Answer Addiction

Tag: New Jersey

  • Seabrook

    Seabrook

    Nothing about the exterior of this facility resembles what one pictures when they think of the word “rehab.” The campus has sections that look like a state park, with walking trails, wooded areas and carefully placed benches.

    Introduction and Basic Services

    Seabrook is a New Jersey based drug and alcohol rehab that has been around since 1974. The original founders, Jerry and Peg Diehl, opened Seabrook after many years of Jerry struggling with addiction and finally finding peace in recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The Diehls became aware that addicts who were experiencing relapses needed a safe environment to be clean long enough for it to stick. That idea eventually led the family to the vacant estate of Charles F. Seabrook, a former pioneer in the frozen food industry. Ultimately this became the main campus of Seabrook.

    Today, Seabrook has a multitude of treatment services, including detox, residential, outpatient and a long term extended care program. The Seabrook Model is solidly based in the 12 steps of AA, and offers a number of complementary holistic approaches, education, wellness programs and recreation. In addition to traditional treatment programs for addicts, there are also specialty tracks for young adults, nurses and those who are in need of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).

    Facility and Meals

    The stunning estate that houses the main treatment facility and residences for clients sits on just over 40 acres in the sleepy town of Bridgeton. Nothing about the exterior of this facility resembles what one pictures when they think of the word “rehab.” The campus has sections that look like a state park, with walking trails, wooded areas and carefully placed benches. The grounds leading up to the main house are carefully manicured with bright flowers and towering trees. The walkway that clients pass as they approach the front door has a multi-tiered stone water fountain, and a charming gazebo.

    There are 146 beds in total at Seabrook, with about 51 of them dedicated to detox. Clients stay in quaint, colonial style homes spread out on the property. Clients generally share bedrooms, which are huge, with one or two other people. However, there are suites and private, en suite bedrooms available for an added fee. The decor feels like a Norman Rockwell painting—very New England, tidy and upscale. The facilities are very comfortable, and clients are provided with dressers and closet space.

    The communal lounge is used during down times in between groups or activities. It has a big screen mounted TV, couches and a pinball machine.

    Clients eat together in the shared dining room for all three meals. Seabrook has a chef who prepares gourmet meals with a couple of different options for lunch and dinner. A well stocked salad bar is open during the afternoon and evening meals. The menus usually include a combination of chicken, pasta, steak or fish. Clients with dietary restrictions are accommodated, as are those who are vegan or vegetarian.

    Healthy snacks are readily available throughout the day. Caffeine is a no-go at Seabrook however, though they do serve decaf.

    Treatment Protocol and Team

    For most the first stop at Seabrook is the detox facilities for withdrawal management. While this is usually a very unpleasant experience, clients are monitored around the clock by medical professionals who supply the correct combination of medications to ease the individual through the roughest parts of withdrawal. During this stage of treatment as clients begin to feel better and stabilize, there are group sessions they can attend along with relapse prevention and psychoeducation.

    The next phase of treatment, which typically lasts between 30 and 35 days on average, entails a combination of group and individual therapy, 12-step support, wellness programs, education, and holistic therapies. The Seabrook Model is comprised of a four tier system, starting with detox and ending in the maintenance, extended care phase. While the standard program length is a little over a month, clients commonly stay in treatment between six and seven weeks.

    The transitional phase is folded into the outpatient program at Seabrook. There are outpatient facilities associated with this facility throughout New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania. Outpatient treatment offers a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). While in outpatient clients attend individual and group therapy, and are access to MAT.

    Once the initial phase of treatment is complete, there is an option to move onto the aftercare, or extended care program. This is a long term sober living situation of around 35 weeks to a year. Clients focus on healthy living and getting used to being sober in a supportive environment. They attend regular AA meetings and have a sponsor.

    Seabrook actively encourages clients to continue on with some sort of counseling, whether it’s in a group setting, one on one or with family members. The outpatient program is also an option when clients don’t want to live at home in the early stages of recovery.

