Answer Addiction

Tag: addiction treatment

  • States Need Long-Term Opioid Response Funding, Report Finds

    States Need Long-Term Opioid Response Funding, Report Finds

    Areas with the highest overdose rates are receiving funding while rural areas struggle to received adequate funding. 

    The United States is spending more money than ever on addiction treatment, particularly focused on the ongoing opioid crisis. However, the federal response is hindered by one-time grants and limitations on the programs that they can fund, according to a new report by the Bipartisan Policy Center. 

    The report found that federal spending on addiction interventions more than doubled between 2017 and 2018, rising from $3.3 billion to $7.4 billion. However, more federal coordination is needed to streamline how these funds are delivered to states and help determine how they can best be used. 

    “The sheer volume of grants going to the states has made it challenging for state officials to track and coordinate these funding streams and monitor the quality of treatment that is being provided,” Dr. Anand Parekh, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s chief medical advisor, said in a news release. “Congress and the administration must provide greater oversight to ensure these federal resources are better coordinated and well spent, so states can respond effectively to this crisis.”

    Looking at how funds were utilized in Arizona, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Ohio and Tennessee, researchers found that the money was making it to areas with the highest overdose rates, but that rural areas received less funding. 

    One way to avoid this is by having a state system, often directed by the governor, to coordinate opioids response. 

    “A statewide coordinating body, typically convened by the governor, is an essential part of developing a strategic opioid epidemic response,” the report authors wrote. 

    “Governors are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic and keenly aware that the crisis is multifaceted and demands the same response,” said Hemi Tewarson, health division director for the National Governors Association.

    These state agencies can also help coordinate more in-depth tracking of outcomes for intervention programs. 

    In addition, the report pointed out problems with the current funding model. With states only getting grants, it’s difficult to plan for a long-term response to the drug crisis. 

    “With one-time funding, we are treating the problem of addiction in our country as an acute condition rather than a chronic condition,” said Regina LaBelle, a consultant for the policy center and former chief of staff of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. “Substance use disorders are not going away. Federal funding must be provided over the long-term instead of in annual budget cycles.”

    In addition, the terms of funding need to allow for flexibility in how states handle substance use disorder, she said. 

    “Flexibility in funding ensures that while states are responding to today’s opioid epidemic, they are also prepared for other emerging drug threats, such as methamphetamine and cocaine,” the report reads. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Cigna Behavioral Health Rehab Coverage for Addiction and Mental Illness

    Cigna Behavioral Health Rehab Coverage for Addiction and Mental Illness

    Behavioral health is a term that encompasses all types of mental illness, behavioral disorders and substance use disorders, or addictions. Rehab is an important treatment option for anyone struggling with one of these types of conditions, because it provides long-term, focused and individualized care. Cigna behavioral health rehab coverage is important to consider for anyone who needs this kind of treatment.

    What Counts as Behavioral Health?

    Medical terms can be confusing, especially when sorting through diagnoses, treatment options and insurance coverage. Behavioral health can refer to mental illnesses, like depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia and many others. Some childhood conditions are also a part of behavioral health, like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

    Behavioral health most often refers to addiction. More formally known as substance use disorder, addiction is a behavioral and mental health condition that is characterized by out-of-control use of drugs or alcohol. While misusing substances is a choice, being addicted is not. Professional and medical treatment is necessary to help individuals overcome this disease and to be firmly in recovery with a lower risk of relapse.

    Does Cigna Cover Substance Abuse Treatment?

    The degree of coverage depends on individual plans, but yes, Cigna does cover treatment for substance use disorders. Some of the types of services covered are rehab for drugs or alcohol, detoxification and outpatient counseling.

    Cigna also offers insurance holders important behavioral health and addiction resources. The free education series provides information about recognizing the signs of addiction as well as advice and helpful tips for both patients in rehabs and their families.

    Patients with Cigna health insurance will need to find out if they meet the criteria to have rehab and other types of treatment for substance use covered. It is important for each individual to understand their plans, to know what the requirements are for coverage and to find out what any out-of-pocket costs might be.

