Barnstable County Regional Substance
Abuse Council E-Newsletter 
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In This Issue
Documentary Screening
League of Women Voterd Forum
Students in Recovery Financial Award
SCOPE of Pain Training
Alcohol Awareness Month
Save the Date
Mental Health and Law Enforcement Conference
Analysis of Substance Abuse on Cape Cod
News from SAMHSA
Research and Reports
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ISSUE: 024
April 16, 2015

 
Welcome to the e-Newsletter from Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council. This newsletter is designed to provide timely information on substance abuse and other related topics for people living and working in Barnstable County. 
 
This publication will be sent out periodically to our mailing list.  Please forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues who may be interested in this information.  If you are not on our mailing list, you can join by clicking on the button to the left.

 

If you have information you would like included in future e-newsletters, please follow the submission instructions outlined at the bottom of this page. 
BARNSTABLE COUNTY REGIONAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNCIL
The next meeting of the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council is scheduled for:

Thursday, May 7, 2015 - 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Harborview Conference Room in the Barnstable County Complex, 3195 Main Street, Barnstable Village

These meetings are open to the public. Meeting agendas are posted publicly on the Barnstable County website, in front of the Barnstable Superior Courthouse, and are available upon request.
DOCUMENTARY SCREENING
What Happened Here: The Untold Story of Addiction on Cape Cod
TODAY! April 16, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Cultural Center of Cape Cod
307 Old Main Street, S. Yarmouth

Please join The Cape & Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition, Barnstable County Human Services/Regional Substance Abuse Council, and the Cultural Center of Cape Cod on Thursday, April 16th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

This documentary film, by local filmmakers Sam Tarplin and Nate Robertson, tell the stories of addicts, families, law enforcement, clinicians, and community leaders who are affected by addiction and recovery on Cape Cod.  Don't miss the opportunity to experience this powerful documentary and meet the local filmmakers, Sam Tarplin and Nate Robertson.

Free admission, donations welcome.  Light refreshments will be served.

View the event flyer here.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FORUM
Progress on the Mental Health Front
Saturday, April 18, 2015
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Harwich Community Center

Community members are invited to attend A League of Women Voters Forum: Progress on the Mental Health Front, this Saturday, April 18th from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the Harwich Community Center. The forum will address mental health problems faced by Cape residents and ways in which the community is addressing them.  Forum speakers include:

  • Cheryl Bartlett, Cape Cod Healthcare
  • Tim Ryan, FCD Hazelden-Betty Ford
  • Fiona Jensen, Calmer Choice
  • Beth Albert, Barnstable County Department of Human Services
  • Marta Dikke Hansen, Outer Cape Health
  • James Cummings, Barnstable County Sheriff
  • Randy Hunt, 5th Barnstable District State Representative

For further information, contact the League of Women Voters of the Cape Cod Area at 508-432-0763.


To view the event flyer, click here.
STUDENTS ACHIEVING RECOVERY TOGETHER
Students in Recovery Financial Award
Presented by the family and friends of Chelsea Joslin and START (Students Achieving Recovery Together) at Cape Cod Community College, these are non-commencement, endowed scholarships. One to three scholarships are awarded per academic year, are not to exceed $3,000, and are equally split between the Fall and Spring semesters.

For more information on this award, please click here.
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Narcan Training
Students Achieving Recovery Together will be hosting a free Narcan training, put on by the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 2:00 PM.  

The training will be held on the campus of Cape Cod Community College, at the Life Fitness Center.  To view the event flyer, please click here.

To visit the START Facebook page, click 
SCOPE OF PAIN TRAINING

Who should attend?

Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and allied healthcare professionals. This training is not intended for members of the general public.

 

What is the SCOPE of Pain?

SCOPE of Pain is a series of continuing medical education/ continuing nursing education activities designed to help healthcare professionals safely and competently use opioids, if appropriate, to manage patients with chronic pain. 


 

Upcoming SCOPE of Pain training on Cape Cod:

All SCOPE of Pain sessions listed below will be offered free of charge. Food will be provided at all three sessions. Below are the dates, times and locations:

  • May 11th, 2015, 5 - 8:30 PM at Falmouth Hospital
  • May 12th, 2015, 7 -10:30 AM at Cape Cod Hospital
  • May 12th, 2015, 5 - 8:30 PM at the Chatham Wayside Inn

SCOPE of Pain is sponsored by Boston University School of Medicine. The Cape Cod meetings are a collaboration with Cape Cod Healthcare and the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council. National collaborators include the Council of Medical Specialty Societies and the Federation of State Medical Boards. The trainings are free and three CME/CE credits will be provided. Please see the attached flyer for additional information regarding accreditation and continuing education credits.