    During extended care clients live in a five bedroom, three bathroom home with private and semi private accomodations, and a three bedroom cottage. These facilities are really spacious and provide access to a private, state of the art gym, personal trainer, game room, lounge, cable TV and internet. As clients are learning how to live in acclimate to society they can bring their cell phones and personal devices.

    Seabrook employs a huge staff of clinicians, techs, house managers, assistants and educators. Staff are comprised of LCADCs, LPCs, CADCs, LCSWs, MSWs, APNs, DOs, physicians, psychologists and psychiatrists.

    Bonus Amenities

    Clients work out in the gym on campus, which has a combination of machines and free weights. If running on a treadmill doesn’t sound appealing, there is also a room dedicated to yoga.

    The main campus has several recreational and social activities for clients in the extended care program. This includes beach trips, kayaking, going to the theater or ballet, movie nights, bowling, crafting, and volunteering twice a month. In addition clients get massages, and experience equine therapy, music therapy and a ropes course.

    Summary

    Seabrook was founded with the one goal in mind; to give addicts a safe place to learn how to get and stay sober. The grounds are lovely and programming renowned. Clients also have the option to move forward in their treatment with continued support, live in a facility that continues with the programming ideals, and get a great head start in recovery.

    Seabrook Location

    133 Polk Lane PO Box 5055

    Seabrook, New Jersey (NJ)

    (856) 455-7575

    Seabrook Cost

    $27,500 (90 day program)

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  • New Jersey Moves Closer To Marijuana Legalization

    New Jersey Moves Closer To Marijuana Legalization

    Marijuana legalization could potentially happen before the end of the year in New Jersey. 

    Members of the state legislature in New Jersey took an important step toward legalizing recreational marijuana this week, although legalization might still be months away in the Garden State. 

    On Monday (Nov. 26) lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly budget committees approved a bill which would legalize recreational cannabis. That allows the bill to move forward to a vote in the full Senate and Assembly, clearing the way for recreational marijuana legalization potentially as soon as Dec. 17, the next time the full assembly will meet, according to NJ.com.

    However, most agree that it’s more likely that legalization will not take place until next year.

    As it is now, the bill would legalize possession and personal use of less than one ounce of weed for people 21 and older. The bill calls for a 12% state tax and a 2% excise tax that may apply to towns with marijuana businesses. In addition, the bill calls for an electronic system to speed up the expungement of low-level marijuana convictions.

    Some details of the bill, including the rate at which cannabis will be taxed, and how the state will handle the criminal records of people who have marijuana-related offenses, still have to be worked out.

    New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy campaigned in part on a promise to legalize marijuana in 2018. “I am committed to working with you to get this passed this year,” he said in March. 

    However, Murphy would like cannabis taxed at a higher rate, and said that he is not sure whether he’ll sign the bill in its current form. “It’s too early to tell,” he said this week. “We haven’t commented on specifics, but I am very happy that this is moving.”

    Other lawmakers are concerned that the bill does not address racial disparities in enforcing marijuana laws. 

    “This is still being sold under the auspices of social justice, but it’s about money,” said state Sen. Ron Rice, a Democrat who opposes legalization. “It’s not about social justice. It’s about money for white investors. It’s a slap in the face to people like me and people of color.”

    The bill also leaves some gray areas. Although it would allow possession and personal use, growing weed will remain illegal and it could take up to a year to get the recreational market functioning, according to NJ.com. However, existing medical facilities could begin selling recreational cannabis sooner. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New Jersey Sues One Of Its Largest Employers Over Opioids

    New Jersey Sues One Of Its Largest Employers Over Opioids

    The lawsuit alleges that Janssen Pharmaceuticals minimized the risk of opioids and targeted older patients who were less aware of the dangers of the drugs.

    The pharmaceutical industry is a major economic driver for the state of New Jersey, but that did not stop the state’s attorney general from launching a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, one of the state’s largest employers, over its marketing practices around opioids.