    Understanding Cigna Behavioral Health Rehab Coverage

    The type of coverage a patient has for behavioral health and addiction depends on the plan purchased. It is important to understand coverage when making decisions about treatment. There are many factors to consider, including deductible amounts, whether or not treatment needs be with an in-network provider, whether coverage includes inpatient or outpatient services, if there is any coverage for after care services, and prescription drug costs and coverage.

    Individuals should verify coverage and Cigna substance abuse policy before making a choice about treatment. There may be costs that have to be covered out of pocket, depending on individual plans and polices and the treatment chosen.

    Cigna In-Network Providers vs. Out-of-Network Providers

    One of the most important considerations to make when choosing treatment for addiction is between in- and out-of-network providers. Whether or not a patient needs to get treatment from an in-network provider depends on individual Cigna plans.

    For instance, an EPO, or exclusive provider organization, is a type of insurance that requires patients only see treatment providers in the network. A PPO, or preferred provider organization, allows for treatment from providers outside of the network, but costs to the patient may be higher.

    It is usually less expensive for the patient to choose treatment through an in-network provider. However, it is worth contacting Cigna to find out what is allowed and what extra costs would be. Sometimes an out-of-network rehab or therapist is the best option for a patient.

    Types of Behavioral Health Treatment Covered by Cigna

    Cigna substance abuse coverage includes two main types of treatment: inpatient and outpatient care. Outpatient treatment can be as simple as attending 12-step programs and support groups. However, for most people struggling with addiction, this is not enough.

    Outpatient care provided by professionals is therapy or addiction counseling. Patients in outpatient treatment may have one or more sessions per week, but they don’t live in a rehab facility. They live at home and are generally able to continue with normal activities, like work and school, while going through treatment.

    Inpatient treatment for addiction is also known as residential treatment or rehab. This type of care includes a stay for a month or a few months in a facility that provides 24-hour supervision and daily treatment. Inpatient treatment is best for people who have no safe place to live while getting treatment or who don’t feel confident in being able to stay sober while at home.

    Both types of treatment offer one-on-one therapy for learning how to live without alcohol or drugs. Residential care, however, provides much more. Patients in rehab usually have access to medical care, alternative therapies, and family and group therapies. They benefit from a whole team of professionals with different types of behavioral health expertise.

    Coverage for Aftercare Services

    Aftercare is an important part of addiction treatment, and much of it is covered by Cigna insurance plans. For patients going through residential treatment, aftercare may include outpatient therapy sessions, support group attendance, check-ins back at the residential facility, job and vocational training and medical care.

    This kind of ongoing treatment is important, because it provides patients with a smoother transition from the intensity of residential care to life back at home with little or no supervision. Aftercare helps to reduce the incidence of relapse and to minimize the need for additional inpatient treatment in the future.

    Some of the types of aftercare that are likely to be at least partially covered by Cigna plans are outpatientsessions with Cigna therapists and potentially with out-of-network providers, prescription drugs and medication-assisted addiction treatment, and the costs of staying in a sober living house.

    Cigna Mental Health Coverage

    Mental health is typically included in coverage for behavioral health services. In fact, many patients have co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The most effective treatment addresses all of the behavioral health needs of an individual. It is important to get a diagnosis that uncovers any substance use disorder or mental illness and to choose treatment services accordingly.

    Cigna mental health criteria for coverage are having a diagnosis of a mental illness from a professional and recommended treatment plan. Patients who have been diagnosed are entitled to coverage for appropriate care. Like substance use disorders, this care may include residential treatment if necessary or outpatient therapy.

    Types of Behavioral Health Services Cigna May Not Cover

    Even with the highest level of Cigna behavioral health rehab coverage, there are some services that are not likely to be paid for by the insurance company. These will be out-of-pocket expense for the patients. Luxury rehab facilities, for instance, are probably not covered for any patient. A private room at a treatment center is also considered a luxury expense that is not typically covered.

    The insurance plan will also not cover any medications that can be purchased over the counter. Many types of alternative or complementary services may also not be covered—things like yoga classes, music and art therapy, or massage.

    Some of these services and treatments not covered can be beneficial. Patients should find out by contacting Cigna if coverage will be included before committing to them. Those who want to continue with services that are not covered must be prepared to pay the costs.

