Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from April 2006

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from April 2006

Knowledge of mental disorders required for client service, counselor careers.
April 24, 2006... Addiction counselors need some proficiency in mental health issues, but how much? Underlying this question is the lurking fear that mental health as a field will take over substance abuse, subsuming the identity and the livelihood of the...

Peer-led services begin to emerge as adjunct to treatment.
April 24, 2006... It may take a while to see traditional addiction treatment programs formally integrate a peer-led support system into their staffing structure, but it is becoming clear that peer counselors can have a significant and demonstrable role in...

N.J. treatment providers group seeks restoration of terminated grant.(Associated Treatment Providers Management Services Network)
April 24, 2006... The group that is the subject of a New Jersey inquiry which involved the suspension with pay of Carolann Kane-Cavaiola, head of the Division of Addiction Services (DAS), is seeking the immediate restoration of a $2.7 training and workforce...

New endorsement for adolescent services coming from NAADAC.(National Association of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors )(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... For counselors who hold a substance abuse counseling credential or license and are working primarily in adolescent services, a new "endorsement" will enhance their value to employers, says Shirley Beckett-Mikell, NCAC II, CAC II, director of...

Open meeting on Medicare drug rule effect's on substance abuse.
April 24, 2006... Attend by telephone On April 26, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) will meet in an open session, via teleconference, on the impact of the new Medicare prescription drug law on consumers. The public...

Substance abuse treatment included in $7.2 million for jail diversion programs for mentally ill.(National Association of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors )(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... On April 20 the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded $7.2 million for jail diversion grant programs for individuals with mental illness. The funds will go to community-based mental health and...

FDA approves Vivitrol injection for alcohol dependence.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... On April 14 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Vivitrol (naltrexone for extended release injectable suspension), the first injectable once-monthly medication for treating alcohol dependence. Vivitrol is an opioid antagonist...

New approach for addicted inmates: meth prisons.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... A new approach to imprisonment for inmates addicted to methamphetamine is catching on around the country, and the Montana Department of Corrections recently approved the construction of two "meth prisons," reported MSNBC on April 24. Montana...

Recovering lawyer reaches out to lawyers in need.(Briefly Noted)(Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers-Connecticut, Inc.)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... When Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers-Connecticut, Inc. (LCLCT) transitioned from a volunteer service to a nonprofit organization last year, retired insurance defense lawyer Beth Griffin was named executive director. Law.com reported on April 6...

Poor turnout for community forum on teen drug abuse.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... Texas's Collin County Substance Abuse Coalition welcomed just three Plano residents to a recent community forum to educate parents about the signs of adolescent drug abuse, the Courier Gazette reported on April 5. "We are disappointed but not...

Mass. lawmakers debate expansion of parity.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... On April 3, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse held a hearing on the Mental Health Parity Law of 2000, reported the Metro Daily News on April 5. While the law "greatly expanded access to mental health...

NIDA research grant.(Resources)(National Institute on Drug Abuse )(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has announced the availability of grants up to $200,000 for exploratory and developmental research projects into the relationship between drug addiction and the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually...

Grants to study risky adolescent behavior.(Resources)(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development )(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has announced a $200,000 grant program created to support an investigation of the factors that underlie adolescents' risky health behaviors, including substance abuse initiation or...

Coming up ...(conferences, meetings and seminars)(Brief article)
April 24, 2006... The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) will hold its 2006 37th Annual Meeting and Medical-Scientific Conference, May 4-7 in San Diego. Symposia, courses, workshops, lectures and poster presentations will focus on the latest...

In case you haven't heard ...
April 24, 2006... The rumors were that drug court inmates were sleeping outside, but actually, they weren't. But the jail was overcrowded, and Pontotoc County Drug Court in Oklahoma had "to come up with creative sanctions," Pontotoc County Judge Landrith told...

SAMHSA state-by-state data underscores treatment gap.(National Survey on Drug Use and Health)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
April 17, 2006... Some states seem to be doing better than others when it comes to the percentage of population that needs and receives treatment for substance abuse problems, but overall, around one in every 10 Americans needs treatment for substance abuse...