    “It is especially troubling that so much of the alleged misconduct took place right here in our own backyard,” New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said at a news conference, according to the New York Times. “New Jersey’s pharmaceutical industry is the envy of the world, with a long history of developing vital, lifesaving drugs. But we cannot turn a blind eye when a New Jersey company like Janssen violates our laws and threatens the lives of our residents.”

    The lawsuit alleges that Janssen minimized the risk of opioids, targeted older patients who were less aware of the dangers of the drugs, and made an effort to “embed its deceptions about the viability of long-term opioid use in the minds of doctors and patients.”

    The lawsuit focuses on the eight-year period that Janssen marketed two opioid products — Nucynta and Nucynta ER — before selling the rights to those medications for more than $1 billion in 2015. 

    Grewal said that the company intentionally fostered misinformation about those drugs. 

    “They funded bogus research,” he said. “They pushed bogus theories like pseudo-addiction, things that have been debunked. They positioned Nucynta and Nucynta ER as the safer alternative to other more powerful opioid drugs and, as the director mentioned, in fact, they were the same types of opioid drugs.”

    The lawsuit points out reportedly egregious prescribing practices, including one patient received 125 prescriptions for two opioids in just one year, totaling a 2,700-day supply of opioid pills. The doctor who wrote those prescriptions had taken hundreds of visits from Janssen representatives, the lawsuit said. 

    The pharmaceutical industry in New Jersey has shrunken slightly amid the opioid crisis, but still makes up about 8% of jobs in the state. However, Grewal said that did not factor into his decision over whether or not to pursue a lawsuit. 

    “We’re not shying away from holding folks accountable,” Mr. Grewal said. “If they’re culpable, we’ll hold them accountable.”

    This is the first time that New Jersey has taken legal action against a company based in the state, the New York Times reported. However, it’s not the first opioid-related lawsuit in the state. Former Governor Chris Christie’s administration launched legal action against Purdue Pharma and Insys Therapeutics, another opioid manufacturer. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Corrections Officer Accused Of Attempting To Bring Drugs Into Prison

    Corrections Officer Accused Of Attempting To Bring Drugs Into Prison

    Officers believe the man intended to distribute drugs found in his car to inmates in the jail.

    A Camden, New Jersey corrections officer has been suspended and charged after allegedly attempting to bring drugs into a correctional facility with the intention of selling them to inmates. 

    According to NJ.com, Christopher Bowie, 47, was caught with 21 Suboxone strips, four pills suspected to be oxycodone and six pills suspected to be Xanax. The substances were found on him as well as in his vehicle, according to court documents and a press release from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. 

    Officers believe Bowie intended to distribute the drugs in the jail, though they did not provide a reason for their suspicion. 

    Bowie was immediately suspended, and the internal affairs unit and the prosecutor’s office are investigating. Bowie is facing charges of distributing a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and official misconduct, according to the prosecutor’s office. 

    New Jersey isn’t the only state confronting such actions from corrections officers. 

    On Monday (Nov. 5) an Arizona detention officer was arrested on suspicion of bringing heroin and other contraband into the Mohave County Adult Detention Facility, according to AZ Central. 

    A Facebook post from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office states that Ashley Desiree Aquino, 24, was questioned after law enforcement officials received a tip about the smuggling. Though the heroin was disposed of before Aquino was searched, other contraband was found and she admitted to bringing it into the facility. 

    “I hold all of my personnel accountable to their Oath of Office and will ensure that every measure is taken to fully prosecute Aquino for her actions,” said Sheriff Doug Schuster.

    In October, a former Georgia Department of Corrections officer pleaded guilty after being paid by an inmate to bring meth and marijuana into a prison in North Georgia, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

    Tiffany Cook, 34, was caught with more than 118 grams of methamphetamine and 150 grams of marijuana in July, after police received a tip that she had been smuggling such substances into the prison.

