children who don’t know they contain marijuana. They note products can contain large concentrations of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Colorado has ordered stores to sell marijuana-infused snacks with child-resistant packaging, and has banned labels designed to appeal to children.

In a study published in May 2013, researchers at Colorado Children’s Hospital reported they treated 14 children who ingested marijuana, half of whom ate marijuana-laced foods. Symptoms, most of which were mild, included unusual drowsiness and unsteady walking. One 5-year-old boy had trouble breathing. Eight children were hospitalized, and two were treated in the intensive care unit. All of the children recovered within a few days. The study was conducted after medical marijuana became legal in Colorado, but before the state legalized recreational marijuana.