Thursday, November 5, 2015

November 5 CHP 86 v 5 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS


For you ,Lord are good ,and ready to forgive ,and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you .(GODS BIG BOOK)


STEP 3 Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him .(AA BIG BOOK)


Shame will continue to hold you hostage if you let it . Fear and worry will anchor you soul and you will not get released until you meet them face to face ! Ask God to forgive you and free you . God is the only one who can remove those anchors . Forgiveness received will bring freedom earned .


Galatians 5:13-14 “It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom.(GODS BIG BOOK)



Dark Web Marketplace Increases Availability, Acceptability of Drugs: Expert - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids

Dark Web Marketplace Increases Availability, Acceptability of Drugs: Expert - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids

Dark Web Marketplace Increases Availability, Acceptability of Drugs: Expert - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids

Dark Web Marketplace Increases Availability, Acceptability of Drugs: Expert - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
News-Impact-Advocacy

November 4, 2015
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Save the Date!

Tree of Hope
December 16, 2015

40th Anniversary GalaMay 5, 2016
Normandy Farm

Volunteer for The Council/PRO-ACT !!

Central Bucks:     
Email or call Steve at 215-345-6644 x3006

Southern Bucks:  
Email or call Karen at 215-788-3738 x100

Philadelphia, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County:        
Email John or call 215-923-1661 
  
What is 
PRO-ACT?

Pennsylvania Recovery Organization - Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT) is a grassroots advocacy and recovery support initiative of The Council covering Southeastern

PRO-ACT works to reduce the stigma of addiction, ensure the availability of adequate treatment and recovery support services, and to influence public opinion and policy regarding the value of recovery.
 Pennsylvania. 

For more information about PRO-ACT visit ourwebsite.

PRO-ACT
 
PRO-ACT In Action-Reducing Stigma and Supporting the Many Pathways to Recovery

~Personal Story Submitted by an Anonymous Volunteer

For many years I had reoccurring conflicts with addiction from an early age. I grew up with close relatives struggling with alcohol and drug addictions. My parents were not addicts.  I attended private school, grew up in a loving and encouraging home. My family did everything together and supported one another. 

At the age of 13 I began to cut, by age 14 I was drinking, cutting and struggling with depression. This continued on through the age of 16 where I started to use and abuse my families and friends prescriptions. I was well hidden. I learned quickly how to lie about my pain to receive continued heavy medications from my primary physicians along with winning my parents concern for my fake physical pain. 

By age 18 I almost succeeded in committing suicide. I left home and continued my destructive behavior and began to deal drugs on the streets of the city and became homeless. I married an addict who abused me. When he went to a rehab I began to attend Al-Anon. I became pregnant and left my husband to raise my son on my own. 

By the age of 35 I continued my games with the physicians and abused prescriptions drank off and on and would dream of suicide. While climbing the corporate ladder, I held offices on the PTG of the school my sons attended, was director of a parenting center and lived a lie. I even took college classes thinking that would make me a better person. 

During this time I had married again, another addict. We were two functioning addicts doing for the community, our children's sports teams, schools and church. By the time I was 38 my oldest had graduated high school and was using different substances since he was 12 and I was in denial and ignoring it. Six months after graduation he lost his scholarships and was in full blown heroin addiction and homeless. 

I began to attend a support group Nar-Anon which is where I learned about PRO-ACT from someone in the fellowship. I attended their family program where I learned many useful tools, and information that helped me enormously. I remember leaving thinking had, I only known this, years ago, I would have done so many things differently and my son may not be still suffering. 

I asked to be a family program facilitator and took the training. Immediately I began to share with others through teaching for PRO-ACT. In the process of the training and also working on my 12 steps I came to realize my own addiction. I began my own process of recovery. I would pray over and over that my son and husband would one day receive the gift of recovery too. I would take any and every training I could that PRO-ACT offered. I was equipped with how to approach those in active addiction to offer help and how to be a Mentor. I could be a Mentor and educator to family members who needed someone to understand. 

I offered a 3 week seminar to other women to help with building self-esteem to those who were to beaten down from addiction or a mental illness. I got my church involved in helping men and women with care bags for those in recovery. PRO-ACT offered me ways to be a part of community forums, town hall meetings and panel discussions to contribute to the community efforts. 

After 5 years of being introduced to PRO-ACT I now facilitate focus groups with my son who is also in recovery collecting data for Mentorship in our community and finding ways that can help our community and those struggling with addiction in it. My son also took the Mentorship training at PRO-ACT. Something he has wanted to do for a long time. PRO-ACT holds volunteer meeting every month, where we all have an opportunity to have a voice in how we can reach out and help others in need and help inform and educate the community. 