    In 2015, CNN reported in-depth on the issue, even speaking with one former guard who had fallen into smuggling for inmates. Gary Heyward worked at New York’s Rikers Island and was facing financial struggles when an inmate approached him about bringing cigarettes in. In speaking with CNN, Heyward reflected back on his prison guard training instructor.

    “He said, ‘Look to your left. Now look to your right. One of you is going to smuggle something in, some inmate is going to talk you into doing bad,’” Heyward told CNN. “I thought, ‘Oh, no, not me.’ But, you know, you never think it’s going to be you.”

    While in prison for two years, Heyward wrote a self-published memoir called Corruption Officer: From Jail Guard to Perpetrator Inside Rikers Island.

    “A lot of people will look at what’s going on in New York… and wonder why,” Heyward said. “People do what they do for different reasons. It’s just people being human, letting that thing that’s most weak in them get the better of them.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Woman Uses Creative Writing To Help Ex-Offenders In Recovery

    Woman Uses Creative Writing To Help Ex-Offenders In Recovery

    “I learned how to live again, how to feel comfortable in my own skin. She’s a Godsend,” says one of Rebecca Conviser’s students.

    It was a cancer diagnosis that first got Rebecca Conviser interested in the power of words. If the Morristown, New Jersey woman didn’t make it through, she wanted to leave behind words for her husband and children. 

    But Conviser did make it through, and now she is using the power of words for something else—helping those in recovery from substance use disorder. 

    According to NJ.com, for the past six years, 79-year-old Conviser as has been volunteering her time by teaching the “Creative Positive Expression Program” to ex-offenders. Rather than jail time, these individuals have been recommended to the drug court programs in Morris and Sussex counties in New Jersey. 

    Thomas Brodhecker, 27, of Sussex County, has been in the program for two years. Since he first entered the program, his opinion of the role of writing in recovery has changed drastically. He says that through writing he has been able to peel back emotional aspects of his life that played into his use of drugs. 

    “I learned how to live again, how to feel comfortable in my own skin,” Brodhecker said. “She’s a Godsend.”

    Conviser fell into her role teaching the writing course after overhearing a conversation at a local coffee shop about the obstacles ex-offenders face when trying to find employment.

    She engaged with the group, which led to her meeting Charles Johnson Jr., the drug court director of Morris County. Johnson thought the writing program would be beneficial for ex-offenders when it came to writing resumes and cover letters. 

    However, the program goes beyond writing employment materials. For Anthony Justo, 27, of Morristown, Conviser’s passion for the program led him to be more accepting of his past. 

    “She presented these assignments with a fiery passion,” Justo told NJ.com. “She was lit up about helping people become better writers and better people.”

    In addition to the writing course, Conviser has helped ex-offenders with public speaking and telling their stories. She has headed up a jail cell presentation, in which school students stand in a 4×6 area designed to resemble a jail cell for 90 seconds to get a taste of what confinement is like for inmates. 

    Conviser says that when it comes to helping people change their lives, persistence is key. “I’m not one of these people who say, ‘oh well, it didn’t work.’ My feeling is well, it didn’t work, we have to move on,” she said.

    Despite her own personal challenges, including two cancer diagnoses and a recent Parkinson’s diagnosis, Conviser says she plans to continue to volunteer, though she has had to slow down a bit. 

    “I’m a person who gives back,” Conviser said. “As long as I can help people, I’m going to continue to do this.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New Jersey May Require Depression Screenings For Students

    New Jersey May Require Depression Screenings For Students

    A new bill aims to address undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues in school-aged children. 

    Some New Jersey lawmakers are taking a stand against undiagnosed depression in youth by drafting a bill that would require annual screenings. 

    According to New Jersey 101.5, if the bill were to pass, students in New Jersey would have to be screened for depression about six times in the time leading up to high school graduation. 

    The bill comes in the wake of a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics, stating that young people should be screened for depression each year. If passed, it would require that public school students in grades 7 through 12 be screened once per year. 

