| Page One The Department of Human Services (DHS) Assistant Commissioner Wes Kooistra, Chemical Health Division Director Don Eubanks, and Chemical Health Operations Manager Deb Moses attended MARRCH’s July board of governors meeting to discuss important issues of mutual interest.
Photos from the MARRCH July board of governors meeting: MARRCH President Tom Fuchs and DHS representatives: Deb Moses, Don Eubanks and Wes Kooistra. At the meeting, DHS staff outlined their goals and objectives for the next two, four and eight years. Moreover, MARRCH expressed the desire to have a more collaborative relationship with DHS in the future. The two groups discussed plans for increased communication between the entities, not only for the purpose of information sharing, but also to rely on each other’s resources. In particular, the following areas were briefly identified as opportunities for partnering: training, as it impacts providers, and a workforce development conference that is being planned by MARRCH for Nov. 30. Don Eubanks and Deb Moses plan to attend future MARRCH board of governors meetings on a regular basis to foster strong ongoing communications between the Chemical Health Division and MARRCH.
'Rule 25' Implementation Delayed until 2008 The Chemical Health Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (CHD) has delayed the implementation of the revised "Rule 25" until Jan. 1, 2008. By now, almost all of us know that the redesign of our current chemical dependency assessment rule, commonly known as Rule 25, is "in process." In the second week of July, the CHD announced that the effective date would be one year later than the previously announced date. This new date will allow the rule time to progress through the technical review required of Minnesota Rules, to be released for public review and comment, and if necessary, to hold a public hearing on the rule's merits. The reasons for changing Rule 25 may have become foggy memories for those who have been following it for long time. The most obvious reason is that the rewrite of Rule 25 is part of a larger effort to redesign the chemical dependency treatment delivery system. The restructuring effort began in the mid 1990s, and is part of an effort to achieve our goal of effective chemical health assessment and treatment services that are "continuous, affordable, appropriate, culturally competent and individualized." The redesign is intended to help providers to better identify and address each individual's impediments to recovery and to more carefully match resources to needs. The intent is to remove the administrative rules that could inhibit more individualized and more effective approaches. Rule 25, as currently configured, is dated. It rigidly divides CD treatment into categories, impeding the development and refinement of new treatment designs. The current Rule 25 gives little attention to mental health or to other issues that can interfere with client recovery. It doesn't have much to say about problem severity, and it's not consistent with CD treatment rules. Proposed changes to Rule 25 and the changes made to treatment licensure have the same motivation — to change the regulatory structure of the chemical dependency treatment delivery system so that it can become more flexible and client-centered. The most obvious changes to Rule 25 can be described as conforming to the changes that came with Rule 31. The new Rule 25 will not have categories of treatment that are part of the current rule. The six dimensional assessment required of Rule 31-licensed programs will be required of the referring entities. Some other planned Rule 25 features include:
This effort involved significant contributions, made over years, from a work group including representatives from MARRCH, the counties and tribes, the health plans, and the DHS advisory councils on chemical health. More information regarding the Rule will be made available by the CHD, including notice of a training schedule for "How to contract for services under the new Rule 25." Questions can be sent to DHS.Chemical-Health@state.mn.us, or call the department at 651-431-2460. Events
Member News From the President
In the late '90s there was a book out called Megatrends by John Naisbitt. The book was a New York Times best-seller for 42 weeks … at least that's what the dust jacket says. Looking online, the author has a new Megatrends book due out this year. Maybe mega has a new definition, meaning large but not long lasting, and maybe trends (with our world moving as fast as it does) only last for a few years. If the author can develop and revise his predictions, surely I can create some for MARRCH and the treatment environment in general. This list starts with the realistic (and sometimes unfortunate) and moves toward the surreal, but strangely all within the realm of the possible. Tom Fuch’s Megatrends for Chemical Health for the next 10 years:
Some of these ideas you might like, some you might hate; but agree or disagree, most of these trends are both possible and probable. Your involvement and participation in MARRCH is a critical part of the providers' and counselors' voices to help shape the debate and outcome. If you are a director or owner of a CD program, consider how your organization could grow (or shrink) if these trends come to fruition. I’m interested in what you think will be the trends for the next decade. As you read this, let me know what you think by e-mailing me at tfuchs@riverviewhealth.org. MARRCH agency members can take advantage of the 30 cents per cup discount on ALL 5-panel UA testing cups during the month of July. DrugCheck products are American made with a 97.6 percent effectiveness rate (according to the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.) This discount is made available only to MARRCH Agency Member providers and only through www.saasexpress.com. If you have not checked out this new benefit, go to the Web site or contact Ardis Glace at 800-846-4903 or ardis@saasexpress.com. You'll also discover new and even lower pricing on all DrugCheck UA dippers.
The quilt is an ongoing project, so send your squares to the MARRCH office to have them included! More information is available at the MARRCH Web site.
