|
Join Our List
|  |
|
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter
|  
|
|
|
|
Issue: #049
|
August 24, 2016
| |
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.
|
| FROM BARNSTABLE COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES | | 
Full time MOAPC Program Specialist
Barnstable County Department of Human Services announces the following staff opening: Full-time: Massachusetts Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative (MOAPC) Program Specialist. Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in public health, social work, human services, behavioral health, or related field; minimum of three years' experience working on regional initiatives and/or prevention programs. Knowledge of behavioral health and substance use systems and resources in region. Must possess, or be willing to obtain, certification as a prevention specialist within two years of hire. Annual salary $54,042.69
Send resume to Human Resources Department, P.O. Box 427, Barnstable, MA 02630 or [email protected] E/O/E For more information, please click here.
|
| PARITY LAWS SEMINAR | | 
Seminar on Behavioral Health Parity Insurance Laws
Thursday, August 25, 2016 | 3:30-4:30 PM
Cape Cod Hospital, Martin's Conference Room
Are you interested in learning more about the behavioral health parity laws? Would you like guidance on how to appeal a denial of coverage by an insurance company? Would you like to know how to identify and report parity law violations?
Health Law Advocates (HLA) and the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council are conducting a FREE seminar to address these issues. This session is open to providers, clinicians, nurses, administrators, community health workers, and any others who would like to know more about behavioral health parity laws. There will be a Question & Answer session at the end of the seminar. To view the event flyer, please click here. |
| NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH | |  New State Prescription Monitoring System Launches
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) launched a revamped version of its Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP). Beginning October 15, all prescribers will be required to check the Massachusetts Prescription Awareness Tool (MassPAT) every time they prescribe a Schedule II or Schedule III narcotic, and for first-time prescriptions of benzodiazepines and Schedule IV through Schedule VI drugs.
 According to DPH, MassPAT will offer faster access to data and reports. In addition to being compatible with the electronic medical record systems used by health providers, MassPAT will allow pharmacists and prescribers to access other states' online databases to provide further safeguards against overprescribing. The system can currently access data from Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island; data from other New England states will soon be available.
Licensed prescribers and pharmacists can access the online database to obtain a patient's history of Schedule II through V prescriptions from the previous 12 months, including prescriptions filled by all Massachusetts pharmacies and out-of-state pharmacies that deliver to Massachusetts. According to DPH, approximately 200,000 prescriptions per week (or 13 million per year) are tracked through the state's program.
For more information, please click here. To visit the DPH website on the Prescription Monitoring Program, please click here. |
| NEWS FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. | |  Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA)On July 22, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (P.L. 114-198). This is the first major federal addiction legislation in 40 years, and the most comprehensive effort undertaken to address the opioid epidemic, encompassing all six pillars necessary for such a coordinated response - prevention, treatment, recovery, law enforcement, criminal justice reform, and overdose reversal.
While it authorizes over $181 million each year in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic, monies must be appropriated every year, through the regular appropriations process, in order for it to be distributed in accordance with the law. For more information about CARA, visit the CADCA website hereor the explanatory statement here. |
| FALMOUTH PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP | |  Student survey shows drug and alcohol use declining
Cape Cod Times - A survey administered over an eight-year period in Falmouth shows that students have cut their alcohol use nearly in half from 2011, according to results from the 2015 Communities That Care Youth Survey.
In 2015, high school seniors reported zero percent lifetime use of painkillers such as oxycodone. The survey was given to all high school students in 2015 from grades 8 to 12.
The results found that lifetime use of prescription pain relievers - the opiates such as oxycodone that have led to an epidemic of drug addiction - has gone from 22.5 percent of the 12th-graders in 2009 to zero percent in 2015.
In 2011, 43.3 percent of Falmouth High students said they had used alcohol in the past month. Results of the 2015 survey showed alcohol use was down to 23 percent.
To read more, please click here.
|
| SPOTLIGHT ON PREVENTION | |  Four Positive Ways Parents Can Delay Their Child's First Use of Drugs or Alcohol
As a parent, one of the biggest challenges you will face during your child's preteen and teenage years is combatting the pressure and the temptation that they feel to try drugs and alcohol.
Regardless of your own personal attitude on drugs and alcohol, study after study shows that the longer a child waits to use them, the less likely they are to develop risky drinking habits later in life. The longer you can delay their first use of drugs or alcohol, the better. Despite changing attitudes around alcohol and many other drugs, delaying their first use remains the best thing you can do for them as a parent from a substance use perspective. When your child is faced with the decision to try or not to try drugs and alcohol, you want them to be making an informed decision based on reliable information that will help guide their choices. Here are some tips to help you do just that: read on ... |
| NEWS FROM BSAS | |  Free Virtual Training Event: What Peer Recovery Coaches Need to Know about Medication-Assisted Recovery for People with Opioid Use Disorders
Friday, September 9th, 2016
12:00 - 1:30 PM
While medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders has been part of the addiction treatment landscape since the 1970s, many questions persist regarding how to best deliver services and supports to people with opioid use disorders who use medications (naloxone, buprenorphine, and methadone) to support their recovery.