 

For more information, view the event flyer here. You can register for this event online at the SCOPE of Pain website.

APRIL IS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

Each April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) sponsors NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. 

 

This April, NCADD highlights the important public health issue of underage drinking, a problem with devastating individual, family and community consequences.

 

With this year's theme, "For the Health of It: Early Education on Alcoholism and Addiction," the month of April will be filled with local, state, and national events aimed at educating people about the treatment and prevention of alcoholism. Local NCADD Affiliates as well as schools, colleges, churches, and countless other community organizations will sponsor a host of activities that create awareness and encourage individuals and families to get help for alcohol-related problems.

 

For more information, visit NCADD's website here.

SAVE THE DATE

Opioid Abuse Prevention & Education in Schools:  Impacting Student Success

DCU Center, Worcester

May 15, 2015

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM (sign in 7:45-8:30)

 

This conference is being held as the opioid crisis impacts everyone in our state. It is for School Nurses, Guidance Counselors, School Psychologists, and School Administrators.  Dr. Ruth Potee will be speaking on the impact of substances on the developing brain and how this negatively impacts academic success.


 

Joanne Peterson from Learn 2 Cope will be offering resources for educators and families dealing with this issue. Karen Jarvis Vance will be speaking about the positive impact of SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) screening in her school district, and more.  Cost: $75 pp. (includes breakfast, lunch and all printed materials)

 

Registration available at www.neushi.org.

Mental Health and Law Enforcement Conference
Focus on Special Populations
Friday, June 6th, 2014
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Fitchburg State University

The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Presents the 4th Annual Mental Health & Law Enforcement Conference: Focus on Special Populations.  This conference is for Police and First Responders, Emergency Service providers, Department of Mental Health, NAMI, Legislators, and other interested parties.  This is a free conference, but there is limited space, pre-registration is required.  


 

To register, please here.  Please register by May 28, 2014. 

For questions please email COStaffDev@Massmail.state.ma.us.

ANALYSIS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE ON CAPE COD: A BASELINE ASSESSMENT

The Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council has completed an Analysis of Substance Abuse on Cape Cod: A Baseline Assessment.  View the Full Report here, and the Executive Summary here.

 

The purpose of this report is to provide a snapshot of substance dependency, and the related costs, for Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It has been created to inform programming and policy needs to be defined by the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council.  The Council's goal is that Barnstable County will have a coordinated and comprehensive regional approach to substance abuse across the continuum of prevention, treatment and recovery, harms reduction and law enforcement.

 

If you have questions about the report, please contact Vaira Harik.

NEWS FROM SAMHSA
New Guidance on Medication-Assisted Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

SAMHSA has released a new guide for expanding the use of medication in clinical practice for the treatment of alcohol use disorder: Medication for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder-A Brief Guide.

 

The new guide addresses six key topics:

  • Considering medications based on FDA-approved indications and a patient's unique needs and circumstances
  • Screening a patient for risky alcohol use
  • Assessing need for medication-assisted treatment
  • Developing a treatment plan and selecting a medication
  • Treating a patient with co-occurring disorders
  • Monitoring a patient's progress
To view the new guide, please click here.
RESEARCH AND REPORTS
In 2009, Project ASSERT, with support from Boston Public Health Commission and Massachusetts Department of Public Health, began offering overdose prevention education and naloxone rescue kits to emergency department patients at risk for opioid overdose.

These findings are the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of ED-based opioid overdose prevention education and naloxone distribution to trained laypersons, patients and their social network.

The study, a pilot, proof-of-concept trial, included 33 participants who had been incarcerated in New York City Department of Correction jail facilities and were not interested in methadone or buprenorphine maintenance programs. Of that group, 16 received extended-release naltrexone before their release date and were offered a second injection four weeks later, while 17 did not receive the drug.

 

After one month following release from jail, 88 percent (15) of participants in the control group relapsed, while only 38 percent (6) relapsed in the treatment group. Participants in the treatment group who received a naltrexone injection before their release and one month later were also less likely to be re-incarcerated during the study period, compared to the remaining participants.

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MUTUAL SUPPORT GROUPS
Learn to Cope  
Learn to Cope is a support group for parents, family members, spouses, and caregivers who have a family member who is addicted to opiates, alcohol, or other drugs.