MARRCH is promoting the power of recovery and the chemical health field with Recovery Works wristbands. The bands, in MARRCH's familiar purple color, are available at the MARRCH office and cost $10 for five bands. Go to the MARRCH Web site's store, call 651-290-7462 or e-mail marrch@ewald.com for more information or to order. State News Hazelden Announces National Research Recognition for Author of its Model Prevention Curriculum University of Minnesota researcher awarded Prevention Science Award for Project Northland program The nonprofit Hazelden Foundation, a national leader in drug and alcohol addiction treatment and prevention programs, announced that Cheryl Perry, professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, was recently honored by the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) with the 2006 Prevention Science Award. The award acknowledges her extensive research and work in prevention, and her collaboration with Hazelden as author of Project Northland, an evidence based, multi-component community program to prevent drug and alcohol use among adolescents. The Prevention Science Award was presented to Perry at SPR’s 2006 annual meeting in San Antonio on June 1, and recognized her for using applied scientific methods to develop and test strategies for one or more preventative interventions or policies. Perry and her team at the University of Minnesota developed Project Northland and in 2000 published the curriculum with Hazelden for grades 6-8, which showed it reduced teen alcohol use by 30 percent after its initial three-year test program. “Project Northland allowed us to work at the community level as well as with schools, parents and peers to achieve positive outcomes with alcohol use prevention among teens,” said Perry. “Fortunately, by partnering with Hazelden we have been able to disseminate the program all over the country, and even in other countries, and vastly spread its success.” Perry also received the Research Laureate Award from the American Academy of Health Behavior in 2004 for her work on Project Northland, and the program itself has been named an Exemplary Program by the U.S. Department of Education and a Model Program by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). “The Project Northland curriculum reaches adolescents in their prime influential years,” said Nick Motu, senior vice president of Hazelden Publishing and Educational Services. “Working with researchers like Cheryl from an exceptional institution like the University of Minnesota is crucial to developing effective programs that reach youth before peer pressure influences them to make unhealthy choices.” Research News Underage Drinking Costs Society More than Illicit Drugs, Study Says A new study estimates that underage drinking costs the U.S. $62 billion a year and results in 3,200 deaths and 2.6 million other "harmful events," PNN Online reported June 30. The study conducted by the Pacific Institute on Research and Education (PIRE) says that while public and government attention is focused primarily on youth use of illicit drugs, underage drinking is by far the greater problem, killing four times as many youths as all illicit drugs combined. "The problems caused by underage drinking are a devastating tidal wave of alcohol harm," said lead researcher Ted Miller, Ph.D. "Alcohol-related traffic crashes, violence, teen pregnancies, STDs, burns, drownings, alcohol poisoning, property damage and other risks take a human and economic toll that's much greater than illegal drugs." However, the federal government spends about 25 times more money on preventing illicit-drug use than on underage-drinking prevention. Miller estimated that every drink consumed by underage youth costs the nation $3. "That's far more than the 85-cent price tag those drinks carry," he said. "It dwarfs the 10 cents in taxes we collect or the 40 cents in profit the alcohol industry reaps." The report also estimated that underage drinking generates $18 billion in sales annually for the alcohol industry, and $2 billion in tax revenues.
The Next Big Thing? Methamphetamine in the United States "Methamphetamines have become the drug of choice across the nation and the 'one hit and you're hooked' drug is one of the hardest for health officials to treat and users to kick." — Levi Hill, Silver City Sun-News 1 "Political judgment and values have been paramount in the establishment of national drug policies ... considerable political acumen is required to modify prevailing fear and anger into constructive programs." — David F. Musto, The American Disease. 2 Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug that represents a substantial challenge to policymakers, health care professionals, social service providers, and the law enforcement community. Over time, methamphetamine abuse can result in the deterioration of physical and mental capacities, the dissolving of family ties, diminished employment prospects, and a lifetime spent cycling through the criminal justice system. The consequences of irresponsible drug abuse harm not only the individual, but his or her family and the larger community. Thus, it is important that our public resources be effectively directed to both prevent the development of such a habit as well as treat those individuals before the proverbial die has been cast. Unfortunately, the American strategy of drug control since the early 20th century has emphasized an approach of prevention based on instilling fear about a substance through dramatized descriptions and images of the consequences of use coupled with a notion of treating people with harsh punishments out-of-step with the harm caused by the drug. Historically, the domestic response to drug use has been to demonize the drug and the people who use it while exaggerating the impact of its use (“You’ll be hooked the first time you try it”). This strategy has been complemented in the past two decades with mandatory minimums, sentencing enhancements, and a ban on access to services such as public housing, income assistance, and federal educational aid as the result of a drug conviction. Download the pdf to read more. 1 Levi Hill (2006, March 6). “Addicts, Community Battle Meth,” Silver City Sun-News (NM). African-American Youth Exposed to More Alcohol Advertising Than Their Peers Alcohol advertising on radio, television and magazines reached more African-American youth than their peers in 2003 and 2004 on a per capita basis, according to a report released by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University. During this same period, overall youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines and on radio has declined, but this report finds that African-American youth continue to be exposed at higher levels than their peers. Alcohol use is closely tied to the three leading causes of death among African-American youth ages 12 to 20: unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle crashes), homicides, and suicides. In 2003, the Center released the first-ever comprehensive review of the exposure of African-American youth to alcohol advertising. The current report, titled Exposure of African-American Youth to Alcohol Advertising, 2003-2004, updates that study and shows a continuation of high exposure rates for African-American youth in magazines, radio and television programs. Key findings from the report include:
