Barnstable County Regional Substance
Abuse Council E-Newsletter 
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Stop Addiction in its Tracks
Analysis of Substance Abuse on Cape Cod
News from Gosnold on Cape Cod
Department of Human Services
Research from the CDC
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ISSUE: 029
 July 15, 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. 
NEWS FROM THE STATE HOUSE
Governor Baker Releases Opioid Working Group Recommendations
Governor Charlie Baker released the findings of his Opioid Working Group, a comprehensive report detailing 65 actionable steps to curb the deadly opioid epidemic.

 

The findings by the 18-member Working Group include short and long term action items to be implemented between now and the next three years, some requiring legislative action and funding and some will be achieved through partnerships with private industry and federal leaders.


The cost of implementing the initiatives will currently be $27 million in Fiscal Year '16, which will be paid for through a combination of new state funds, MassHealth, and reprioritization of existing state and federal grant funds.

 

For more information and to read the full Action Plan and recommendations, please click here

STOP ADDICTION IN ITS TRACKS
State Launches Opioid Addiction Awareness Campaign Aimed At Parents

On June 17, 2015, Massachusetts launched the "Stop Addiction in Its Tracks" campaign - part of a statewide strategy for responding to the epidemic of opioid addiction. 

 

The campaign, focused initially on parents and families, includes TV and online ads, as well as a new state website with information about opioid addiction, tips for parents for talking to kids about opioids and preventing addiction, information on Narcan(a medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose), and links and resources for getting help.

 

Visit the Stop Addiction website for more information. You can also follow the campaign and learn more on Facebook

ANALYSIS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE ON CAPE COD: A BASELINE ASSESSMENT
The Human and Financial Costs of Substance Abuse: Infographic

Over the past year, the Barnstable County Department of Human Services undertook a comprehensive analysis of substance abuse in Barnstable County.
 

This baseline assessment provides a snapshot of substance dependency and the related costs for our region, and is helping inform the policy and programming direction of the Regional Substance Abuse Council. View the Full Report here, and the Executive Summary here.


Using data from the analysis, the Department recently undertook development of an important infographic to clearly highlight both the human and financial costs of substance use in Barnstable County.
 

To view or download the inforgraphic, please click here.

NEWS FROM GOSNOLD ON CAPE COD

Gosnold to Host "Playing Above the Influence" event in Orleans on July 17th 

On Friday, July 17, 2015, Gosnold on Cape Cod will team up with the Cape Cod Baseball League's Orleans Firebirds and Brewster Whitecaps to provide an afternoon of family fun. The event will take place from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM at Eldridge Field, 78 Eldridge Park Way, Orleans. "Playing Above the Influence" is a substance-free event designed to give families and young people an opportunity to interact with positive role models.  All players in the Cape Cod Baseball League sign a contract agreeing to be drug and alcohol free.

 

Chris Herren will be the special guest and Firebirds and Whitecaps players will be on hand to join in the fun, meet the kids and address the players.

 

The event is free and all are welcome to attend. Please look for our other Playing Above the Influence event with the Falmouth Commodores to be held on July 29th. This event is sponsored by the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office, Cape Cod Five Foundation, Nauset Marine, Nauset Disposal, Cape Cod Ready Mix, and Cape Cod Broadcasting.

shiny-black-header.gifGosnold on Cape Cod Holds Guiding Good Choices Training

Throughout the month of July, Gosnold is training staff members in Guiding Good Choices, an evidence-based parenting education for parents of middle-school-aged children with an emphasis on drug education and prevention and how parents can best guide their young ones toward healthy decision-making. 

 

The program will be offered at the start of the 2015 school year. For more information, please contact Mary Fisher at 844-558-HELP (4357) or[email protected] or Patty Mitrokostas at 508-540-6550 x6002 or [email protected].

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New Gosnold on Cape Cod Grief and Addiction Weekly Support Group

Designed for anyone who has lost a loved one to the disease of addiction, Gosnold is offering a new Reaching Out group for loss and addiction support starting Wednesday, July 22nd, 6-7:30 p.m. at Gosnold Counseling Center in Centerville (located at 1185 Falmouth Road, Centerville, MA 02632). This group is facilitated by a certified professional who is trained in grief and loss. All Reaching Out groups are free to attend and open to our community. Gosnold offers additional Reaching Out family support groups in Centerville, Falmouth, Scituate, and Harwich.