This 90-minute virtual training event will include a 60-minute presentation focusing on the knowledge and skills that can help peer recovery coaches support people using medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders.
Participants will learn about common misconceptions and biases, the medications used to treat opioid use disorders, and recovery support strategies used by peer recovery coaches. The remaining 30 minutes will be dedicated to questions, answers, and discussion.
Webinar participants will be able to: - explore their own beliefs, biases, and knowledge about recovery pathways that include medications for opioid use disorders
- explain the benefits of medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorders
- describe at least five key recovery support strategies that can be used by peer recovery coaches to assist people with opioid use disorders who use medication-assisted treatment
This free webinar will be available for up to 1,000 participants. We anticipate attendees to be individuals providing recovery coaching services, and others with a vested interest in advancing recovery supports for people with substance use disorders. These parties include:
- staff, volunteers, and board members of recovery community organizations, peer run organizations, recovery oriented systems of care, managed care organizations, federally qualified health centers, and collective impact initiatives
- state- and county-level systems administrators
- people in recovery from mental illness, addiction, or both who provide peer support services
|
- family members
- students in recovery
- researchers and educators
- supervisors and administrators of peer support services and behavioral health systems
- providers of other services for individuals in recovery (primary health care, housing, employment, etc.)
- policymakers
|
For more information about this free training or to register, please click here.
Prevention of Marijuana Use and the Brain: Facts You Can Use!
Wednesday, September 28, 2016 | 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center, Sturbridge, MA
The proposed workshop will be a one-day event that will be primarily didactic, but will include discussion throughout the presentation. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenter and explore issues in more depth. The workshop will target lay, public health officials, social workers, education specialists, preventionists and other practitioners.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to: - Understand how the adolescent brain is uniquely vulnerable to drugs of abuse.
- Identify environmental risk factors (for example, access and visual images or cues) that facilitate drug use.
- Explain how marijuana affects the brain and behavior.
- Explain how the environment affects the brain and behavior.
- Empower attendees to work with their communities to educate them on how to reduce risk of drug abuse.
For more information or to register, please click here.
|
| COMMUNITY FORUM | | |
Monday, September 19, 2016 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Sandwich Council on Aging, 270 Quaker Meeting House Rd
The Sandwich Democratic Town Committee will sponsor a pro/con discussion panel on the November ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. This is a non-partisan event and is open to all members of the voting public.
Panelists are:
- District Attorney Michael O'Keefe and State Senator Vinnie DeMacedo (both speaking against the proposed legalization);
- Richard Elrick and Jim Borghesani of the Campaign To Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (both speaking in favor of the legislation); and,
- State Representative Randy Hunt
The format will include opening statements, questions from the audience, and brief closing statements from the panelists. More information available here.
|
| NEWS FROM SAMHSA | | |
New Resource! A Guide for Treating Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorders
 SAMHSA, in collaboration with the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, developed this guide promoting collaborative efforts among agencies and providers serving pregnant and postpartum women with opioid dependence and their infants.
This publication includes an overview of the extent of opioid use by pregnant women and evidence-based recommendations for treatment approaches from leading professional organizations.
This publication provides:
- An overview of the extent of opioid use by pregnant women and the effects on the infant
- Evidence-based recommendations for treatment approaches from leading professional organizations
- An in-depth case study, including ideas that can be adopted and adapted by other jurisdictions
- A guide for collaborative planning, including needs and gaps analysis tools for priority setting and action planning
To learn more and view the publication, please click here.
Approaches in Implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act: Best Practices From the States
To develop the guide, SAMHSA consulted with insurance commissioners and other officials from seven states with robust parity implementation efforts. The states identified five primary components that they considered essential for the successful implementation and monitoring of parity: open channels of communication; standardization of materials; creation of templates, workbooks, and other tools; implementation of market conduct exams and network adequacy assessments; and collaboration with multiple state and federal agencies, health insurance carriers, and stakeholder groups. States and other stakeholders can use the approaches described in the publication to promote implementation and compliance, ensuring parity for all Americans. To read and download the publication, please click here.  Your Opinion Matters: Comment on Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Parity
Mental health and substance use disorder treatment is part of comprehensive medical care. Almost one in five American adults will experience a diagnosable mental health condition this year, and more than half of Americans know someone in treatment for a substance use disorder. Yet, approximately half of all Americans are not aware of the protections in place to guarantee equal insurance coverage for mental health issues, substance use disorders, and physical health care.
Mental health and substance use disorder parity means that insurance benefits for mental health care and substance use disorder treatment must be comparable to physical health benefits. Tell us what you think!
The Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force wants to hear about your experience with mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. How have parity protections affected you? What are your suggestions for improving awareness of parity protections and monitoring health plans' compliance with parity?
|
| ONE RECOVERY BOSTON | |  Save the Date!Join the Boston yoga and recovery communities on September 24th, 2016 for a Recovey Yogathon. Pre-admission rates are $125 for adults, $70 for students. Funds will support addicted teenagers and young adults (ages 16-26) in Massachusetts.
