Addiction Professional articles from May 2009

Addiction Professional archives from May 2009

No lack of opinions on marijuana.(Letter From the Editor)
May 1, 2009... I have consistently found that while alcohol remains the most pervasive substance affecting the individuals our readers serve, marijuana elicits the highest number of responses from readers when it is the subject of an editor's query, and the...

Words of wisdom on evidence-based treatment.(Letters)
May 1, 2009... I recently read an excellent online article from David Mee-Lee, MD, on evidence-based treatment. I have been a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor and nurse specialist in addictions for many years, and I must say this evidence-based...

Support for change in alcohol treatment.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Mark L. Willenbring, MD's cover article "New research is redefining alcohol disorders" (September/October 2008 issue) represents the kind of out-of-the-box, forward thinking our profession needs. Now all we need is the money to support and fund...

Address tobacco use at your facility.(Letters)
May 1, 2009... For years treatment centers and hospitals have not fully addressed tobacco and its impact on staff, patients and recovery. Policies from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM); NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals; and...

Pets in treatment: a residential program finds a new dimension of healing when clients stay with their animals.
May 1, 2009... Many people were touched this year by actor Mickey Rourke's Golden Globe award acceptance speech, in which he thanked his dogs for always being there for him. Rourke later spoke about how his pets had saved his life. Feeling suicidal, he...

Questions: for productive treatment sessions: here are some ways to get clients to participate more openly.
May 1, 2009... Some substance abuse clients are easy to work with, and some are not. Some are accurate reporters, some have selective memories, and some are chronic liars. Bottom line: It can be a challenge getting clients to open up, to speak the truth, to...

The 12 steps: building the evidence base: the latest research initiatives seek insight into how spirituality affects recovery.(Report)
May 1, 2009... Practicing the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has a profound and positive impact on abstinence from substances and on life functioning. These benefits occur whether the Steps are worked as part of mutual-help group attendance or are...

Eating disorders: not just a 'woman's problem': treatment programs must consider likelihood of comorbid substance use in males.
May 1, 2009... That boy you are treating for cocaine dependence might have an eating disorder. He might be using the cocaine as an appetite suppressant to facilitate his desire for an ultra skinny, waif-like body, or to numb himself from the shame of having a...

More than token support: families affected by addiction need formalized and ongoing assistance.
May 1, 2009... Family is a common concept to nearly everyone. A family is a natural social system with properties of its own--one that involves a set of rules, assigned roles, a power structure, intricate overt and covert forms of communication, and...

A broader view of trauma: a leading lecturer and trainer examines trauma in the context of addicted families.(Claudia Black)(Editorial)
May 1, 2009... As workers in the helping professions A have become more attuned to the complex family dynamics that contribute to illness and recovery, they have gained a greater appreciation of the many ways in which family members might experience trauma....

Always make self-care a priority.(Road to Recovery)
May 1, 2009... In this business we've chosen, there is no way to separate counselor wellness from positive client outcomes. If we had chosen work in a widget factory, no matter how horrible or incomplete our lives were we'd still be able to turn out a...

Service search.(substance abuse treatment and self-help programs)(Directory)
May 1, 2009... DRUG TESTING 19 MP Biomedicals www.mpbio.com 13 OraSure Technologies, Inc. www.4intercept.com EDUCATION/TRAINING PROGRAMS 28 American Substance Abuse Professionals www.go2asap.com 5...

Providers must not accept undue insurance delays.(Management)
May 1, 2009... Until now, most of the discussion involving our economic crisis has centered on banks and their unwillingness to provide credit to consumers and businesses, despite the infusion of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal bailout funds. An...

Bayside Marin outpatient program.(Environments for Recovery)
May 1, 2009... A typical downtown location for an outpatient addiction treatment program might occupy a corner in a nondescript office building, a spot selected to be as unobtrusive as possible. But that also means the operation settles for a setting that...

A more comprehensive vision.(Technology)
May 1, 2009... Economic concerns might be stalling technology projects in some addiction treatment organizations, but the CEO of a leading behavioral health software company believes that agencies thinking strategically will pursue technological advances more...

Continuing education quiz.
May 1, 2009... Earn continuing education credits by taking this quiz on the article that begins on page 22 of this issue. A grade of 70% or above will earn you a certificate of completion for two nationally certified continuing education hours. This is an...

Preparing clients for work.(Recovery)(assisting former substance abusers find work)
May 1, 2009... Scott Silverman was volunteering for a charitable organization in San Diego on a weekly basis, giving back time for those in need after having experienced success in his own recovery. He kept noticing the same people returning every week. ...