    Finding the Best Behavioral Health Treatment

    While Cigna behavioral health rehab coverage should not be the only consideration when choosing the best treatment, it should be an important one. Patients should start with in-network providers and look for a facility or therapist that is experienced and appropriate for the type of care needed. They can ask for references from previous patients and visit facilities to have a tour and to speak with staff before making a final choice.

    The treatment a patient gets for addiction or mental illness is crucial to recovery and long-term wellness. It is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Each individual must choose the treatment that feels best and most comfortable but that also meets their needs and makes sense within a Cigna insurance plan and coverage level.

    Using Cigna Insurance for Behavioral Health Care

    In order to make the best use of Cigna insurance for getting needed treatment for addiction and other behavioral health issues, have a firm understanding of coverage. Patients should check with Cigna to confirm coverage and out-of-pocket costs. They also need to go over insurance plans with the treatment provider. These steps are important to take before committing to any treatment plan.

    Most patients will not need a referral from Cigna to get treatment, but pre-authorization may be needed. Insurance holders will also need to cover any remaining deductible costs and copays associated with treatment.

    Getting behavioral health treatment is so important and too often overlooked. Insurance holders have an ally with Cigna. This insurance company provides coverage options that work with most people’s needs and income levels. Working with Cigna is a crucial part of getting the best care that is also affordable.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ring of Shame: How Getting Ringworm Triggered My Alcoholism

    Ring of Shame: How Getting Ringworm Triggered My Alcoholism

    Even medical people are treating you like a second-class citizen. Is this really about ringworm or is this reminding you of what it’s like to be a person with addiction?

    So one day I see this pink round patch on my forearm. It itches. I immediately start Googling eczema and psoriasis. Nope, looks nothing like that. But it does have that distinctive red ring so I look up pictures of ringworm and voila, there it is, my new friend.

    When I was smoking meth and shooting cocaine, I never got sick. I never got staph or scabies despite lying around with a bunch of gutter punks. But at six years sober, out of nowhere, I get ringworm. I don’t deal with children. Colonel Puff Puff, my cat, doesn’t have it. What the fuck is going on?

    Despite its grotesque and misleading name, it has nothing to do with worms. Ringworm is a type of skin fungus akin to athlete’s foot and jock itch. Trying to make light of the situation, I tweeted: “I was super depressed and smoking again but suddenly I got ringworm and that cheered me right up.” I was hit with a bunch of questions like “Is that the one that makes you skinny?”

    No dear, that’s a tapeworm, but thanks for the concern.

    I’d heard ringworm was very contagious so I went straight to urgent care where they confirmed it was indeed ringworm. I was prescribed a cream that burned like the fires of damnation and told to “keep it covered” at night to protect the Colonel. (When the Colonel last got ringworm, it cost $2,500 for multiple lyme dips, shavings, and numerous vet visits to get rid of it. It’s a persistent motherfucker.)

    I went to the pharmacy, pulled up my sleeve, and told the pharmacist I had ringworm. 

    “I don’t know how I got it,” I said, annoyed.

    The pharmacist pulled up the leg of her capri pants and said, “I got it working here! I was really stressed out because I was getting married and my mom had a stroke and boom.”

    We both laughed and then I took my supplies home, hopeful things would soon return to normal.

    Once I informed my friends of my condition, nobody would touch me. Friends and neighbors wouldn’t come into my apartment nor let me into theirs. 

    “We love you and your ringworm,” they’d chant from the other side of the door. I was beginning to feel very leper-like even though it was one fucking red ring. My sponsor told me I could still go to meetings but I didn’t want to take the chance of giving it to anybody…(except maybe a few specific people).

    Two nights after following the urgent care doc’s protocol, the ringworm seemed to be getting worse. I saw a new circle sprouting up and there was a clear red rectangular demarcation from the band-aid. Kill me.

    Panicked that I would soon be a walking petri dish of ringworm, I went to my primary care clinic as a walk-in patient. This clinic treats a lot of homeless people and has quite a few tents parked permanently outside with adjacent grocery carts packed with stuffed animals and recyclables and blankets. People are allowed to shower in the downstairs bathroom and it often gets crowded in the waiting area. But once I told the receptionist of my “condition,” I was quickly escorted to an empty room and quarantined. 

