Answer Addiction

Tag: Minnesota

  • More Than 75,000 THC Vape Cartridges Seized In Historic Bust

    More Than 75,000 THC Vape Cartridges Seized In Historic Bust

    It’s the biggest bust of its kind in Minnesota history.

    Police in Minnesota confiscated 76,972 THC vape cartridges, estimated to be worth about $4 million, on Monday. Along with the illicit cartridges, law enforcement officers seized $23,000 in counterfeit cash and arrested a suspect who allegedly dealt the cartridges on Snapchat.

    The problem isn’t the THC itself, as medical marijuana is legal in Minnesota. Authorities are concerned that these unlicensed vendors are driving a growing scourge of vaping-related illnesses, possibly due to unknown additives in counterfeit cartridges.

    “We have no idea what is in these cartridges,” said Brian Marquart, an official from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

    This particular bust comes hot on the heels of the death of an elderly woman who was vaping THC to manage back pain. The Minnesota Department of Health says her August death marks the first time anyone in the state has died from a vaping-related lung injury.

    On a national scale, there have been 13 vaping-related deaths and 805 vaping-related illnesses, which has been pushing more states to ban vaping in some shape or form.

    States Banning Various Types Of E-Cigarettes

    Massachusetts has temporarily banned the sales of all vaping products. 

    “One of the experts said that, ‘We don’t have time to wait. People are getting sick and the time to act is now.’ I couldn’t agree more,” Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said.

    Michigan and New York have banned flavored vapes. New York in particular is zeroing in on vitamin E acetate, a particular additive found in many THC vape cartridges. Minnesota feels the same way.

    “We just don’t know the impact of when you inhale it,” said Daniel Huff, Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health.

    Feds Focus on Youth Vaping

    The crisis has even garnered attention at the federal level, with the Trump administration moving to ban flavored e-cigarette products.

    “The Trump administration is making it clear that we intend to clear the market of flavored e-cigarettes to reverse the deeply concerning epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that is impacting children, families, schools and communities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a statement this month.

    According to Azar, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of finalizing a compliance policy to remove all flavored e-cigarettes from the market, including legacy flavors like mint and menthol.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Pride Institute

    Pride Institute

    Accredited by CARF, Pride Institute is an inclusive treatment program where being LGBTQ is the norm and not the exception.

    Introduction and Basic Services

    Founded by three individuals in the 1980s in response to the height of AIDS epidemic, Pride Institute is the nation’s first and leading provider of treatment programs devoted to the addiction and mental health needs of the LGBTQ community. Located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, west of the Twin Cities, Pride Institute’s residential treatment campus is on three private acres of serene woodlands. The Pride Institute outpatient services take place at a separate location in Minneapolis.

    Pride Institute is licensed by the state of Minnesota and accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities known as CARF. Pride Institute provides both residential and outpatient treatment for a wide range of substance abuse, trauma, sexual and behavioral issues. It treats dual diagnosis when the primary diagnosis is related to substance addiction. Additional programs include a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) with lodging, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), family counseling and extensive resources for sexual therapy. While it might go without saying, anyone considering treatment at Pride Institute must be a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

    Facility and Meals

    The clients of Pride Institute’s residential program are housed in a cabin lodge style building with dormitory style residences. Rooms are shared by three clients and include twin beds, wardrobes, desks and a sink. Clients share a hallway bathroom.

    There is also a community room with a kitchenette, and a lounge with a piano and guitars. Residents also enjoy a community room with a TV, an on-site gym with an indoor volleyball court and ample outdoor space with lounge chairs, walking trails and a fire pit.

    All meals are served in a cafeteria style dining hall. While staying at Pride Institute, clients can receive messages, letters, packages and gifts (subject to inspection) from family and friends.

    Treatment Protocol and Team

    All of Pride Institute’s programs are specifically designed for LGBTQ clients. As a result, clients have the freedom to be their authentic selves during treatment. Treatment is available for substance use disorders, trauma related issues and sexual and behavioral issues. The treatment for both addiction and dual diagnosis is centered around evidence-based practices. Clinicians utilize therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Pride Institute’s treatment also includes 24 hour nursing care, 12-step facilitation and case management. It’s worth noting, Pride Institute does not offer detox services. Those in need of detox must do so elsewhere, prior to admission at Pride Institute.

    Treatment is based on the individual needs of the client. As such, the length of stay in The Pride Institute residential program usually averages 25 days but clients can stay for as long as 60 and 90 days based on their needs.

