Wednesday, May 21, 2014

    
Need a Recovery Coach?
With this April's class, more than 70 people have now been trained and certified by COA with the CCAR Recovery Coach curriculum. Recovery Coaches serve as personal guides and mentors to people seeking or already in long term recovery. They remove barriers & obstacles to recovery by connecting recoverees with resources, developing personalized wellness plans, monitoring progress and providing lots of encouragement. Coaches act as a compliment to counseling, 12-Step programs, spiritual pursuits, community activities and other recovery support systems.

To connect with a COA/CCAR Recovery Coach, click hereIf you are a COA/CCAR Recovery Coach grad and would like to be listed on this page, contact cityofangelsnj@hotmail.com.


Thank You To COA's Newest Sponsors!

As a non-profit organization, COA's mission is to be of service. We understand that addiction is a mental, physical and emotional disease that can leave lasting financial scars upon those it affects. Because of this, we never charge the families and individuals we work with, but rely upon donations and sponsors to meet our expenses.     
 
With more and more calls for help, those expenses are rising. 
  
But so is the assistance we are receiving from the Recovery Community. 

We are hugely grateful to our website advertisers, without whom we would not be able to continue to provide services in the way that we do. These advertisers represent many different types of facilities with a variety of programs, but all have one thing in common: they are committed to excellent care and support Recovery thru their partnership with COA as well as other community activities.
Please check out their websites and/or their appearances on COA Recovery Radio!
Addiction Treatment Services International (ATSI) is a new facility in Galloway, New Jersey.      
The Recovery Place is located in Florida -    
Footprints to Recovery is a new treatment center in Hamilton, New Jersey that offers some innovative programs such as career training thru a local business school, relapse prevention and 90-day covered stays. 

Compass Health is an outpatient facility in Princeton Junction. Genesis House is an inpatient rehab in Florida with a 20-year track record. 
To learn more about them, click here.
 
COA has relationships with many different treatment facilities - inpatient & outpatient, secular & faith-based, local and out-of-state. In fact, the facilities mentioned here represent only our newest sponsors! We can therefore refer people to the right facility for them, based on their individual needs. City of Angels NJ, Inc. remains an all-volunteer organization; while some of our volunteers are employed in the recovery field, none receive compensation for their work at COA. Furthermore, COA never receives fees from treatment facilities in return for referrals.
 
 
Golf Tourney at Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians has recently selected COA to receive proceeds from their Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, August 4 at Yardley Country Club in Yardley, PA. This will be a wonderful opportunity for all of COA's golfing friends to help COA while they get in a round of golf. There is also a "luncheon only" participation, which is available for our COA non-golfer friends.
 
On COARR...Jobs in the Addiction Field
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.



If you missed last week's "Women & Addiction" with guest host Tricia Abney from Addiction Jobs Board talking about jobs in the addiction field, the show is now in the COARR archive. This is a super-informative show that will benefit anyone who wants to work - or is currently working - in a rehab, treatment center, counseling facility, sober home or other recovery resource. To listen to the show, click here.
 
Also in the archive: Paul Ressler on "Saving Lives" with Redneck talking about New Jersey's Overdose Prevention Act. To listen to that show, click here.


Listen to past COARR shows any time:

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 recovery musician Kathy Moser,  click here.

For "Laughter & Recovery" with stand up comic 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 .
Saturday, June 21: COA Open House
This year, it's all about adjuncts: what are these tools, how do they work and how can (or should?) they be used? Come find out.
Come to the Dwier Center for a full afternoon of speakers talking about Narcan, Ibogaine and other medications, the Overdose Prevention Act and more. We'll also be showing THREE recovery films throughout the afternoon and serving light refreshments. COA Recovery Radio (www.coaradio.com) will be broadcasting live and many different groups & treatment centers will offer resources in our outdoor vendor park.  
For details, click here. To be a vendor (no charge), contact cityofangelsnj@hotmail.com.
 
 
Recovery Walk Update
We think Recovery should be available to everyone. It shouldn't only be for those with the best insurance. So we will work with anyone who reaches out to us, regardless of their treatment history, insurance status or other details. You can learn more about COA scholarships in the video below.

Our Recovery Walk on September 14, 2014 in Mercer County Park will support continued scholarships for recovery
  
This is what a COA scholarship can do
This is what a COA scholarship can do

Please click here for details and help us if you can. Make a donation, register to walk or run, share this link, and/or volunteer.