    Four long hours I sat in that room, my phone dying, sneaking out to smoke and feeling more and more depleted and well, just gross. A triage nurse came in briefly and told me that the urgent care doctor had made a huge error by telling me to cover the ringworm. It had created a tiny greenhouse, capturing the moisture and providing the perfect breeding ground for the ringworm to reproduce. Perfect.

    Finally, I was taken to another area to see a doctor. As I waited, I looked at the white cabinets. Two were locked. Where were the syringes, I wondered. 

    Wait, what? An enormous urge to use had come over me. I wanted to get high, call my ex, die…. It’s just ringworm, I tried to tell myself. Calm down. Why the sudden impulse to use? 

    “You’re disgusting and poor and getting old and nobody loves you,” my head said. 

    Thankfully interrupting my horrible inner dialogue, the doctor, a big ruddy guy in his mid-30’s who looked like an ex-linebacker, came in and shook my hand. I cringed inside.

    “I hear you have a rash,” he said.

    “I have ringworm,” I corrected him, hanging my head in shame.

    “Okay, let’s take a look.” He put on gloves initially but then took them off.

    “You have one ringworm,” he said. “The rest of the redness and that other circle is contact dermatitis from the bandage. You’re allergic to something in that bandage.” He touched the irritated area with an ungloved hand.

    “Oh.” I was near tears.

    “I’m going to give you another cream and just wear long sleeves if your cat sleeps with you. Better yet, take him to the vet to get him checked out. This stuff is everywhere. It’s really a reaction to your own flora. Do you do yoga?”

    “No.”

    “It’s very common among wrestlers because of the mats and sweat and body contact.”

    “No wrestling and unfortunately no body contact.”

    “You could have gotten it anywhere. If your immune system is compromised from stress or HIV or chemotherapy…”

    “Stress is my hobby these days,” I said. “Everything feels itchy, doc, like especially my head.”

    “Do you want me to check your scalp?” 

    “Please.”

    I took down my bun and into my dirty hair he plunged with bare hands. I felt ashamed but grateful that somebody was touching me.

    “You’re good,” he said.

    “Thank you for making me feel like a human being. Really…”

    He smiled.

    But as I drove to the pharmacy, I still felt depressed and still felt like using. Why? 

    The answer, as usual, came in a phone call from my friend, addictionologist and psychiatrist Dr. Howard Wetsman.

    “I understand people being scared about the ringworm because of its name and reputation. But what you’re experiencing is being shunned and isolated. People are treating you like your presence can hurt them. Even medical people are treating you like a second-class citizen. Is this really about a skin fungus or is this reminding you of what it’s like to be a person with addiction?” he asked.

    Whoa. 

    “When we’re isolated or feel ‘less than,’ the dopamine receptors in the reward center actually stop being available. You can’t feel your own dopamine as well as before. We need those receptors to keep up dopamine tone, and without that we’re back to feeling restless, irritable, and discontented. And that only goes to one place, right?”

    “Yeah I really wanted to use and it freaked me out.”

    “When you’re an addict and your dopamine tone is lowered, your brain goes ‘we gotta fix this fast.’ It doesn’t care if it’s an éclair or heroin or death…”

    “That’s why I’ve been smoking…”

    “Nicotine will give you dopamine for sure. But let’s talk bigger picture. When we go to treatment and we’re told to sit down and shut up, when we’re treated like stupid people who abused a substance that everyone else was smart enough to stay away from, when we’re told to wait three hours sitting on broken plastic chairs for someone who doesn’t give a shit, the deck is stacked against the treatment working. No healthcare system that systematically lowers people’s dopamine, much less one that treats addiction, will succeed,” he told me.

    “It’s the same in the rooms,” he continued. “The reason the 12 steps work is because you don’t have to feel ‘better than’ to not be ‘less than.’ The two messages you should get from an AA meeting are that you are never alone again and you aren’t less than anyone. But when people don’t sponsor with love, when some old-timer wants to be the boss, when it’s all about some guy with more time being right instead of helping, you lose those messages. That’s not a problem with the message; that’s a problem with the messenger. Don’t let the messenger fuck up the message. You aren’t less than anyone!”