Prop. 36 cost-benefit analysis justifies investment in treatment.
April 17, 2006... The first cost-benefit analysis of the treatment-focused approach to nonviolent drug offenders authorized by California voters in 2000 confirms substantial cost savings while also boosting the arguments of policy leaders who would like to see...

New events sharpen awareness month's focus on youth drinking.(Alcohol Awareness Month)
April 17, 2006... With underage drinking having become the target of the addiction field's Alcohol Awareness Month events over the past decade, leaders in several states this year have launched new efforts to highlight the importance of youth-focused...

Tribal communities need services for methamphetamine addiction.(Indian Child Welfare Association statistics on addiction)
April 17, 2006... The Senate Indian Affairs Committee heard testimony earlier this month on the problem of methamphetamine addiction, which is depleting the resources of Tribal communities. "The costs of addressing the methamphetamine epidemic in Indian...

Prom, graduation season and the SADD pledge.(From the Field...)(Students Against Drunk Driving)
April 17, 2006... Motor vehicle crashes remain the No. 1 cause of death among 15-20 year-olds, with 7,884 fatalities recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2003 alone. Of that amount, 25 percent of drivers 15-20 who were...

Former addicts teach medical residents.(Briefly Noted)(Project Grow (Giving Resources and Options to Women))(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... With Project Grow (Giving Resources and Options to Women), former drug addicts called "peer educators" offer their first-hand experience with drug use and addiction to first-year medical interns in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's...

DFC Mentoring grants.(Requests for Applications)
April 17, 2006... The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are requesting applications for the Drug Free Communities Support Mentoring (DFC Mentoring) grant program. The...

Chris Farley's image will tout addiction treatment.(Business)(featured in Prometa protocol ads)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... The family of the late comedian and actor Chris Farley, who in 1997 died of an accidental overdose of morphine and cocaine, has for the first time approved the use of Farley's image for commercial purposes. The Indianapolis Star reported on...

Drug abuse research grants.(Resources)
April 17, 2006... The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) are accepting proposals for research on the prevention and treatment of abuse of alcohol and other drugs. Examples of areas of...

Multimedia project examines trends in treatment.(Resources)
April 17, 2006... "Silent Treatment: Addiction in America," an innovative multimedia project examining current trends and research on the causes and treatment of substance abuse, has launched an interactive website, www.silenttreatment. info, reported Public...

The Johnson Institute will hold its Spring National Forum on April 21, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.(Coming up ...)
April 17, 2006... The Johnson Institute will hold its Spring National Forum on April 21, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The forum will focus on constituency building within the alcohol and drug addiction field. Dr. Paul Roman, Distinguished...

The America Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence will hold its 2006 National Conference on April 22-26 in Atlanta.(Coming up ...)
April 17, 2006... The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence will hold its 2006 National Conference on April 22-26 in Atlanta. The weekend will include comprehensive pre-conference training sessions, workshops, poster and plenary sessions,...

The Hanley Center will host its Second Annual National Aging and Addiction Conference on April 28-29 in Miami Beach, Fla.(Coming up ...)
April 17, 2006... The Hanley Center will host its Second Annual National Aging and Addiction Conference on April 28-29 in Miami Beach, Fla. The conference unites physicians, substance abuse professionals and mental health professionals. For more information...

The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) will hold its annual conference May 20-23 in Palm Beach, Fla. at the PGA Resort and Golf Club.(Coming up...)
April 17, 2006... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) will hold its annual conference May 20-23 in Palm Beach, Fla. at the PGA Resort and Golf Club. To register or for more information, go to www.naatp.org and click on conference.

In case you haven't heard ...(funding from tobacco settlement funds)(Brief article)
April 17, 2006... States can use tobacco settlement funds any way they choose, and the GAO's April report shows that only a third of the money is spent on health. Of the $5.8 billion 46 states received in fiscal year 2005, 32 percent went to health. The next...