    Treatment is holistic in that it aims to treat not only addiction but also the client’s whole health and well being. Individual and group therapy covers health education, issues specific to LGBTQ+ community, HIV and chronic illnesses, trauma, grief and loss. Specific group therapy includes a women’s group, body image group, transgender support, relapse prevention, anger management, spirituality, physical health, art therapy, nicotine recovery and sexual health.

    Though Pride treats a wide range of mental health, emotional and behavioral issues, a client’s primary diagnosis must be related to chemical dependency in order to qualify for the programming here.

    Pride Institute’s staff includes licensed drug and alcohol counselors, many with Master’s degrees. Family visitation takes place on Saturday afternoons.

    As with primary treatment, recommendations for continuing care are based on individual needs of the clients. Aftercare can include continuing to Pride’s outpatient treatment, transferring to a sober living program, attending 12-step meetings or continuing individual and group therapy.

    As previously mentioned, in addition to its residential treatment program, Pride Institute offers a PHP for clients who are not ready for outpatient treatment. PHP meets for eight hours per day, seven days per week at Pride’s residential treatment facility. For clients who live out of state, lodging is provided at a separate facility in Spring Hill Circle, three miles away from Pride’s main campus. The Spring Hill facility can house up to eight clients and has a backyard and kitchenette. PHP clients enjoy meals at Pride’s main residential center in Eden Prairie.

    The Pride Institute IOP in Minneapolis fits the needs of clients who no longer require residential treatment. It’s generally a step-down after participating in the residential program. The IOP offers flexible individual and group therapy, sober support groups and relapse prevention. Clients are expected to attend at least three times per week. Length of IOP ranges from nine to 12 weeks.

    Both in its residential and outpatient programs, Pride Institute also treats sexual health issues including sexual compulsivity, sexual trauma and sexually avoidant behaviors. A clinically-based program specific to the LGBTQ community, it covers a wide array of sexuality related issues that can co-occur with substance abuse and addiction. Clients participate in weekly individual and group therapy that explores compulsive sexual behavior, sexual anorexia, sexual dysfunction, sexual identity confusion, identity-related shame, sex or HIV-related anxiety, sexual obsessions and sexual abuse and assault.

    Bonus Amenities

    Pride Institute offers a Kindred Family Therapy Program that recognizes the diversity of LGBTQ familes. In addition to normal visiting hours, the Kindred Program, available twice a month, allows clients to invite their defined family to attend large group therapy, individual therapy and educational workshops.

    Summary

    Accredited by CARF, Pride Institute is an inclusive treatment program where “being LGBTQ is the norm and not the exception.” It’s a much needed addition to the recovery industry at large. Nestled in the bucolic woods of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the Pride Institute is a leader in offering treatment for substance abuse, and mental, emotional, sexual and behavioral challenges for the LGBTQ+ community, who often face a unique set of challenges. It’s a wonderful resource for the demographic it serves, with substantial support that ranges from residential treatment to aftercare.

    Pride Institute Location

    14400 Martin Dr

    Eden Prairie, MN 55344

    (800) 547-7433

    Pride Institute Cost

    Call for cost. Accepts insurance.

    Find Pride Institute on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

    To learn more about how we create Rehab Reviews, click here

    Read more Rehab Reviews

  • Hazelden Center for Youth and Families

    Hazelden Center for Youth and Families

    Adolescent clients work one on one with an addiction counselor to identify reasons for substance use and provide tools to make healthier choices.

    Introduction and Basic Services

    Founded in 1982 by the former first lady, Betty Ford, The Betty Ford Clinic merged with the Hazelden Foundation in 2014 and was renamed The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. It’s the nation’s largest non-profit addiction treatment center. The center treats alcohol and drug addiction, dual diagnosis and offers medical detox, residential and outpatient treatment, sober living, family care and aftercare in 17 locations throughout the United States. All programs and locations are licensed by The Joint Commission. The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Hazelden Center for Youth and Families offers teen and young adult treatment services in San Diego, California and Plymouth, Minnesota. Its San Diego campus offers outpatient treatment for clients ages 16 to 25. Its Plymouth, Minnesota campus is located west of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and offers alcohol and drug addiction and dual diagnosis residential, outpatient and family care treatment programs for clients ages 12 to 25.

    Facility and Meals

    Hazelden Center for Youth and Families’ residential treatment program in Plymouth, Minnesota is a campus-based facility with separate lodging for teens and young adults ages 12 to 25. Clients are first assessed for chemical dependency, mental health and overall health. Clinicians work with family, clients and insurance providers to craft an individualized treatment plan. Aside from residential treatment, outpatient and on-campus sober living could also be recommended to clients per their treatment needs.

