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



Next free sessions start May 1, 6 or 7 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/.

APRIL 9 v 12 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.



STEP 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.



WISDOM - knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life. : the natural ability to understand things that most other people cannot understand.

 

Step twelve is more than a step for those of us who work it on the daily . It is a milestone a Chapter in our lives that was fought for. We are not born with the gift of wisdom ,it is earned and I would not trade one single day of my struggles and suffering . The sorrows , struggles , and pain of our past made us the hard core Recovery advocates we are today . The knowledge and wisdom we have fought for and earned must be honed into a gift used in saving those like we once were .



Matthew 5 41 And whoever makes you go one mile, go with him too .

By : Joseph Dickerson 

Handheld Device That Delivers Opioid Overdose Treatment Approved by FDA
 

By Join Together Staff | April 8, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Addiction, Government & Treatment


The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a handheld device that delivers a single dose of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, The New York Times reports.

The device, called Evzio, is similar to an EpiPen used to stop allergic reactions to bee stings, the article notes. It can be used by friends or relatives of a person who has overdosed. When the device is turned on, it will give verbal instructions about how to use it. The medication blocks the ability of heroin or opioid painkillers to attach to brain cells. Evzio is expected to be available this summer.

“This is a big deal, and I hope gets wide attention,” said Dr. Carl R. Sullivan III, Director of the Addictions Program at West Virginia University. “It’s pretty simple: Having these things in the hands of people around drug addicts just makes sense because you’re going to prevent unnecessary mortality.”

According to a news release from the FDA, family members or caregivers should become familiar with the instructions for use before administering Evzio. “Family members or caregivers should also become familiar with the steps for using Evzio and practice with the trainer device, which is included along with the delivery device, before it is needed,” the FDA advises. The agency notes that because naloxone may not work as long as opioids, repeat doses may be needed. A person utilizing the device should seek immediate medical care for the patient.

Many states have begun to make naloxone more widely available. The FDA notes existing naloxone drugs require administration via syringe, and are most commonly used by trained medical personnel in emergency departments and ambulances.

Photo source: Medgadget.com

Medicaid Law That Limits Available Beds Impedes Addiction Treatment
 

By Join Together Staff | April 8, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Addiction, Government, Healthcare, Legislation & Treatment

Major obstacles remain to expanded treatment for addiction through the Medicaid program, according to USA Today. Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires treatment be offered to people who are newly insured through insurance exchanges or Medicaid, experts say a federal law is limiting available beds nationwide.

A federal restriction does not allow drug treatment centers with more than 16 beds to bill Medicaid for residential services provided to low-income adults. The law was meant to prevent Medicaid dollars from funding private mental institutions that warehoused patients, according to the article. The result is that addiction treatment centers are turning away new Medicaid patients who are entitled to treatment under the ACA.

“We don’t have enough capacity right now,” Becky Vaughn, Executive Director of State Associations of Addiction Services in Washington, told the newspaper. “The unintended consequence is that you are discriminating against an adult who needs help,” said Elizabeth Stanley-Salazar, a Vice President at the Phoenix House. “We don’t do that for any other illness or disease.”

Toby Douglas, Director of California’s Health Care Services Department, said only 10 percent of the available inpatient beds in the state are in facilities that meet the federal government’s restrictions. Most treatment for substance abuse in Colorado is provided in centers with more than 16 beds, according to Arthur Schut, Chief Executive Officer of Arapahoe House. “Everyone is in agreement about how dumb this is,” he said. “It doesn’t work economically, and it doesn’t work for the people seeking treatment.”

The federal government does not plan to change the law, according to Suzanne Fields, a senior adviser on health care financing for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She said the federal government is looking at alternatives, such as treating patients under programs already paid for with other federal funds.

Poison Control Centers Receiving More Calls for Nicotine Poisoning From E-Cigarettes
 

By Join Together Staff | April 8, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Tobacco & Youth

Poison control centers are reporting an increase in the number of calls they are receiving for nicotine poisoning from e-cigarettes. This February, centers received 215 calls, compared with about one per month in 2010.

About half of calls related to nicotine poisoning from e-cigarettes involved children age 5 or younger, HealthDay reports. Dr. Tim McAfee, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health, which published the findings, said many people don’t know liquid nicotine is toxic. “The time has come to start thinking about what we can do to keep this from turning into an even worse public health problem,” he said.

McAfee said the Food and Drug Administration is expected to propose regulations for e-cigarettes, and he hopes they include childproof caps and warning labels. “These things can be hardwired into these products, rather than being left to the whim of the manufacturer,” he said. McAfee urged e-cigarette users to keep the devices and their refills out of the reach of children. “These should be treated with the same caution one would use for bleach. In some ways, this is more toxic than bleach,” he said.

He explained liquid nicotine can be poisonous if it is swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin or membranes in the mouth, lips or eyes. It can cause nausea, vomiting or seizures.

In a CDC news release, Director Dr. Tom Frieden said, “E-cigarette liquids as currently sold are a threat to small children because they are not required to be childproof, and they come in candy and fruit flavors that are appealing to children.”

APRIL 8 v 35 TWELVE STEPPING WITH THE POWER IN THE PROVERB

For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;

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



Someone commented on one of my posts the other day ! They stated whatever happened too keep it simple. Well today's post is gonna be as simple as it gets . Step one thru three commit with all your heart get that done according to the PROVERB you find GOD you find life and favor from above.


Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

By Joseph Dickerson