Community Reflection

Narcotics Anonymous is a support group using the same principles as Alcoholics Anonymous but designed for individuals addicted to narcotics (Fortinash & Holoday Worret, 2012). The programs emphasize both personal responsibility and mutual accountability by means of a social model recovery program which is peer-driven. Recovery Kentucky utilizes care and change as their foundation for the peer-driven model. Participants are often reminded the program is not just a pit stop for drug and alcohol use but a commitment to change the whole body, mind and spirit. They are required to attend community meetings and complete a twelve step program where the client will acknowledge the problem, recognize a solution and develop a plan of action that will support the ultimate goal of sobriety (MIC Program Description, n.d.).

The need for a substance abuse recovery home in Starke County, Indiana is a need that is unmistakable in the county based on the hefty number of individuals that suffer from substance abuse and dependency in the county which is clearly displayed by the recent number of crimes that are related to or involve illicit and prescription drugs. In attempt to meet this need and create an opportunity for individuals suffering from substance abuse and dependency to receive local substance abuse treatment in a recovery home the proposal will be presented to several stakeholders within the Starke County community. The term stakeholder “refers to those people who are affected, or could be affected, by the service” (Canadian Career Development Foundation, n.d.) that is being proposed. The proposal for the creation of a substance abuse recovery home will be presented to five key stakeholders including Ms. Becky Anspach the director of Community Services of Starke County, Starke County Community Corrections director of operations Mr. Robert Hinojosa, Ms. Dee Lynch the director of the Indiana Department of Child Services of Starke County, Porter Starke Services facilitator of intensive outpatient program treatment (IOP), and Ms. Rhonda Adcock the director of Starke County CASA.

The opioid epidemic is not an issue that can be solved in a timely manner. Solving this world issue has to be accompanied by cooperation from addicts and their supporters. This epidemic hits home with a surrounding town ranked 5th in the nation for opioid abuse. With that said, the hope is within the coming years, the epidemic can be resolved and people’s lives can be

The Heroin and Opioid Epidemic Northeast Ohio Community Action Plan is divided into four parts; Prevention and Education, Healthcare Policy, Law Enforcement and Treatment. This action plan was developed by many local hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals as well with the Cleveland Division of Police, the Drug Enforcement Agency and many other health, law, and state agencies. This plan has immediate and long-term actions that will strengthen the community and bring the high rates of heroin related deaths down. This all starts with prevention and

It was a few years back when the reality hit that heroin was present and there was little anyone could do, then people began dying everywhere and though many believe that it cannot happen to them, that is an unrealistic belief. Here we live in the upper middle class city of Folsom, we see many individuals suffering from substance abuse disorders with any of the following being the substance of choice: marijuana, opioids, methamphetamines and alcohol. Though in this community many do not speak of the problem and often blame the homeless for the crime and dysfunction that takes place (Folsom watch Facebook). But it is here and it shows in the rooms of 12 step meetings, local low income housing projects and throughout the city streets that run throughout

According to the Heroin Epidemic in Northern Ohio, the best way to lessen the chances of heroin and cocaine abuse is prevention (Heroin Epidemic 2015). By incorporating and highlighting the dangers and warning signs within the school systems it could prevent teenagers and young adults from trying it. Many schools have the D.A.R.E programs offered at schools. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) is a program that provides children with the proper skills when it comes to drugs and violence. The law enforcement also works within the community. They interact more just to show others with a different mindset that they are here to protect and serve the community.

Opioid abuse is extremely prevalent in today’s society. Many public health professionals are calling it the worst drug crisis in the nation’s history. (DeGarmo, 2017) Opioid abuse and addiction is an issue that goes beyond adults, it is plaguing juveniles as well. Juveniles are feeling the negative effects of this issue in many different ways. Some are watching their friends or family go through addiction, some have lost loved ones, and some juveniles are addicted themselves. I volunteered at the EB HOPE drop-in center which is located in East Bridgewater. The mission of the drop-in center is to provide resources to those affected by opioid addiction. They have an abundance of resources including retreats, rehabilitation centers, support groups, as well as faith based healings. They also have various support groups for family and friends of those addicted to opioids.

The opioid war can be resolved through the combination of counseling and extended addiction services for individual treatment plans. The program at Center for Behavioral Health Elizabethtown provides counseling and intensive therapy both during the addiction process and for up to a year for all patients after leaving the program (Zsigray 4). The treatment of the addict, and the mental illness and emotional disorders attached to addiction, can fix the epidemic. Patients who treat the addiction by use of corrective therapy are more likely to stay clean than patients who do not (Zsigray 3). Therapy and counseling are a vital part of the recovery process.