    Before moving into residential treatment, when warranted, clients under medically assisted detox services monitored by a medical staff 24/7. Once stabilized, a client moves into one of the gender-specific residential dormitory style halls. Each gender specific suite has a full bath and a separate sleeping and living area for four clients including a twin bed, desk, chair, wardrobe and locked safe for valuables. Each sleeping area is separated by a privacy wall.

    The campus includes a cafeteria in which clients eats all three meals with their residential hall. Meals are served cafeteria style and designed by a nutritionist.

    Treatment Protocol and Team

    Treatment methods for alcohol and drug addiction and dual diagnosis include medically supervised detox, group and individual therapy, 12-step recovery, spiritual care and gender-specific counseling. Specialized treatment for opioid and prescription drug or heroin addiction is available. Treatment for co-occurring disorders like depression and anxiety are integrated in alcohol and drug addiction treatment.

    Hazelden Center for Youth and Families practices evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI). Its opioid treatment approach is known as Comprehensive Opioid Response with 12-step incorporates individual and group therapy, educational lectures and medically assisted detox.

    Staff is available 24/7 and includes physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists and licensed addiction counselors and marriage and family counselors. Other staff includes nutritionists, wellness and fitness specialists, financial advocates and clinical case managers.

    Length of treatment is based on the individual needs of the client. Each client receives a highly individualized daily schedule and includes a full day of individual, group therapy for addiction and mental health disorders, wellness and educational activities. Each day starts at 7 am with chores followed by breakfast. Every client’s schedule includes time for creative arts like music and art. The campus also has two classrooms staffed with two full time teachers for on-site schooling in coordination with the client’s home school.

    Once admitted, clients can contact family and provide a phone number and times that they can be reached. Kiosks are available for clients to have limited access to email and client account info. Laptops, cell phones, tablets and devices with video or email capabilities are prohibited while in treatment.

    Hazelden Center for Youth and Families’ Plymouth campus offers various aftercare and family programs. Aftercare includes various in-person, online and digital support resources like mobile apps, inspiration emails, online social communities and on-site 12-step meetings. It also offers coaching and counseling for parents and caregivers to reduce the risk of relapse and strengthen family bonds.

    The family program is a free, four day educational and support program for parents and caregivers and adolescent siblings. Two additional support groups includes a Parent Recovery Group for parents of current clients and a Caring Families Group which is a monthly meeting open to the public. Phone-based coaching is also available to parents and family members for teens who choose to not attend treatment.

    The Hazelden Center for Youth and Families offers various outpatient options to meet the treatment milestones of adolescent clients. Its day treatment program known as partial hospitalization is a five day per week, six hour per day treatment program that offers the same components of its residential program. Clients can also reside in on campus sober living quarters with peers while receiving outpatient treatment. Intensive outpatient treatment meets three days per week for three hours per day and focuses on individual needs of clients after meeting clinical milestone of residential or outpatient treatment.

    Bonus Amenities

    The campus also includes an art and music studio with art supplies and instruments, outdoor patio, multiple meeting and common areas. Clients can shop at a bookstore that includes treatment education materials and amenities like gym clothing, candy, toiletries and office supplies. The Hazelden Center for Youth and Families’ Plymouth campus also has a full indoor gym with a basketball court, rock climbing wall and weight station.

    Hazelden Center for Youth and Families’ Plymouth campus offers animal assisted programming with its certified therapy dog, Sarge, an Australian Labradoodle. Sarge offers comfort to clients suffering from homesickness, grief or trauma.

    The Hazelden Center for Youth and Families offers a Teen Intervene program for adolescents caught using marijuana or drinking underage. Adolescent clients work one on one with an addiction counselor to identify reasons for substance use and provide tools to make healthier choices.

    In Summary

    The Hazelden Center for Youth and Families in Plymouth, Minnesota offers detox, residential, outpatient and sober living treatment for adolescents ages 12 to 25 who are suffering from alcohol and drug addiction and mental health disorders. Treatment includes evidence-based models, 12-step, individual and group therapy. It also offers specialized treatment for opioid addiction and features a wide array of family support and after care programs. Its campus resembles college-style living including dormitory living, cafeteria, bookstore, creative art studios and classrooms.

