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News You Can Use
Your monthly resource for news and information about behavioral health and intellectual/ developmental disabilities in western North Carolina and beyond

200 Ridgefield Court, Suite 206, Asheville, NC 28806 | 828-225-2785
24-hour Access to Services: 1-800-849-6127 | www.smokymountaincenter.com
'WilkesC3' to offer close-to-home crisis carewilkesc3 
 
An expanded behavioral health treatment center coming to Wilkes County will offer a 16-bed facility that allows individuals in crisis to stabilize and begin recovery. The WilkesC3 Comprehensive Care Center will offer walk-in services, mobile crisis management and crisis care for people with mental health, substance use or intellectual/ developmental disability needs. The center will primarily serve residents of Wilkes, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties.  
CEO spotlight with Smoky CEO Brian IngrahamceoSpotlight
Brian Ingraham
I've spent a good deal of time over the past year talking about the need to institute measures to combat the opioid epidemic in western North Carolina and throughout the state. This month, the issue attracted much-needed attention on the federal level. On July 22, President Obama signed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) into law. Among other measures, the act promotes expanded use of diversion from the criminal justice system for drug law violations and promotes both Medication-Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction and naloxone to reverse drug overdoses.
Miami shooting shines light on value of CIT CIT

At Smoky, we're working with local partners to increase safety for communities, law enforcement officers and first responders. Our robust Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program provides advanced knowledge and skills to de-escalate crisis situations involving individuals with mental illness, substance use issues or developmental disabilities. A July police shooting in North Miami, in which an officer shot a support worker for a man with autism, highlights the need for CIT training nationwide.

To date, we've trained 825 officers and first responders from 21 counties in CIT, including 126 trained so far this year. A recent participant, Haywood County Chief Deputy Jeffrey Haynes, told our instructors CIT is "instrumental" in department operations. "The ability to give our deputies and detention officers the tools needed to de-escalate, mitigate and facilitate clear outcomes is invaluable," he said. "The use of CIT provides increased safety for our personnel and those we encounter."

Upcoming sessions are planned for Buncombe, Henderson, Alleghany and Haywood counties. Email michelle.tyler@smokymountaincenter.com for more information. 
FROM THE DOCTOR with Chief Medical Officer Dr. Craig Martin
Dr. Craig Martin
Did you know providing clean needles to people who use IV drugs can slow the spread of diseases and improve public safety? doc_col 
 
In July, North Carolina just joined at least 20 other states by legalizing needle and syringe exchanges, which allow individuals who inject heroin and other drugs to safely discard used needles and receive clean ones. The law aims to mitigate the effects of the opioid epidemic by reducing the transmission of HIV, hepatitis C and other diseases, as well as accidental needle sticks.
2ND ANNUAL WESTERN REGIONAL RECOVERY RALLY rally 
Top speakers announced for September rally

Two individuals in long-term recovery who have dedicated their careers to helping and honoring their peers will speak at September's 2nd Annual Western Regional Recovery Rally in Haywood County. Cherene Allen-Caraco, founder and CEO of Charlotte-based Promise Resource Network, Inc., and Douglas Lail, a visual artist from Asheville, will be featured speakers at this year's event.
 
Click on the buttons below to support the rally and spread word of the event!

   
Innovations resource allocation information sessions coming in August innovations 

Smoky will hold a series of informational meetings in late August to discuss recent updates to the 1915(c) Innovations Waiver. Changes will take effect beginning Nov. 1, 2016. All Innovations participants will receive a letter explaining any changes prior to their Individual Support Plan (ISP) date over the next year.
NEWS ROUNDUP news_roundup 
Lawmakers tackle addiction crisis and more

Addiction and recovery drew national attention in July as the U.S. Congress approved the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), later signed into law by President Obama. A response to the nation's opioid epidemic, the bill reframes addiction as a disease and promotes access to treatment. Read more in the New York Times.

Closer to home, state legislators agreed to restore only a portion of the previous $262 million total cut to state funding for mental health, substance use and intellectual/ developmental disability services. Learn more from the N.C. Council of Community Programs. Also in July, Governor Pat McCrory signed a bill legalizing syringe exchange programs in the state. Learn more about the benefits of legal syringe exchange from our partners at the N.C. Harm Reduction Coalition.  
AROUND THE WEB: NEWS & RESOURCES around_web 
Hospital breaks ground on new residential unit
Cherokee Indian Hospital has broken ground on a 20-bed behavioral healthcare facility to help combat addiction and more. The Snowbird Residential Treatment Center is expected to be operational in late 2017 and will serve both men and women. Read more.
 
Can technology improve our mental health?
Want more info on healthcare technology following Carolina HealthTEC Live? The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has summarized promising technologies and potential concerns. Read more. 
 
Sunrise Community: For peers, by peers
A peer-run nonprofit has opened a Recovery Community Center site at 370 N. Louisiana Ave., Unit C4, Asheville. Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness serves people in recovery and is seeking volunteers. For more information, call 828-552-3858.
UPCOMING EVENTS upcoming_events 
Coming next week: Sounds for Recovery
Buncombe County Treatment Courts will hold a concert in support of recovery on Sept. 1 at 40 Church St., Asheville. The concert will raise money for the county's specialty courts: Adult Drug Treatment, Veterans Treatment and Sobriety Treatment. Learn more.

Services for survivors open at justice center 
A grand opening for the Buncombe County Family Justice Center, which will serve survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence, is scheduled for 3 p.m. August 16. Call 828-250-5045 for more information.

NAMI WNC offers free support groups and more
Did you know the western N.C. chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Asheville offers support groups, educational activities and a writing group? Learn more. 
Man answering phone
Need services or help in a crisis?
Need information about services or help in a behavioral health crisis? In western North Carolina, call Smoky toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-849-6127. (TTY: Relay NC 711). Our specialists are always available help you get you the assistance you need.
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Smoky Mountain MCO
200 Ridgefield Court, Suite 206, Asheville, NC 28806 

Business calls: 828-586-5501 | 24-hour Access to Services: 1-800-849-6127
smokynews@smokymountaincenter.com | www.smokymountaincenter.com

Smoky manages services for mental health, substance use disorder and intellectual/ developmental disabilities in the North Carolina counties of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey.

News You Can Use | 2016 | © Smoky Mountain MCO