This will be an uplifting event with live music, vendors, food, testimonials from recoverees, live broadcast on COA Recovery Radio (www.coaradio.com) and much, much more!
      The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. PRO-ACT
                                                  and
           Pennsylvania Recovery Organization --
       Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT) 
Recovery in Our Communities
May 20, 2014
    
Like us on Facebook                                   www.councilsepa.org                       Follow us on Twitter

Information and Recovery Support Line 24/7: 800-221-6333
Flowers
The Happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts:   therefore guard accordingly.  
Marcus Aurelius
RAYS OF HOPE Rays
MY BROTHER'S WISDOM
Personal Profile: Gina P. 

"One day, all of that changed during a family visit. My little brother turned around and said, 'Gina, have you ever seen the movie
Walk the Line?' I replied that I had. 'Well, you remind me of Johnny Cash. In the movie, all of his loved ones are there trying to help him, and he doesn't get it. You're doing the same thing.' For the first time in my life, I was speechless." My Brother's Wisdom.
NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK, MAY 18-24
Prevention Week  
Throughout the Nation, this week is dedicated to increasing public awareness and action to promote  mental health and prevent substance use disorders with respect to tobacco, underage drinking, prescription drugs, marijuana and alcohol.  Visit the SAMHSA website for ideas and tools to get involved!  Prevention Ideas For Your Community. 
WE'RE WORKING WITH PA LEGISLATURE ON OVERDOSE LEGISLATION Legislature

From the beginning of Harrisburg's efforts to understand and address the overdose problem, The Council and PRO-ACT have been closely communicating with key legislators.  We are  educating and advocating to save lives and advance our community's interests. To make your voice heard, please contact your legislative representative now!  
Find My Legislator Now!  Between March 3 and April 20, at least 28 people in Philadelphia died after using heroin laced with the painkiller fentanyl.  Officials are awaiting test results on seven more people. Read more. 
Drug Facts
MAY IS PROM MONTH

The Council's Prevention Department has some practical suggestions for parents and alcohol. This is important because May is "prom month" and, in the case of Pennsylvania 12th graders, 48 percent regularly use alcohol and 27 percent are binge drinkers.  Prevention's May Newsletter
WHITE HOUSE DRUG CZAR IS IN LONG-TERM Botticelli
RECOVERY

ONDCP's Acting Director Michael Botticelli gave an exclusive interview with USA TODAY. This powerful voice for recovery shares that a White House emphasis is to support community-based recovery centers. Yes!  Watch The Drug Czar's Interview.
PRO-ACT HELPS HARRISBURG  crs
UNDERSTAND ROLE OF CRS

Denise McCulley, a PRO-ACT CRS Supervisor, went to Harrisburg last week to help the Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) better understand the role of a Certified Recovery Specialist in providing recovery support services. PCB is conducting an analysis of the CRS position, as well as the domains and tasks associated with the credentialed position. 
PA OFFICIAL SAYS  IF YOU WANT LESS CRIME, THEN PROVIDE MORE RECOVERY RESOURCES  In Jail

Gary Tennis, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, reportedly stated that one in every four families in Fayette County is affected by addiction, and believes that 70-80 percent of inmates are in prison due to untreated addiction issues.  If they had gotten the help they needed for addiction, the crime rate could drop as much as 70 percent.  
Some Upcoming Events
Events
May 21, 2014: Meet The Council Open House, 8 - 9 am at 252 West Swamp Road, Bailiwick Office Campus, Unit 12, Doylestown, PA 18901
May 28, 2014:  Overdose Prevention Education Advisory Board, 5 - 6:30pm at 252 West Swamp Rd., Bailiwick Office Campus, Unit 12, Doylestown, PA 18901. Contact David Fialko at 215-230-8218, x 3162 or dfialko@councilsepa.org
June 11, 2014Hope, Help & Healing Fundraising Breakfast, Spring Mill Manor, 171 Jacksonville Road, Ivyland, PA 18974. For more information about our Campaign to raise community support for Prevention, Recovery Supports and Advocacy, please visit our website Hope, Help and Healing Fundraising Breakfast  or contact Michael here.
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 OpportunitiesPlease click here
Join Our Mailing List
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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.

Heroin Trade on the Rise in New York, Alarming Law Enforcement Officials
/By Celia Vimont
May 20th, 2014/

Law enforcement officials in New York City say the heroin trade there is surging to the highest level seen in more than 20 years. The city has become a hub for the heroin market along the East Coast, The New York Times reports.

The city’s special narcotics prosecutor says the amount of heroin seized in investigations so far this year has already surpassed the total amount seized in 2013. Officials have not confiscated so much heroin since 1991, the article notes.

The heroin originates in Mexico. It is sold in New York to users all along the East Coast, in glassine envelopes costing between $6 and $10. Law enforcement officials say drug organizations are meeting the growing demand for heroin by setting up increasingly large and sophisticated operations in New York.