In 2014 we began our first sports event. Each month we meet for volleyball offering those in recovery and their families a healthy and positive option to attend. We began with 10 attendees, and now see over 45 people each month. Our 16 year old son also enjoys playing with us. He has seen hope through our involvement and the change it has made in us as a family. This program has since blossomed a kickball league that has grown and been a positive influence in the community. 

I know it is something simple, however I have seen heads hanging low and worried about judgment when they come in, and they leave laughing and they come back for more. And now I can say that not only has Pro-ACT been there to offer a way to contribute to the community and be a positive influence on others, such as myself, but not only my son is involved, now my husband too has started to attend our PRO-ACT volleyball team and is almost two months sober. 

I have made great friends and positive connections through being involved with PRO-ACT as well. When I was offered something that showed me myself worth and gave me purpose, I was able to excel and use my gifts to help others. The importance of PRO-ACT and the Council is that with the growing amount of people supported and keeping sobriety through the many things the organization offers, imagine how many lives can change. Together we can make a difference and do!

For more information about PRO-ACT or to volunteer, please visit our website.
You Can Make a Difference!
 
 
 
Now is the time for action.  Tell your lawmakers to stand with working families and the vulnerable. Vote for a balanced budget that restores funding and puts our state back on track. Don't forget to ask for $20 million in emergency budgeting for addiction treatment.

Affordable Care Act

Need affordable health insurance that supports long-term recovery? The third year of open enrollment began on November 1, 2015.  



You can now compare plans and apply through healthcare.gov!

Getting covered is essential for protecting both your health and your wallet, and now is the time to explore new plans to make sure that you are getting the most affordable and comprehensive plan for your health needs.

Don't go it alone this year when finding coverage! The Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) can help.  PHAN has trained navigators that can help-throughout open enrollment.  Call 877-570-3642.  Or visit pahealthaccess.org/gethelp.

Even if you previously enrolled in a plan, it is still important to update any changes that may have occurred, explore new plans in your area, and check out if there are any new health coverage options in which you may be eligible.
 
Mental Health Wellness Week: November 16-22, 2014

What is Mental Health Wellness Week?
A national public campaign on mental health wellness which will:
  • Promote mental health wellness and the benefits to both the mind and body
  • Promote the benefits of mental health wellness
  • Educate communities on how to implement mental health wellness into their lives
  • Encourage communities to facilitate programs centered on mental health wellness during the week
  • Make resources available to communities/potential audiences to be used in the promotion of a mental health wellness project/event
About Mental Health Wellness Week

During Mental Health Wellness Week, hundreds of organizations throughtout the United States will host events, programs and workshops designed to meet the unique needs of their local communities.

Mental Health Wellness Week was created by Freedom From Fear, a national non-profit mental health advocacy organization. Founded in 1984, Freedom From Fear has developed and implemented a variety of similar, successful public education programs centered on mental health concerns such as National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week which takes place the first week in May and has been a success since its inception in 1994.

 For more information visit http://www.mhww.org/wellnessweek.html.
  
 
Supporting Youth Recovery 
Enhanced Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) Certificate Program

Are you a young person in recovery who is looking to enter the behavioral health workforce to support other young people and their families?

Are you a family member of a young person who has experienced addiction challenges and recovery?

Learn how to combine your lived experience with the knowledge and skills needed to provide peer support to youth, adolescents, young adults and their families in this workforce development training program.

We are forming a cohort now for December 5th - April 9th in Philadelphia. We are currently scheduling interviews for early November. If you are interested apply online now.


 
Give to The Council While You Shop! 
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support The Council every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to The Council.
  • 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.
Contact Us

Information and Resource Line:  1-800-221-6333

252 W. Swamp Rd., Unit 12                    1701 W. Lehigh Ave, #6
Doylestown, PA  18901                           Philadelphia, PA  19132
215-345-6644                                       215-223-7700

252 W. Swamp Rd., Unit 33                    444 N. 3rd St., Ste. 307
Doylestown, PA  18901                          Philadelphia, PA  19123
215-230-8723 (DUI)                              215-923-1661
215-230-8218 (Prevention)

1286 Veterans Hwy                               1062 E. Lancaster Ave., Ste 22-A
Bristol, PA  19007                                 Rosemont, PA  19010       
215-788-3738                                       484-383-0802            


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