    I sign every copy of My Fair Junkie with “fuck shame” and I don’t think I really knew why until just now.

     

    For more on dopamine and feeling “less than,” check out Dr. Wetsman’s youtube talk.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Woman Sues To Continue Methadone Treatment In Prison

    Woman Sues To Continue Methadone Treatment In Prison

    “I am afraid for my life and my safety if the Bureau of Prisons withholds medicine that I know I need,” the woman said in court filings. 

    For Stephanie DiPierro, methadone has been a lifesaving treatment. It helped her get sober from an opioid addiction in 2005, and since then has helped her stay away from illegal opioids.

    Now, DiPierro is suing the federal prison system for her right to use methadone while she serves her sentence. 

    “Methadone gave me my life back,” DiPierro wrote in court filings, according to The New York Times. She said that without methadone, her life is at risk. “I will lose control of my addiction and I will relapse, overdose and die.”

    Next month, DiPierro, who has bipolar disorder and anxiety, is set to start serving a year-long prison sentence. However, she argues that the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ ban on inmates (other than pregnant women) using methadone amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. 

    In court filings she wrote, “I am afraid of what it will mean to lose my methadone treatment at the exact moment when I am put in the most anxiety-producing situation of my life. I am afraid for my life and my safety if the Bureau of Prisons withholds medicine that I know I need.”

    DiPierro is being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. ACLU staff lawyer Jessie Rossman says that in addition to being cruel and unusual punishment, denying DiPierro methadone treatment is discrimination. 

    “The Bureau of Prisons is denying her a reasonable accommodation for her disability, and also discriminating between different disabilities. Inmates with chronic conditions like diabetes are allowed to continue to take their medically necessary treatment,” Rossman said. “What’s now coming across loud and clear is that the standard of care to treat opioid use disorder is medication-assisted treatment, and it’s ineffective and unlawful to prevent individuals from accessing their treatment and medication for that disease.”

    Jails and prisons generally do not allow methadone. Some argue that this is because methadone is an opioid that can be diverted and abused, while others argue that it’s an arbitrary rule based on discrimination against people with substance use disorder. 

    Last year, Rossman represented a Massachusetts inmate who was looking to continue methadone treatment in county jail. A district court judge in Massachusetts issued a ruling that denying inmates methadone treatment is in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act and the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

    Former head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Michael Botticelli, executive director of the Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center, told The New York Times that the ruling would likely set the stage for far-reaching change. 

    “One thing this ruling says is that, one way or another, either by legislation or by legal mandate, jails and prisons are going to have to do this,” he said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Sober Home Standards Could Change Under New California Bill

    Sober Home Standards Could Change Under New California Bill

    Recovery advocate Ryan Hampton calls the bill “a good first step.”

    Each year, thousands of Americans pay to live in sober homes, but the residences go largely unregulated.

    The high potential for profit and low oversight has led to an unscrupulous reputation for sober homes across the nation, including in California and Florida where state investigators have been looking into allegations of abuse and other criminal acts by people operating these facilities. 

    Now, a new bill introduced in California aims to set minimum standards for sober homes in hopes of cleaning up the industry—at least a little bit. Democratic Assemblyman Tom Daly introduced the bill, Assembly Bill 1779.

    “Despite the growing death toll from opioid and alcohol abuse and addiction, California lacks a uniform set of standards to guide individuals and their loved ones in identifying safe, reliable housing accommodations that will be conducive to recovery,” Daly said in a statement reported by The Daily Bulletin.

    “AB 1779 will enable California to provide accurate and up-to-date information… And by adopting best practices, including minimum standards for recovery residences, California will take a significant step towards increasing the number of residences that are safe for people in recovery and for the communities where they are located.”

    The bill would require the California Department of Health Care Services to establish best practices, like keeping the opioid overdose reversal drug, Narcan, on site. Sober homes that receive state funding through public health care or court systems would need to meet these requirements. 

    Ryan Hampton, who advocates for change in the sober home industry, said that the bill is a good “first step.” However, others in the industry said that the bill would not do enough, especially since most sober homes do not receive state funding. 

