The State Of West Virginia ( Wv ) Passed House Bill 2021

The process of drug testing individuals who are applying or receiving welfare benefits has recently become the focus of a widely spread controversy. Florida, the first state to pass the law, now requires all individuals applying for public assistance to undergo drug testing. The state of Kentucky, among others, have considered following this trend. State lawmakers hope to prevent the squandering of taxpayer dollars on drugs by proposing similar guidelines. Alabama’s states representative Kerry Rich clearly affirmed his state’s position on the matter, “I don’t think the taxpayers should have to help fund somebody’s drug habit” (qtd. in Time).

The author feels that rural areas are drastically underserved by addiction treatment centers. The surgeon general said, “If you focus on prevention, some programs get up to $64 in return for every dollar invested” (Wolf, 2016). Medicaid-assisted treatment with guidance and counseling programs would greatly help rural areas. The government spends $27 billion in health care expenses. The author feels with prevention and addiction treatment centers specifically placed in rural parts of America, will help save government spending, reduce insurance costs and save many

The rate of substance abuse in New Hampshire is astoundingly high. In a survey conducted between 2009 and 2010 by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 12.15% of New Hampshire residents reported past-month use of illegal drugs. The national average during this time period was 8.82%, significantly lower than New Hampshire’s average. Likewise, the most common drugs of abuse during this time included other opiates, heroin and marijuana. More recently, data on drug rehab enrollments in New Hampshire during 2013 show heroin as the leading substance of abuse. As well, drug and alcohol rehab programs enrolled 1,520 individuals (36.7% of all treatment admissions) for heroin addiction treatment in 2013. The average

Addiction to prescription drugs has remained an ongoing problem for residents of West Virginia. In 2014, 26.2% of all drug rehab enrollments in West Virginia cited other opiates as their primary reason for entering treatment. The category known as other opiates includes non-prescription use of methadone, codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, opium, and other drugs with morphine-like effects. Coming in a close second as the most commonly reported substance of abuse among West Virginia drug rehab centers was alcohol addiction. 25.4% of the person’s entering treatment in the state during 2014 listed alcohol as their primary substance of abuse.

The region that is considered Appalachia extends from the southern point of New York and extends down to northern Georgia and the northern part of Mississippi. The region includes parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, the western portion of Virginia, and parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Appalachian culture is made up of a vast array of migrants who settled in the region and is comprised of both urban and rural developments. Appalachian culture is defined by its people, traditions, regional assets, and the many social issues like poverty and substance abuse that have developed inside the region. Understanding the culture of the Appalachian people is an essential part of social work practice. Failure to develop

Drug and alcohol abuse continues to be an ongoing problem for residents of Nevada. Between 2009 and 2010, Nevada was listed among the top ten states for high rates of drug-use in a number of categories. The top two categories included a large number of teenagers reporting past-month use of illicit drugs other than marijuana as well as a substantial amount of teenagers noting past-year non-medical use of pain relievers. The most commonly cited substances among Nevada drug rehab programs during 2011 was stimulants, marijuana and heroin. For most individuals entering Nevada drug and alcohol treatment programs, detox is the first step in their journey to sobriety.

“Factors contributing to substance abuse in rural America include: Low educational attainment, poverty, unemployment, high-risk behaviors, and isolation”

One has chosen to focus on the substance abuse patients as the vulnerable population for the project. Frequently one has identified and seen stigmatization, prejudgments, and poor care given to this population in the workplace. Many patients are discharged each day with no plan of care, no education on resources and no instructions for follow up care. The outcomes and possibilities for the patient’s recovery have shown to be slim by the frequent return of the patient in the emergency room. The patients return within hours of discharge from the ER and seem to be in the same condition as when they left. One has

Wisconsin has a number of serious drug threats affecting state residents. Illegal drugs such as crack and meth are readily available in many areas of Wisconsin, and responsible for a number of drug rehab enrollments. Wisconsin drug rehab programs in the eastern region have experienced an influx of methamphetamine-related admissions. However, cocaine addiction enrollments are reported to be a statewide problem. Additionally, the illegal use of prescription drugs has sent a number of residents into the E.R. as well as Wisconsin drug rehab treatment. Also, younger residents struggle with underage drinking.

One of the biggest problems for people using drugs in Afton is the lack of resources available to them. The nearest treatment and drug counseling centers to Afton are a 45-minute drive away, and Afton has no means of public transportation. In order for people who are using drugs in Afton to receive the proper care they need to overcome their addiction, there needs to be something closer and more assessable for them. This is why opening a drug counseling center in Afton would be beneficial to not only Afton residents, but also the surrounding small towns with limited means of transportation. This can be accomplished by seeking out the help and support of locals, stakeholders, and community groups already present in

Substance abuse issues have long been part of public assistance policy discussions. States have proposed drug testing of applicants and recipients of welfare benefits since federal welfare reform in 1996. In more recent years, almost all states have proposed some form of drug testing for applicants of welfare. The likelihood that drug testing would

The federal and local community resources dedicated to the treatment and prevention of substance use, has become a valuable tool in the process of recovery. Chemically dependent individuals often have a variety of psychosocial problems in addiction to addiction, such as financial, housing, criminal, and poor social support that often leads to poor treatment retention and higher risk of relapse according to Krupski, et. al. (2009). Therefor the need for community resources is critical to the success of the original treatment. When investigating into the federal resources available, there becomes a view into a larger problem with chemical dependency as government agencies compile statistical data of therapeutic approaches, cultural diversity,

As the opioid epidemic takes hold throughout American’s rural counties, public health departments are struggling to mitigate the health threats presented by substance abuse and addiction. While detailed longitudinal data is unavailable, many areas that report increased rates of drug abuse also report increased hospital admissions and accidental deaths. While the relationship between these outcomes is not explicit, it is important to implement interventions that address health issues related to drug related injuries. The first, ACHESS, an employee assistance program, utilizes organizational resources to empower employees to seek recovery assistance. The second, Project DAWN, focuses on harm reduction strategies to assist

Baltimore City has a drug problem, more specifically Baltimore City has a heroin and opioid addiction problem that different stakeholders are trying to address. Public administrators are faced with challenges of limited resources, shrinking budgets, and overtaxed services when operating both public and private organizations. Addiction and the multiple layers of bureaucracy associated with treatment provide an opportunity to explore difficulties identifying quantitative administrative data, post treatment. This essay will identify central issues regarding current policies, major stakeholders, and

After analyzing the bills introduced by the nation and the state, there are several inadequacies present at each level contributing to the development of ineffective substance abuse policies. National bills are less specific in their descriptions and pertain to issues that are not currently concerning to the state. Numerous national bills required stakeholders to fund substance abuse programs that are implemented and designed by the state. Although this creates locally sensitive programs, the nation provides little guidance in its development. This can lead to inaccurate interpretation and implementation; thus, developing programs that are ineffective and a waste of resources.