Head of New Jersey Division of Addiction Services suspended pending investigation.(Carolann Kane-Cavaiola)
April 10, 2006... Last week, the New Jersey Office of Inspector General began investigating Carolann Kane-Cavaiola, the head of the state's Division of Addiction Services (DAS), who was placed on administrative leave March 29. At issue: state contracts that...

Board of community volunteers determines need, recommends funding.(Spotlight on Yakima County)(Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse )
April 10, 2006... In Yakima County, Washington, a volunteer advisory board is transforming the way funding from the state's Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (DASA) is going to local treatment and prevention groups. The Yakima County Alcohol and...

Vermont officials concerned about budget effects on services.
April 10, 2006... Health officials in Vermont are closely monitoring state budget deliberations on Gov. Jim Douglas's Drug Education, Treatment, Enforcement and Rehabilitation (DETER) program, a comprehensive initiative that they say has helped yield...

Study: parity that includes SA does not spur utilization, cost.(substance abuse)
April 10, 2006... Arguably the nation's most comprehensive insurance parity implementation for behavioral health conditions has been found to have had little independent effect on service utilization or costs. The research team that analyzed the Federal...

Anti-tobacco group could lose settlement money.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi faces the prospect of losing a funding source that has buoyed this private, non-profit anti-tobacco organization since 2000. The Examiner reported on March 28 that Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed a bill...

Study casts new light on gambling addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Dr. Wendy Slutske with the University of Missouri in Columbia believes that addiction researchers are beginning to have "a more nuanced picture of what compulsive gambling is." She explained, "For some people it is something chronic and...

Smoking impacts brain recovery in early abstinence.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Researcher Timothy Durazzo, Ph.D. and colleagues say that the results of a preliminary study in recovering alcoholics, half of whom were also smokers, suggest that for "better brain recovery, it may be beneficial for alcoholics in early...

University students abusing ADD meds.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Dr. Lake Jameson and her colleagues at the Clemson University health center say it is difficult to separate those youth who need drugs for attention-deficit disorder ADD or ADHD) and those who are abusing them for the high, the Clemson Tiger...

Community embraces plan for reducing teen drinking.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... A 2002 Communities that Care CTC) survey found that alcohol use among students in Mamaroneck, New York topped the national average. Concerned members from diverse segments of the Larchmont-Mamaro-neck community gathered recently to discuss...

RWJF program for state-provider addiction treatment partnerships.(Resources)(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced on March 31 that it has launched a four-year, $11-million-dollar program to promote evidence-based addiction treatment practices. In its first round of funding, Advancing Recovery:...

SAMHSA grants for methamphetamine abuse.(Resources)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced the availability of $3.3 million in FY 2006 funds to support expansion of evidence-based methamphetamine prevention interventions and/or infrastructure...

SAMHSA grants to support pregnant and post-partum women.(Resources)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced the availability of $3.4 million in FY 2006 funds to expand the availability of "comprehensive, high-quality residential treatment services" for pregnant or...

Local affiliate of NCADD hires PR firm.(Business)(Justice & Young Advertising and Public Relations)(National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Cincinnati's Justice & Young Advertising and Public Relations announced on April 1 that it is under contract with the Alcoholism Council of Cincinnati (ACC), a local affiliate of the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NCADD), to...

Home drug test business is booming.(Business)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Businesses that sell home drug testing kits have watched sales soar over the past few years, as the practice becomes increasingly popular with parents who want to know for certain if their children are using drugs, reported the Lexington...

ValueOptions.(Names in the News)(Barbara B. Hill named the CEO)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Barbara B. Hill has been named the CEO of ValueOptions, one of the nation's largest behavioral healthcare companies. Among other duties, Ms. Hill will take charge of the company's Employer Solutions, Health Plan, Federal and Public Sector...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
April 10, 2006... The Johnson Institute will hold its Spring National Forum on April 21, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The forum will focus on constituency building within the alcohol and drug addiction field. Dr. Paul Roman, Distinguished...