    “[Daly] really needs to take a strong look at the area where there’s significant abuse, the residential treatment facilities that are being run by private operators and funded through private insurance,” said Orange County’s District Attorney Todd Spitzer, who has been suing sober home operators for operating medical facilities without proper licensing and supervision. 

    “One of the biggest complaints we get are about private facilities targeting people across country, bringing them here, then tossing them out when the insurance benefits run out. That’s not happening when government funding is involved. They’re very distinct and different entities, which is why my office is pursuing the private side. We have people who are ripping off the system.”

    Laurie Girand pushes for changes to the treatment industry with Advocates for Responsible Treatment. She was not impressed with the bill. 

    “Voluntary certification standards… Same old song,” she said. “This is health care, not vitamin supplements. When are we going to start treating it like health care?”

    However, Daly’s spokesperson David Miller insisted that the bill was important. 

    “If a home is in reality a ‘flop house’ for drug activity, it should be shut down,” he said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Mobile Recovery Clinic Provides Vivitrol To Those With Opioid Addiction

    Mobile Recovery Clinic Provides Vivitrol To Those With Opioid Addiction

    The clinic is the brainchild of a registered nurse who has been sober for 13 years. 

    For many who are living with addiction, it can be difficult to get access to help, and in some rural areas, it can require extensive traveling. Now, a mobile recovery clinic travels to these people who need help.

    As CNN reports, the company behind the roving clinic—Positive Recovery Solutions—has been traveling throughout Pennsylvania in an RV, helping and treating people suffering from opioid addiction. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, overdose deaths in Pennsylvania have gone up 65% from 2015 and 2017.

    In 2017 alone, there were 5,456 overdose deaths in the state, or 43 overdoses for every 100,000 people.

    Positive Recovery Solutions was created by a woman named Amanda Cope, who is recovering from alcoholism. She told CNN, “I ended up being 27 years old, drinking two fifths of vodka a day to not be sick.”

    Cope hit bottom when she had a blackout seizure in a bar, and she finally went into rehab at the age of 28. “Once I got there, I realized how sick I was,” she continues. “My denial was thick.”

    Having the right nurse taking care of her made all the difference. “That was the first time that somebody saw me for what I was and showed me compassion and empathy… I said, ‘I’m going to be that for someone one day.’”

    Cope is now a registered nurse herself, and has been sober for 13 years. She founded Positive Recovery Solutions with her cousins, who also battled opioid addiction.

    Cope was aware that some of her patients had to travel far to get help, which is one of the reasons why she started the company.

    Patients make their way to Positive Recovery Solutions through referrals, and they use Vivitrol in their treatment program. Cope feels that the recovery process “comes from the behavioral health piece. The medication is meant, by our philosophy, to be a safety net… This safety net will keep this patient craving-free while they do the work of recovery, which is developing healthy coping mechanisms, changing behavior patterns and changing people, places and things.”

    Stuart Masula, who was addicted to painkillers and got clean with the help of Vivitrol, is now driving for Positive Recovery Solutions.

    As he told CNN, “I literally probably have the best job you could ever have. I get to go to work and see people who are trying to change their lives every single day for the better.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New York Invests In 14 New Addiction Treatment Centers

    New York Invests In 14 New Addiction Treatment Centers

    Recovery Community Centers will focus on long-term recovery and offer ongoing support to combat relapse.

    New York State is investing more than $5 million to support the opening of 14 new drug addiction treatment and recovery centers, bringing the total number of new centers opened since 2016 to 25. At the same time, two of the state’s existing addiction treatment facilities will be expanded.

    The funds were awarded by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) as part of a statewide effort to combat the current opioid epidemic.

    The new treatment centers, called Recovery Community Centers, will focus on long-term recovery, offering ongoing support to combat relapse, which is a common part of addiction recovery.

    “Treatment alone is not enough for people dealing with addiction, and we need to make sure that the proper recovery supports are available,” said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “These new centers will offer people in recovery a chance to meet their peers going through the same challenges, receive help to reclaim their lives from addiction, and build a new life in recovery.”

    According to Niagara Frontier Publications, these centers will offer peer support, skill building, recreation, wellness education, employment readiness, and social activities with the help of professional staff, peers in recovery, and volunteers. This is just one part of a “multi-pronged approach” put into action by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

    “We are committed to investing in recovery centers across the state to help individuals and families struggling with addiction,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul during her announcement of the funding plan.