About one-third of heroin seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) nationwide since October was found in New York State. In previous years, New York heroin seizures have accounted for about one-fifth of the total.

“We’re kind of the head of the Hydra,” said Bridget G. Brennan, a special narcotics prosecutor. “This is highly organized, high volume, and it’s being moved much more efficiently and effectively to reach out to a broader user base.” She is scheduled to testify about heroin trends during a City Council budget hearing today.

“It’s cheap, it’s potent and there’s a user demand here right now and they’re flooding the market,” said James J. Hunt, head of the DEA’s New York office. “In my time, we’ve never seen the amount of large heroin seizures like this.”

Many “Super-Frequent” ER Users Have Substance Use Disorder: Study
/By Celia Vimont
May 20th, 2014/

Three-quarters of patients who visit a Detroit emergency room at least 10 times a year—known as “super-frequent” users—have a substance use disorder, a new study finds.

Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit also found 47 percent of these patients were addicted to painkillers such as Vicodin and Dilaudid, according to Newswise. Researchers found 44 percent were addicted to other illicit drugs such as cocaine or marijuana, and 35 percent were addicted to alcohol.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

“Emergency departments cannot address the super-frequent users problem without addressing the underlying reason they’re here – their substance abuse problem,” study lead author Jennifer Peltzer-Jones, RN, PsyD, said in a news release. “Boosting federal and state funding for substance abuse programs could help alleviate some of the frequent use of emergency departments as sources of addiction care.”

The federal Drug Abuse Warning Network found an estimated 2.5 million emergency department visits involved drug misuse or abuse in 2011. Between 2009 and 2011, emergency department visits involving overall misuse or abuse increased by 19 percent, or by about 400,000 visits over the two years.

The study included 255 super-frequent users who were cared for at the hospital from 2004 to 2013. In 2004, the hospital created the Community Resources for Emergency Department Overuse (CREDO) to more effectively manage the increased frequent users in the emergency department with individual care plans. The researchers found before CREDO was created, the super-frequent users sought care in the emergency department an average of 32.4 times a year. Since 2004, the rate of super-frequent users who asked for narcotic painkillers in the emergency department decreased to 13.8 times annually.

More Than 10,000 Toddlers Get ADHD Medication Outside Guidelines
/By Celia Vimont
May 20th, 2014/

A new government study finds more than 10,000 toddlers in the United States are receiving medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) outside established guidelines. The report found children covered by Medicaid are most likely to receive drugs such as Ritalin or Adderall.

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not have guidelines for use of ADHD medications in children ages 3 and younger, because their safety and effectiveness in that age group has not been established, The New York Times reports.

“It’s absolutely shocking, and it shouldn’t be happening,” said Anita Zervigon-Hakes, a children’s mental health consultant to the Carter Center in Atlanta, where the data was presented last week by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “People are just feeling around in the dark. We obviously don’t have our act together for little children.”

A California behavioral pediatrician, Dr. Lawrence H. Diller, told the newspaper, “People prescribing to 2-year-olds are just winging it. It is outside the standard of care, and they should be subject to malpractice if something goes wrong with a kid.”

Adderall is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating children below age 6 for ADHD. After some studies suggested use of Ritalin in preschool children with ADHD may be helpful, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines that authorize use of the drug in 4- and 5-year-olds, but only if formal training for parents and teachers to improve the child’s environment were not successful.

Several experts said hyperactivity and impulsivity are developmentally appropriate for toddlers, and more time is needed to see if they truly have ADHD.

A study published in 2012 found use of drugs for ADHD in children jumped 46 percent from 2002 to 2010. Ritalin was the top drug prescribed for teenagers, with more than four million prescriptions filled in 2010.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

MAY 20 v 24 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB


The Lord directs our steps,
so why try to understand everything along the way?


STEP 2 - Came to believe that GOD could restore us to sanity. 


Two of my favorite sayings are , Keep it simple and , one day at a time . God created you and this world and there is a purpose too everything and you could be the smartest person in the world and still not know everything . Why do we spend so much time trying to figure everything out. We are left with more questions than answers and I think that's the way God wants it . We are His kids and what do kids do when they are trying to figure something out . That 's right they seek out a parent .That's who God is , A Dad and our creator and He wants too help you along in life . All of your days are numbered and one day you will return home too Him . Someone mentioned too me , that we are spiritual beings having a human experience .So why not try and enjoy it . Instead we spend all our time trying to make life happen causing all types of stress and sickness . Then we self medicate to cope with the stress and rejection and depression . God has a plan start with the twelve steps and read the Proverbs. You just got to make up your mind to take it easy and enjoy life .


Provervb 3 v 5 v 6 -Trust in the lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
By Joseph Dickerson