    “Tragically, far too few people that suffer from mental illness actually get diagnosed,” Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington), primary bill sponsor and chair of the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee, said at a recent hearing, according to 101.5. “For those who screen positive, information will be sent to the parents and the parents can get their child the care that they need.”

    The screening would consist of a two-question survey and could be given by a “qualified professional” at public schools. By the bill’s definition, this means a school psychologist, school nurse, school counselor, student assistance coordinator, school social worker or physician.

    According to Conaway, parents would have the choice of opting out of the screening for their child, which current laws also allow for other types of physical health screenings. 

    While the intent of the bill is understood, there is still some opposition, according to 101.5. 

    Debbie Bradley, director of government relations for the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, tells 101.5 that the potential passing of the bill would impact understaffing at schools even more. As such, combining the screening with annual physicals is an idea that has been broached.

    “Many of our members suggested that this system be integrated with the current annual physicals that many parents bring their students to,” Bradley said.

    Conaway reiterated the importance of the bill by citing a study that discovered the number of children and teenagers hospitalized for thoughts of suicide climbed more than 100% from 2008 to 2015. 

    If passed, the bill would allow for confidential data collection. The data would be forwarded to the Department of Education and Department of Health, then studied for statewide trends.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Overdose Deaths Increase in New Jersey Even As Prescriptions Decline

    Overdose Deaths Increase in New Jersey Even As Prescriptions Decline

    State attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal says that despite the fatal OD increase “there are reasons for hope.”

    Opioid overdose deaths in New Jersey increased by 24% last year, even as the number of prescriptions written for opioids fell for the first time in recent years. 

    According to a press release from the state attorney general’s office, just over half of opioid overdose deaths in the state were caused by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids meant to mimic its strength. 

    “We still lose too many of our residents to drug overdoses, and the death toll continues to rise,” said Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. “But, if we look at the numbers, there are reasons for hope.”

    Despite the fact that an average of eight New Jersey residents die from an opioid overdose each day, Grewal said that policies to limit prescriptions of opioids are working. The state’s opioid prescription rate peaked in 2015, when 5.64 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed.

    By 2017, that number was down to 4.87 million, making last year the first “in recent memory when the number of opioid prescriptions fell below 5 million,” said the press release. 

    In March 2017, the state enacted a five-day limit on first-time opioid prescriptions. Since then, prescriptions of opioids have decreased 26%.

    Between January 2014 and March 2017 they were reduced just 18%, so this suggests a significant improvement in cutting back on opioid prescriptions. Overall, opioid prescriptions have been reduced by 39% between January 2014 and July of this year.

    “The decreasing rate of prescription opioids dispensed in New Jersey shows that a smart approach to the opioid epidemic can help turn the tide. If we persist in our efforts to prevent addiction and overdoses, we can save lives,” said Sharon Joyce, director of the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (NJ CARES).

    In order to try and decrease the opioid overdose rate, the state will begin offering more information online, including data on naloxone administration rates and overdose rates for specific counties. 

    “The Attorney General is not only making his Department’s opioids data publicly available,” the press release said. “Through NJ CARES, the Department is relying on data to target its education efforts and identify its enforcement priorities.”

    The administration is also focusing on outreach efforts, including an ad campaign to highlight a safe disposal program for unused prescriptions.

    And the musical Anytown will be performing at middle and high schools across the state to raise awareness about the dangers of opioids. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Police Chief Quits Job After Cocaine Arrest

    Police Chief Quits Job After Cocaine Arrest

    Michael Coppola was accused of buying cocaine and attempting to ship it through the post office. 

    A New Jersey police chief has resigned after investigators say that he bought cocaine and had it shipped to his post office box. 

    Michael Coppola, 43, was chief of the Palisades Interstate Parkway police department from 2014 until he resigned on August 15.

    According to NJ.com, Coppola was charged with attempting to possess cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia after investigators found that he was ordering cocaine online.