    “This funding will establish 14 new recovery community centers and expand services at two existing centers across the state. We want to ensure people have access to the resources and services they need to lead healthy and safe lives and continue our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.”

    This new grant comes on the heels of funding secured by Cuomo in December of 2018, when over $9 million was directed toward opioid addiction treatment services, including $2.1 million for new treatment facilities in high-risk areas. Prior to that, over $25 million was allocated to address the opioid epidemic in 19 counties in the state of New York in September.

    All of this funding is part of a national effort to halt the rising rates of opioid-related overdose deaths, which have increased six-fold from 1999 to 2017.

    Thankfully, preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appear to show that these deaths are beginning to level off, likely due to comprehensive efforts by states across the country to expand addiction treatment and distribute the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Chris Cornell’s Widow To The Opioid Task Force: No More Shame

    Chris Cornell’s Widow To The Opioid Task Force: No More Shame

    Since losing her husband, Vicky Cornell has become an advocate for improving addiction treatment and spreading awareness about addiction.

    Vicky Cornell, widow of Soundgarden and Audioslave singer Chris Cornell, went before the Bipartisan Heroin And Opioid Task Force on Monday to make a case for better training and education on addiction for doctors.

    Chris Cornell died by suicide in 2017 after struggling with depression and addiction for many years, and multiple medications were found in his system by the autopsy, including a barbiturate sedative and the benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medication Ativan. The drugs had been prescribed to him, leading Vicky to file a malpractice suit against the doctor.

    Although it was determined that the drugs did not directly contribute to Chris’ death, Vicky released a statement to the press soon after her husband’s death blaming the substances for causing a lapse in judgment that led to his death.

    “We have learned from this report that several substances were found in his system,” the statement read. “After so many years of sobriety, this moment of terrible judgment seems to have completely impaired and altered his state of mind. Something clearly went terribly wrong and my children and I are heartbroken and are devastated that this moment can never be taken back.”

    Since losing her husband, Vicky Cornell has been an advocate for improving addiction treatment and promoting the proper education in medical fields and for the general public.

    “The part that hurts most is Chris’ death was not inevitable, there were no demons that took over,” she said to the task force. “Chris had a brain disease and a doctor who unfortunately, like many, was not properly trained or educated on addiction.”

    Chris Cornell often spoke about his experience with mental illness, drug use, and addiction. In 2006, he told Spin that he was diagnosed with panic disorder and believes it was a direct result of a bad experience with PCP that left him “more or less agoraphobic.”

    After that, he avoided drugs until his 20s, but started drinking at a young age and became an alcoholic. After Soundgarden broke up and his first marriage began to fall apart, Chris began experimenting with OxyContin. He entered rehab in 2002 and was able to quit using alcohol and tobacco by 2005.

    Years later, according to Vicky Cornell’s suit, her husband’s doctor prescribed him the Ativan, a drug widely considered to be addictive, for 20 months without seeing the patient for a checkup. Chris told Vicky on the night of his death that he had taken an extra Ativan and was acting strangely. 

    Now, she wants to make sure it never happens again.

    “We must integrate addiction treatment into our health care system,” she said on Capitol Hill. “No more false narratives about the need to hit rock bottom, no more secret societies, no more shame — we must educate health care providers on how to treat addiction and best support recovery.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Small Town Tackles Opioid Crisis With Treatment, Compassion

    Small Town Tackles Opioid Crisis With Treatment, Compassion

    Despite its small size, Little Falls has taken control of their drug epidemic in by allocating $1.4 million in grants in the past five years.

    As a 25-year-old in Little Falls, Minnesota, Monica Rudolph would steal money from her parent’s savings, little by little, so she could support her heroin use. 

    Eventually, according to BuzzFeed News, the money was gone. Monica’s parents discovered the empty box in their home, and that’s when her mother began calling treatment centers. But she kept hitting head ends — treatment centers saying they were closed for the weekend, or that they could not take Monica for a few weeks. 

    That’s when her mother decided to call the local hospital—and it worked. Monica was connected with a substance abuse counselor and was told to come in the next day to begin treatment.  