 

For more information, please contact Mary Fisher, Director of Reaching Out, at 844-558-HELP (4357) or [email protected].

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES NEWS

The Barnstable County Department of Human Services is pleased to announce: 

www.HealthyConnectedCapeCod.org


An easy-to-use online clearinghouse for health and human services resources on Cape Cod.  We have created a single point of entry to connect to an array of online tools ... without having to keep track of every website address!  


 

By visiting one easy-to-remember website address, HealthyConnectedCapeCod.org users can link to:

  • BCHumanServices.net - Our flagship website highlights community announcements, updates from our regional partners, and Department reports and publications
  • Behavioral Health Portal - Features mental health and substance abuse information, state and federal legislation, self-help guides, and a robust directory of services
  • Health and Wellness Portal - Provides an overview of health data about our region, including County health rankings, and model practices
  • Mass211 Service Directory - Links users to essential resources and a basic needs service directory
  • Human Services e-Newsletter - Spotlights regional events and pertinent news for our community
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A healthy community is a connected community, so check out some of the information you'll be connected to on HealthyConnectedCapeCod.org today!

RESEARCH FROM THE CDC
Vital Signs: Demographic and Substance Use Trends Among Heroin Users - United States, 2002-2013

For this Vital Signs report, FDA and CDC analyzed data from the 2002-2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Heroin trends among demographic and substance-using groups were compared for 2002-2004, 2005-2007, 2008-2010, and 2011-2013.

 

 

 

Key Findings Include:

  • Nearly all (96 percent) people who reported heroin use also reported using at least one other drug in the past year with more than half (61 percent) using at least three other drugs.
  • The people most at-risk of heroin abuse or dependence include non-Hispanic whites, men, 18-to-25 year-olds, people with an annual household income less than $20,000, Medicaid recipients, and the uninsured.
  • People who abuse or are dependent on:
    • prescription opioid painkillers are 40 times more likely to abuse or be dependent on heroin.
    • cocaine are 15 times more likely to abuse or be dependent on heroin.
    • marijuana are 3 times more likely to abuse or be dependent on heroin.
    • alcohol are 2 times more likely to abuse or be dependent on heroin
  • As heroin abuse or dependence has increased so has heroin-related overdose deaths. From 2002 through 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled.
To view the full report, click here. To view the more information from the CDC on heroin, including infographics, click here. 

shiny-black-header.gifOpioid Overdose Prevention Programs Providing Naloxone to Laypersons - United States, 2014 

 

Drug overdose deaths in the United States have more than doubled since 1999. Heroin and prescription opioids are major causes of drug overdose deaths. Naloxone is the standard medication used for reversal of the potentially fatal respiratory depression caused by opioid overdose. This report looks at the expansion of opioid overdose prevention programs across the United States.
 

As a result of the research, the authors found that organizations training and providing naloxone kits to laypersons can reach large numbers of potential overdose witnesses and result in many reported overdose reversals. 

To view the full report, click here.

BARNSTABLE COUNTY REGIONAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNCIL
The next meeting of the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council is scheduled for:

Thursday, August 6, 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.
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".
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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 Chamber of Commerce, 
5 Bates Road, 
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 508-366-0556 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.

Tuesday 6:00-7:30 PM
Gosnold Counseling Center
1185 Falmouth Road
Centerville, MA 02632
Wednesday 6:00-7:30 PM
Gus Canty Community Center
790 Main Street
Falmouth, MA 02540

Sunday 11:00-12:30 PM
Scituate Senior Center
27 Brook Street
Scituate, MA 02066
Sunday 4:00-5:00 PM
(Educational Group)
Falmouth Hospital - Faxon Center
100 Ter Heun Drive
Falmouth, MA 02540
Monday 6:00-7:30 PM
Harwich Police Department
183 Sisson Road
Harwich, MA 02645



For more information, contact Mary Fisher, 844-558-4357, mfisher@ gosnold.org.
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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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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.