    They delivered a package containing “imitation cocaine” to Coppola’s post office box, and Coppola was arrested during a traffic stop shortly after picking up the package. He is due in court later this week.

    Coppola’s arrest and resignation are the latest controversies for the Palisades Interstate Parkway police department. The department has about 25 officers and is in charge of patrolling an 11-mile stretch of highway, something that many people believe is unnecessary. 

    “There is no need for a force to patrol an 11-mile stretch of roadway,” said Declan O’Scanlon, a Republican who serves on the New Jersey state senate. “Other departments can cover that area with no increase in manpower. Let’s be done with it.”

    Calls to disband the department have intensified after an investigation into the department showed many questionable practices. Coppola rewarded cops who made the most traffic stops with meal allowances, better parking spots and newer vehicles.

    The department’s officers engaged in police chases that violated state policy, and Coppola used a company that he owned to provide technology services to the department. 

    All of this was revealed in a report launched by state attorney general Gurbir Grewal that was released last month. It is not clear whether the investigation into Coppola’s purchase of cocaine was part of the investigations undertaken in writing the report. 

    However, O’Scanlon said that Coppola is the latest person to be part of department leadership that “has been fatally flawed” for years.”

    “The ticket quotas. The rewards for writing tickets. That should not go on in any police department, let alone one that is not needed. Every revelation I read screams at me that it’s time to dissolve this force. There is no reason for it. It’s victimizing the people it is supposed to be protecting,” he said.

    Last year, data indicated that cocaine use was rising for the first time in almost ten years. In addition, the drug is becoming more dangerous as it is laced with fentanyl.

    In New York City the problem is so severe that the health department issued a warning about cocaine laced with opioids. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New Jersey Marijuana Cases Temporarily Halted By Attorney General

    New Jersey Marijuana Cases Temporarily Halted By Attorney General

    The AG’s announcement, which will affect thousands, comes at a turning point for marijuana policy in New Jersey.

    On Tuesday, New Jersey’s attorney general ordered the immediate adjournment of all municipal marijuana cases until September or later.

    In a letter to prosecutors, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal wrote, “In the interim, I ask that all municipal prosecutors in New Jersey seek an adjournment until September 4, 2018, or later, of any matter involving a marijuana-related offense pending in municipal court. The adjournment will give my office sufficient time to develop appropriate guidance for prosecutors.”

    The announcement, which according to Politico will affect thousands, comes at a turning point for marijuana policy in New Jersey.

    Jersey City, the state’s second-most-populous city, was on track to decriminalize marijuana until Grewal voided the attempt last Friday.

    Mayor Steve Fulop argued that the city had the right to “amend or dismiss charges as they see fit and decriminalization is the right thing to do as we shouldn’t continue a policy of creating records and ruining a person’s future over small quantities of marijuana.”

    But Grewal disagreed, saying the city did not have “the legal authority” to decriminalize marijuana “or otherwise refuse to criminally prosecute all marijuana-related offenses in the municipal courts of Jersey City.”

    But despite Grewal’s opposition to Jersey City’s effort, his decision to suspend municipal marijuana cases is regarded as a step toward decriminalization in the long run, according to Politico.

    Governor Phil Murphy, who is known for his support of marijuana legalization, said while decriminalization is “intoxicating,” there are more benefits to full legalization. “You think it’s a step in the right direction [but] it actually leaves the business in the hands of the bad guys,” said the governor. “Your kids are exposed, it’s not regulated, it’s not taxed. So I’ll leave the specifics of that to the attorney general, but that’s a conceptual answer.”

    On Monday, Senate President Steve Sweeney said he would add on efforts to legalize marijuana for adult use to efforts to expand New Jersey’s medical marijuana program, according to Politico.

    After meeting with Jersey City officials on Monday, Grewal announced that he will establish a working group to develop guidance for prosecutors by September on how they should proceed with marijuana cases.

    View the original article at thefix.com