    “My hometown of 8,000 people was the one place in the state that picked up the phone,” Monica said. “Think of all the people like me who don’t have that hometown.”

    Despite its small size, Little Falls has taken control of their drug epidemic in by allocating $1.4 million in grants in the past five years, BuzzFeed News reports. The money has been spent on limiting refills, increasing the access to medications to treat substance use disorder, putting treatment ahead of jail and taking basic public health measures. 

    The efforts paid off. BuzzFeed News reports that visits to the ER for painkillers—once the top reason for visits—isn’t even in the top 20 now. The hospital now has 100 patients on substance use disorder medications and has helped 626 people taper off opioids. 

    “One thing led to another,” Kurt DeVine, one of Monica’s doctors, told BuzzFeed News. “We realized we had to do a lot of things we weren’t doing, and that we had to do them together, or it wasn’t going to work.”

    Now, DeVine and his colleague, Heather Bell, lead online seminars about how Little Falls has tackled the opioid crisis. They help towns to think bigger than just one thing.

    “They get Narcan, or they get one little project and they think that is going to fix it,” DeVine tells BuzzFeed News. “There is no easy answer. It is a lot of work. If we were doing only one thing, just Narcan, our problem would be as bad as anywhere else. You have to do it all.”

    In Little Falls specifically, the hospital formed a “Care Team,” made up of a social worker, a nurse, two doctors, and a pharmacist. The team’s focus is to help patients like Monica. They have also changed their thinking from treating substance use disorder as a crime to considering it a disease. 

    “If you find a person’s urine has a bunch of meth and not their pain meds, you make the assumption they are selling their pain meds to get meth,” Bell told BuzzFeed News. “But we don’t kick them out of our clinic. We say, ‘OK, what is going on? Do you need help?’ Then we get them into treatment.”

    Now, Monica is taking the opportunity to give back to the community that helped her recover. Through training in a federal program, she will now serve as the hospital’s first “peer” counselor. 

    “My life has come full circle,” she told BuzzFeed News. “I’m really excited to give something back.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Emergency Rooms Are Failing Overdose Victims, Study Shows

    Emergency Rooms Are Failing Overdose Victims, Study Shows

    Fewer than 10% of people who were treated in West Virginia emergency rooms for non-fatal overdose were connected with medication-assisted treatment.

    When people show up in the emergency room, they expect not only to be treated for the immediate problem, but to be connected with ongoing care. Someone with a broken arm, for example, can expect to have it set and leave with a referral to an orthopedist.

    Yet, this system is failing people with substance use disorder, one of the most deadly medical conditions in the country. 

    According to a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, fewer than 10% of people who were treated in West Virginia emergency rooms for non-fatal overdose were connected with medication-assisted treatment, and just 15% were connected with counseling. 

    Although the study looked at just one state, the findings are symptomatic of failures in the medical system across the country, Andrew Kolodny, who directs opioid policy research at at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, told California Healthline. 

    He said, “There’s a lot of evidence that we’re failing to take advantage of this low-hanging fruit with individuals who have experienced a nonfatal overdose. We should be focusing resources on that population. We should be doing everything we can to get them plugged into treatment.”

    Even the researchers were surprised by the low rates of ongoing treatment for opioid use disorder for patients who were clearly in need of treatment, said lead study author Neel Koyawala, a student at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

    “We expected more… especially given the national news about opioid abuse,” Koyawala said. 

    Dr. Margaret Jarvis, who works as medical director of a residential addiction treatment center, said that despite the prevalence of addiction, emergency room doctors often don’t know how to help people who present with substance use disorder.

    “Our colleagues in emergency rooms are not particularly well-trained to be able to help people in a situation like this,” she said. Marissa Angerer visited the emergency department in Texas many times with substance abuse-related conditions. She was never offered ongoing intervention and was surprised when doctors didn’t understand what she meant when she said she was dopesick. 

    “They were completely unaware of so much, and it completely blew my mind,” she said. 

    When Angerer finally got into recovery, it was because she found a treatment center herself after having fingers and toes amputated because of an opioid-related condition. 

    “There were a lot of times I could have gone down a better path, and I fell through the cracks,” she said.

    View the original article at thefix.com