If one traveled through the small quiet community of Monroe, MI you would probably never think that this town has a drug problem. From the outside it seems like a nice middle class suburb that might be ideal to raise a family. For those that reside here however, they know that there is a growing problem. There aren’t many families that haven’t been affected by heroin addiction in this small town. The drug has literally swept through this county like an angry mob of rioters bringing crime, death, and destruction with it, leaving many people in the community asking, “Why?”

“Chris Orr was a good respectful young kid, there was nothing wrong with him except he was a heroin addict” stated Rick Anderson, local pier bowl merchant and longtime San Clemente local. Personally, I remember growing up in San Clemente, CA and waking up each morning and walking out on to my family deck and looking out onto the beach, thinking to myself how lucky my family was for the opportunity to be by the beach. I loved the beach, the feel of the ocean’s spray upon my face, the sand beneath my toes, but it wasn’t until heroin began to directly affect the lives of people around me that I truly began to understand that something darker lingered along the shoreline. For example, Chris was my friend, we grew up together, we played together as kids, and as we got older, we partied together. For a short while Chris even lived at my house. His sweet personality and loving heart made him hard to resist. No matter how much we loved him, he had a problem and he just couldn’t seem to overcome it. Finally, Chris lost his struggle with addiction in 2002. Many people mourned the light that was extinguished on that day, thought of what could have and what should have been done differently to prevent such a tragic death. Since his death, I have lost several friends to heroin use and the numbers are growing in this small beach community. In examining the reasons behind the recent increase heroin use in Orange County, including the impact on the youth, available medical

Problem # 5 Illicit opiate use Goal(s): to be free from illicit drugs. Status: Active Objectives/Progress: Pt. has struggled with continued use of illicit drugs (marijuana, opiates and amphetamines) and his last quarter UDS reflect a pattern of heavy substance use. Pt. was encouraged to work with the medical staff to achieve a stable dosing level. Pt. is regularly taking his medication as prescribed by AMS Doctor and he stated his current prescribed methadone 90 mg is working "well". During the last quarter, Pt. made progress on developing a therapeutic relationship with his new AMS counselor for the upcoming quarter. Also, Counselor focused therapy session on establishing rapport and building trust with him. Pt. is currently in the contemplation stage of change because he more open to receiving information about his negative habits and willing to use educational interventions which he agreed with this assessment. Pt. was reinforced for any statement that reflected acceptance of his chemical dependence and acknowledgment of the negative consequences that opiates has had on his life. During the upcoming quarter, Counselor will assist Pt. to discuss and weigh the pros and cons of continuing his addictive

The usage of heroin in the Oswego area is visible to law enforcement, but not noticed as much by ordinary residents. Due to the unseen interactions between buyers and sellers, it is easy to believe drug use is non-existent in a community such as Oswego. The truth of the matter is, this is not true. In retrospect, many of the residents use drugs in part because the neighborhood they reside in is expected to be free of such activity. The people who recognized drug use was a problem became advocates to stop the issue. For instance, there is Tim and Shannon Ryan, who are the parents of a son who overdosed from heroin. Tim Ryan, introduced his son Ryan to the world of heroin, would spend $400-$500 a day on his addiction, causing his family to lose their Oswego home and forcing his wife to file for divorce. Hoping to save her family, Shannon Ryan videotapes her husband and son while under the influence believing if they viewed the tape while sober it would cause them to quit the drug. Unfortunately, this was not what happened. The Ryan’s lost their son Nick to heroin usage. Consequently, Tim and his now ex-wife publicly speak out against heroin usage. Tim who is now clean runs a non-profit organization called A Man in Recovery.

School (community agency/service): Teachers need to give the students who try to treat opioid addiction guidance and help (impact).

Today I visited a treatment facility in Dayton OH. On James H Mcgee Blvd. This is a methadone based facility that has more than 800 clients currently receiving a daily regime of methadone; this is an agonist substance used in the treatment of opiate addiction. My interview today is with Lakisha Russell, a Licensed Social Worker: she also carries a MHT degree and a LCDC III. Furthermore acquiring a portion of this education at Sinclair.

After discharging from the Navy I have worked in various areas but mostly in Community Work supporting those with youth and young adults who have mental health issues directly and various administration duties . I would like to proof read articles connected to The Young Diggers In the past I have performed similar role when I assisted in proof reading and copy editing while working in community organisations . The areas I focused on were ensuring that there was no punctuation or grammatical errors i.e. typos , the correct use of terminology or if there was missing phrases. I also assisted in checking the writing style and most importantly the overall readability of the articles . Interested in assisting in other areas if there is any need