Learn to Cope offers experienced facilitators, resources, informational material, guest speakers (in long term recovery or professionals in the field), overdose education, and Narcan enrollment at all weekly meetings.  

Weekly meetings are held on Tuesdays 7:00-8:30 PM at the Yarmouth Police Station, One Brad Erickson Way. For more information call (508) 738-5148 or visit their website.

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Parents Supporting Parents 
Parents Supporting Parents is a group of people who have come together as parents and family members coping and dealing with children/loved one's addiction.

Their mission is to support, strengthen, and educate one another as they share their lives.  Their goal is to help their loved ones find and live in recovery, and for all members to live a healthy lifestyle.

Weekly meetings are held on Monday 6:30-8:30 PM  at Mashpee TV, 168 Industrial Drive, Mashpee, MA 02649. To learn more, view the Parents Supporting Parents Facebook page.
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Mothers Helping Mothers
Mothers Helping Mothers is a support group for women struggling with the emotional difficulties associated with addiction and recovery during the pregnant and postpartum phases of life.

Free childcare is provided during the meetings by The Children's Study Home.  Anyone planning on attending the meeting and needing childcare is asked to call ahead.  All ages are welcome. 

Weekly meetings are held every
Tuesday 7:30-9:00 PM at the John Wesley Methodist Church in Falmouth at 270 Gifford Street and every Monday 5:30-7:00 PM at the Federated Church in Hyannis at 320 Main Street. 

For more information, contact Deborah at (774) 392-0446 or Danielle at (508) 209-7533
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Alateen
Alateen is a fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.  
 
There are two regular meetings run by Cape Cod Alateen: 
 
Wednesday - 7:00-8:00 PM in S. Dennis:  Church of the Nazarene, 209 Upper County Rd.
Friday - 7:30 - 8:45 PM in Cataumet: Cataumet Methodist Church, 1091 County Rd. 

For more information, call 508-394-4555 (M-F 10AM - 3PM) or visit their website at www.capeteens.com.
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Nar-Anon
Nar-Anon Family Groups is a twelve step fellowship that offers a recovery program for those affected by someone's addiction.  The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of addiction in a relative or friend.

Nar-Anon is adapted from Narcotics Anonymous and uses Nar-Anon's Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts.  

Weekly meetings are held Friday nights 6:00-7:00 PM at St. David's Episcopal Church in South Yarmouth.  For more information, visit the Nar-Anon website.
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Gosnold Family Support Groups
The Gosnold Reaching Out program is a resource for family members and loved ones affected by addiction. It assists the family at all stages of addiction through education, intervention, and support. 

Information and Education Forums help family members gain a basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of addiction, treatment options, and stages of recovery. An educated and supportive family has a positive impact on treatment outcomes.

To learn more about these groups, view the Weekly Family Support Group flyer.

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Other Resources
Al-Anon - The primary purpose of Al-Anon is to help families and friends of alcoholics. Members of Al-Anon learn to live happily whether the alcoholic continues to drink or not. We learn that alcoholism is a disease and that we are not alone. 

Alcoholics Anonymous - Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem.

Narcotics Anonymous - NA is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. This is a program of complete abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using.
MASSACHUSETTS SUBSTANCE ABUSE HELPLINE

For tens of thousands of Massachusetts resident struggling with alcohol and other drug related issues, (800) 327-5050 is an important number.   

 

The Massachusetts Substance Abuse Information and Education Helpline provides free and confidential information and referrals for alcohol and other drug abuse problems and related concerns.  The Helpline is committed to linking consumers with comprehensive, accurate, and current information about treatment and prevention services throughout Massachusetts.  

 

Services are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Language interpreters are always available. 

 

For online service and more information, click here.

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E-NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Did you know that a full archive of the previous editions of this e-Newsletter are available on the Barnstable County Human Services Department website?

View past editions of the Regional Substance Abuse Council e-Newsletter and the Human Services Department e-Newsletter at www.bchumanservices.net and click on "E-Newsletter".
E-NEWSLETTER ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
To submit materials, please contact Samantha Kossow at SAC@barnstablecounty.org and include the following information:
  • Descriptive Title
  • Brief Description of the Content 
  • Relevant attachments, submitted in PDF or text format 
  • Website link if available 
  • Contact information of the person submitting the information the contact person for the event 

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Posting of articles submitted for publication in the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council E-Newsletter is at the discretion of the Department.  All articles must be submitted in text format to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.  To request this newsletter in alternate formats, please call Kathie Callahan at (508) 375-6628 or TDD at (508) 362-5885.