This event brings the yoga and recovery communities together for a day filled with yoga and fellowship, including: Yoga of Recovery, SOAR, Recovery 2.0 and Y12SR, rhythmic meditations of Kathleen Warren, mindfulness practices from the Dharma Punx, DJ Mantra, yoga with David Vandetti at South Boston Yoga, and suprise guest speakers.
|
| RESEARCH AND REPORTS | |  Co-prescribing naloxone in primary care settings may reduce ER visits - NIDA - Research found that patients taking opioids for long-term chronic pain, who were given prescriptions for naloxone in a primary care setting, had 63 percent fewer opioid-related emergency department visits after one year compared to those who did not receive prescriptions for naloxone.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Linked to Reductions in Opioid Overdose Deaths - NIDA - New research found that state implementation of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) was associated with a reduction in opioid-related overdose deaths. The study, published in Health Affairs, also found that PDMPs that monitored greater numbers of drugs with abuse potential and updated their data more frequently had greater declines in opioid-related overdose deaths than programs without those characteristics.
Addiction treatment patients trained to manage their healthcare may have better outcomes - NIDA - Research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reveals that teaching patients in addiction treatment how to communicate with physicians, and providing training on using an electronic health records portal, empowers them to better engage in their health management. This in turn may increase the likelihood that they will refrain from using drugs and alcohol, and remain in addiction treatment longer.
Incidence of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome - 28 States, 1999-2013 - CDC - Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a postnatal drug withdrawal syndrome in newborns caused primarily by in utero exposure to opioids. In the United States, the incidence of NAS increased 383% during 2000-2012, and an estimated 80% of hospital charges for NAS are covered by state Medicaid programs. |
| FROM MASS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH | |
Make the Right Call
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office recently launched the Make the Right Call campaign statewide to raise awareness about the Good Samaritan law, and to encourage people to call 911 when they witness an overdose.
The campaign assures the public that if they call 911 to report an overdose, the Good Samaritan law protects them from prosecution.
Our Good Samaritan law removes a key barrier that may prevent people from seeking help in an overdose emergency. People should not be afraid to call 911 to save a friend, family member, or stranger in need of help.
Our first responders are focused on saving lives by administering naloxone to reverse an overdose. And, the Good Samaritan law protects victims and those who call 911 for help from charge or prosecution for possession of controlled substances when the call is made.
We need your help to encourage people to call 911 when they witness an overdose.
|
| FROM THE REGIONAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNCIL | | 
Substance Use Resource & Information Guide for Cape Cod
This easy-to-read guide includes emergency hotline numbers, treatment system information, definitions, and information about local treatment options that help individuals and their families dealing with substance use. Printed versions will be available soon. If you are interested in printed versions of this resource guide, please contact Barnstable County Human Services for more information at 508-375-6628.
For a list of additional publications created by the Department of Human Services, please click here.
The Words We Use Matter:
Reducing Stigma through
Language
The stigma of addiction. People who struggle with addiction face a wide range of stigmas. A stigma is a mark of disgrace that sets a person or a group apart. When people are labeled primarily because of their addiction, they are being negatively stereotyped.
Biased, hurtful words, attitudes and behavior represent prejudices against people with substance use disorder, and often lead to their discrimination and exclusion. Stigmas can also create physical and mental barriers for people with addiction to seek treatment.
Why does language matter? Ending stigma benefits everyone. The stigma of drug misuse keeps people from seeking treatment. Words like "junkie," "addict" and "druggie" can hurt, damaging self-image and standing in the way of recovery. Addiction is not a choice. It's a chronic disease similar to diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis.
RSAC Issue Briefs
The Barnstable County Department of Human Services is producing a series of issue briefs that will present factual information on an array of topics related to substance use. The first three of these issue briefs have been published and are available below.
Read/download the Issue Briefs here:
Issue Brief 3: MA Ballot Initiative: The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act
Addiction on Cape Cod
" Where We Stand - Addiction on Cape Cod" is an information and resource document about the work our community has been doing to address substance use issues on Cape Cod, basic facts about addiction, and links to local resources.
Please share this resource with others who may find it helpful and informative!
|
|
BARNSTABLE COUNTY REGIONAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNCIL
| | |
The next meeting of the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council is scheduled for:
Thursday, October 6, 2016 - 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". |
| 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.
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,
02649 (5 North Market Street on GPS - between Woodruff's Art Supply and Debbie's Pet Store) To learn more, view the Parents Supporting Parents Facebook page. 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 83 Pearl Street in Hyannis.
For more information, contact Deborah at (774) 392-0446 or Danielle at (508) 209-7533.
|  Alateen
Alateen is a fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.
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.
St. David's Episcopal Church
205 Old Main St | South Yarmouth, MA
Fridays, 6:00-7:00 PM
Eastham United Methodist Church Study
3200 State Highway 6 | Eastham, MA
Thursdays, 6:15-7:30 PM
For more information, visit the New England Nar-Anon website.
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 | Monday 6:00-7:30 PM
Harwich Police Department
183 Sisson Road
Harwich, MA 02645
|
For more information contact Lori McCarthy, 617-893-0816, [email protected].
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.
|
|
E-NEWSLETTER ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
| | To submit materials, please contact Patty Watson at [email protected] 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
|
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.
|
|
|