    Hazelden Center for Youth and Families Location

    Hazelden Center for Youth Families

    11505 36th Avenue North

    Plymouth, MN 55441

    (844) 859-2216

    Hazelden Center for Youth and Families Cost

    Insurance, Private Pay, Financial Assistance (30 days)

    Find Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram

    To learn more about how we create Rehab Reviews, click here

    Read more Rehab Reviews

  • Man Accused Of Throwing Drug-Fueled "Death Party" For Ailing Wife

    Man Accused Of Throwing Drug-Fueled "Death Party" For Ailing Wife

    The Minnesota man was charged with multiple felonies.

    A Minnesota man was arrested after he allegedly threw a drug-fueled “death party” for his ailing wife who did not want to die in a nursing home. She stopped her medications, they rocked out to Quiet Riot, had sex and did meth. Then, on January 24, she died. 

    Afterward, according to the Mankato Free Press, prosecutors charged 58-year-old Duane Arden Johnson with criminal neglect. 

    It all started a few days earlier, when 69-year-old Debra Lynn Johnson begged her husband to take her out of the transitional care center. She’d had two heart attacks and struggled with diabetes, high blood pressure and mental health problems. But at her request, her husband agreed to take her back to their Searles home against medical advice, according to charging documents. 

    Then, he brought home some drugs, and at some point someone spray-painted the words “Death Parde God Hell” in red on the front door. She couldn’t eat food or drink water, so Johnson used snow to wet the dying woman’s lips. 

    They had sex the morning of January 24, and two hours later she died. Afterward, he wrapped her in linen and left her body at the top of the stairs. He allegedly waited a few hours—to be sure she was dead—before calling 911. 

    When the officers showed up, according to the paper, Johnson ran outside naked to greet them, shouting about his wife’s death. Then, authorities said he ran back inside and hid in the bathtub, trying to scrape “things” off his skin.

    Johnson allegedly told investigators he had 47 guns in the house, and officers recovered four rifles and two shotguns—along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Some of the weapons were stolen, he told police. 

    During an initial court appearance, a judge set Johnson’s bail at $250,000. That same day, Brown County Attorney Charles Hanson said that—in addition to felonies for criminal neglect and receiving stolen property—more criminal charges are possible, according to the La Crosse Tribune. 

    The death appeared suspicious, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called in to help with the case.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Recovery Program Uses "People Power" To Help Those With Addiction

    Recovery Program Uses "People Power" To Help Those With Addiction

    “My biggest motivator is to pass that gift of hope and possibility on to others,” says one Minnesota Recovery Corps volunteer.

    Minnesota is piloting a new program that’s harnessing the “people power” of AmeriCorps to support local addiction-recovery efforts.

    Minnesota Recovery Corps (MRC), an offshoot of AmeriCorps, was launched in 2018. MRC volunteers (or “recovery navigators”) are deployed throughout the Twin Cities to help people who are new to addiction-recovery.

    Some of the MRC volunteers are in recovery themselves. “My biggest motivator is to pass that gift of hope and possibility on to others,” Valerie Gustafson, who is nine years sober, told MinnPost. “I wanted to be more open in my recovery and I want to help others in their recovery.”

    “I’m an AA guy, but I don’t force that on anyone,” said Peter Solberg, another volunteer. “I try to find what works for them and help them to be successful with that pathway.”

    The program started with 15 “navigators” and is still growing, says Audrey Suker, CEO of ServeMinnesota, the organization tasked with administering and funding AmeriCorps programs in Minnesota.

    A survey of AmeriCorps members revealed the meaningful impact that the service work had on volunteers in recovery themselves. “We heard powerful stories from individual AmeriCorps volunteers,” said Suker. “They told us that their work with our organization gave them a sense of purpose and helps them get back on a career trajectory.”

    The pilot program’s potential for growth is limitless. “The deeper we get into it the more I can see the potential that exists of aligning the program with people who want to give a year of their life to serving others in need,” Suker told MinnPost.

    One example of harnessing AmeriCorps’s “people power in action” is recruiting the 1,000-plus volunteers already working in schools to teach a curriculum of addiction-awareness to K-12 students in Minnesota.

    Volunteer Peter Solberg started volunteering with MRC two-and-a-half years into his recovery. He has since been assigned to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, working with men who are “ready to re-enter society but still have chemical dependency issues.”

    This is one example of a population in need of MRC’s services. As Solberg explains, “About 94% of the people who are re-entering have chemical dependency issues. The guys I work with are all high-risk recidivists.”