In case you haven't heard ...
April 10, 2006... Abuse of prescription stimulants, such as college undergraduates taking Ritalin to stay alert while studying, may lead some parents of children with ADHD to think it's a gateway drug. In fact, researchers have found children who need and get...

Samaritan Village program aimed at veterans' PTSD and substance abuse.(Population Focus)
April 3, 2006... Thirty years after the end of the Vietnam war, treatment providers are still treating combat veterans from that conflict for substance abuse problems that arose from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Then, troops returned to their lives...

Oklahoma to merge Medicaid, state grant, and block grant fee systems.(Exclusive report)
April 3, 2006... Counselors providing outpatient substance abuse treatment in Oklahoma are going to get an increase in fees as a sea change takes place in the substance abuse and mental health system, ADAW has learned. The rate is currently $30 for a...

Drinking associated with earlier onset of colorectal cancer.
April 3, 2006... An analysis of more than 160,000 patients with colorectal cancer has found a correlation between alcohol use and earlier onset of colorectal tumors. Researchers believe the findings, which were even more pronounced in individuals who both...

Underage drinking the theme of Tuesday's 1,200 town hall meetings.
April 3, 2006... On March 28, 2006, 1,200 meetings were held around the country as part of the federal initiative against underage drinking, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Spearheaded by the Interagency...

Support for faith-programs continues in face of increasing controversy.
April 3, 2006... Bush Administration programs such as Access to Recovery (ATR) have been designed to incorporate faith-based and other "nontraditional" social service providers into the federal grantmaking process, without shutting off the usual recipients'...

Tennessee Drug Court considered a success.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Fifty-five percent of prisoners released from Tennessee prisons and jails end up back in custody on new charges within three years. The Daily News Journal reported on March 20 that the new Project Return will help released inmates obtain...

Herbal supplements linked to drug use.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... The results of a recent study suggest that adolescents who use herbal products "to feel better, or perform better in sports or school" are more likely to have used illicit substances. In fact, researchers at the University of Rochester...

Physician suicide linked to painkiller addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Stephen Gleason, M.D., a prominent Des Moines physician, died in his home on Saturday, March 25. The death was believed to be a suicide, reported the Des Moines Register on March 26. In January, Gleason went public with his addiction to...

New England top prescriber of Suboxone.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... The Boston Herald reported on March 5 that New England is home to the largest number of physicians authorized to prescribe Suboxone, the first opioid medication approved for the treatment of opioid dependence. According to Nick Reuter, senior...

Infoline fields many addiction-related calls.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... New figures from United Way of Northern Fairfield County (Conn.) indicate that a full 12 percent of the callers who used the agency's 2-1-1 Infoline system last year were seeking help with a problem related to substance abuse, and many sought...

Pilot trial of Prometa boosts Hythiam shares.(Business)(Hythiam, Inc.)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Hythiam, Inc., maker of the addiction treatment protocol Prometa, saw share prices climb 44 cents following its March 27 announcement of favorable results in a preliminary trial of its protocol. Company shares reached $7.28 in afternoon...

New online substance abuse journal.(Resources)
April 3, 2006... Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy (SATPP) is a new online-only peer-reviewed journal with the stated goal of "provid(ing) an environment for the exchange of ideas, new research, consensus papers, and critical reviews, to...

SAMHSA's Co-Occurring State Incentive Grants.(Resources)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced it is accepting applications for its 2006 Co-Occurring State Incentive Grants (COSIG), under which two grants of up to $1.05 million will be awarded this...

NIAAA alcohol research grants.(Resources)(National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has announced it is accepting research project applications under its "Alcohol Use Disorders: Treatment, Services Research, Recovery" program. Grants will support work on both...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
April 3, 2006... The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence will hold its 2006 National Conference on April 22-26 in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.aatod.org/aatodnational.html. The National Asssociation of Addiction...

In case you haven't heard ...
April 3, 2006... Conventional wisdom is that drug-addicted mothers of young children try to stop using drugs for their children's sake. But in fact, children may be preventing mom from going to treatment. According to a study from Florida State University,...