    It’s all about helping the men find hope within themselves. “What these guys are missing in their lives and the reason they keep coming back to the system is that they don’t have hope, period,” said Solberg. “I go back to their childhood and we talk about their dreams and the things that got them excited. Suddenly you have an individual who has cracked open the door and can see the light on the other side.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Intoxicated Birds Cause Trouble In Minnesota

    Intoxicated Birds Cause Trouble In Minnesota

    Bird experts blame seasonal migration for the abnormal behavior while others believe fermented fruit is the culprit.

    Are they two wings to the air or three sheets to the wind? 

    A northern Minnesota town has been plagued by drunk and disorderly birds wreaking havoc on the friendly skies over Gilbert. 

    But—believe it or not—it was the town’s police department that flagged locals to stop calling in about the two-winged town drunks.

    “The Gilbert Police Department has received several reports of birds that appear to be ‘under the influence’ flying into windows, cars and acting confused,” officers wrote on Facebook. “The reason behind this occurrence is certain berries we have in our area have fermented earlier than usual due to an early frost, which in turn has expedited the fermenting process.”

    Typically, the birds would have already migrated away by the time the berries are at their most boisterous-making. But even if there appears to be some potential Flying While Intoxicated violations underway, police asked citizens not to call for help—unless they see “Big Bird operating a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner” or “other birds after midnight with Taco Bell items.” 

    Short of that, the best approach is to wait patiently for the booze to wear off, police said, as birds tend to sober up quickly. 

    Despite the well-received note, some experts had their doubts, telling the New York Times that the berries may not really be to blame for the birds’ boozy behavior.

    Instead, they credited any avian-versus-window wrecks to big seasonal migrations passing through the town and said it would simply be too early in the season for fermenting fruit to be the culprit.

    “I think this week everybody is yearning for something that we can all laugh at together,” Duluth-based bird expert Laura Erickson told the Times. “Drunken birds sound funny, and they are funny.”

    Even if these particular birds aren’t drunk, there’s some evidence they can turn a little tipsy from fermented fruit, according to the Washington Post. 

    “They just get sloppy and clumsy,” long-time birder Matthew Dodder told the paper. “They have actually fallen out of trees on occasion.”

    Some species—like robins and thrushes—are more apt to engage in drunken debauchery than others. But, as yet, there’ve been no reports of birdies in barroom brawls. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Meth Remains Greater Issue Than Opioids In Rural Minnesota

    Meth Remains Greater Issue Than Opioids In Rural Minnesota

    “In 2009 meth use shot upward and it’s been steadily climbing,” said one city official.

    While many areas of the United States are battling the opioid epidemic, parts of rural Minnesota are facing a different battle: meth. 

    According to the Mankato Free Press, a new study by the Center for Rural Policy and Development has found that treatment admissions for meth are increasing, as are fatalities from the drug.

    The study determined that in 2016, 7,664 people in Greater Minnesota entered treatment for meth, which was a 25% increase from 2015 and about double the amount of people seeking treatment for meth in the Twin Cities.

    “We’ve been bombarded with the news of all the deaths from opioids. Our job is to find out what may be the same or different in Greater Minnesota than in the Twin Cities,” Marnie Werner, interim executive director of the Center for Rural Policy and Development, told the Mankato Free Press. “As soon as we started talking to a few county administrators, we found that opioids are a problem, but meth is a bigger problem.”

    According to Werner, the state as a whole appears to have a large issue with opioids due to the size of the Twin Cities. “The Twin Cities is so large it skews the statewide data,” she said. 

    For Blue Earth County Attorney Pat McDermott, the report’s findings were not new information.

    “Meth continues to be the drug of choice and probably the primary controlled substance we deal with and the drug task force deals with,” he told the Mankato Free Press. “Meth crimes are what’s driving our numbers and the drug task force’s numbers. There are five times as many meth cases than cocaine… (and) four times more meth cases than prescription cases.”

    While Werner says that meth use dropped in the early 2000s—when it became required that pseudoephedrine cold medicines, often used to make meth, be sold behind pharmacy counters and be limited in quantity. However, she says, meth manufacturing then picked up in Mexico and entered the U.S.

    “In 2009 meth use shot upward and it’s been steadily climbing,” Werner told the Free Press. “The way it’s being mass produced, prices have dropped and it’s very affordable to people. So these people who have underlying addiction or mental health problems who maybe couldn’t afford drugs before can now.” 

    Blue Earth County has some initiatives in place to help combat drug issues, such as the Yellow Line Project, which allows first-time offenders to seek treatment rather than go to jail. 

    “If you get them connected to services sooner rather than later, you’re better off. If you put someone in prison for three years, they’re going to come out with the same mindset they had,” McDermott told the Free Press.

    View the original article at thefix.com