"As long as alcohol use plays a part in the leading causes of death for African-American youth, parents and policy makers have reason to be gravely concerned about the barrage of alcohol advertising reaching their children," said David Jernigan, Executive Director of CAMY. Alcohol is the drug most commonly used by both African-American youth and adults. Alcohol products and imagery pervade African-American youth culture. Several recent long-term studies funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism have documented a link between youth exposure to alcohol advertising and youth alcohol consumption. In 2003, alcohol industry trade associations agreed to voluntary guidelines for their members that limited advertising in measured media to places where the youth audience is 30 percent or less. However, since youth ages 12 to 20 make up approximately 15 percent of the U.S. population ages 12 and older, the 30 percent industry threshold permits youth to be exposed to alcohol advertising at a rate that is double their share of the population. Also in 2003, the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine recommended that the alcohol industry move toward a 15 percent threshold. In May 2006, 20 state attorneys general expressed their support for a 15 percent standard in comments sent to the Federal Trade Commission. To date, no alcohol company has agreed to move below the current 30 percent standard. "Ongoing, independent monitoring and reporting of youth exposure shows that African-American youth are still being overexposed compared to other youth," said Jernigan. "This kind of monitoring is critical to let African-American parents know the risks they face in raising their children." The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University monitors the marketing practices of the alcohol industry to focus attention and action on industry practices that jeopardize the health and safety of America's youth. The Center is supported by grants from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. More information on the Center and a full text of this report can be found at www.camy.org. Dramatic Increase in National Treatment Admissions for Meth Coincides with Increase in Criminal Justice Referrals Contact: The number of national treatment admissions reporting methamphetamine as the primary substance of abuse increased dramatically from 1992 to 2004, according to data from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). In 1992, 14,570 treatment admissions reported methamphetamine as the primary substance of abuse (comprising 1 percent of all admissions), compared to 129,079 in 2004 (7 percent of all admissions). At the same time, the proportion of methamphetamine treatment admissions that were referred by the criminal justice system also increased, from 38 percent to 51 percent. Referrals from individuals (including self-referrals) decreased over this period (from 34 percent to 24 percent) as did those from substance abuse care providers (from 9 percent to 5 percent). Caution should be used in utilizing treatment admissions data as an indicator of use or dependence since treatment admissions may also be influenced by changes in law enforcement and sentencing practices as well as changes in legislation which divert drug offenders to treatment. For details, including data charts, source information and caveats, download the PDF file at www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/cesarfax/vol15/15-22.pdf. Reprinted from CESAR Fax, a weekly, one-page overview of timely substance abuse trends or issues, from The Center on Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland.
National News Experts once believed that it took a long period of heavy drinking to injure the brain, but mounting research suggests that alcohol may readily damage the developing brains of teenagers, The New York Times reported on July 4. Preliminary animal research has shown that doses of alcohol similar to binge drinking episodes may cause cellular damage to the forebrain and hippocampus of adolescents, perhaps explaining why — as a different study of human subjects recently found — people who begin drinking at a young age are at much higher risk of becoming alcoholics. Studies also have shown that young drinkers perform poorly on a variety of cognitive tests. "There is no doubt about it now: there are long-term cognitive consequences to excessive drinking of alcohol in adolescence," said Aaron White, assistant research professor in the psychiatry department at Duke University. "We definitely didn't know 5 or 10 years ago that alcohol affected the teen brain differently. Now there's a sense of urgency. It's the same place we were in when everyone realized what a bad thing it was for pregnant women to drink alcohol." Researchers have found that alcohol suppresses the action of chemical receptors in the hippocampus of young rats, impairing the development of new memories. Drinking affected the learning ability of young rats far more than it impaired the cognitive function of older rats. While it is uncertain how directly applicable the rat studies are to people, the findings are consistent with recent research exploring the neurobiological effects of alcohol in adolescent humans. Young drinkers may experience more alcohol-related "blackouts" than previously believed, which may be explained by the effect of drinking on the developing hippocampus. Drinking also appears to make the brain less responsive to the neurotransmitter GABA among young people; GABA helps induce calmness and sleepiness, which may be why young drinkers can often remain conscious and keep drinking even after older drinkers pass out. "Clearly, something is changed in the brain by early alcohol exposure," said Scott Swartzwelder, a neuropsychologist at Duke and at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, N.C. "It's a double-edged sword and both of the edges are bad. Teenagers can drink far more than adults before they get sleepy enough to stop, but along the way they're impairing their cognitive functions much more powerfully." Impulse control also is impaired by drinking, research shows — a particular hazard for already impetuous youth. "Alcohol creates disruption in parts of the brain essential for self-control, motivation and goal setting," said University of North Carolina researcher Fulton Crews. "Early drinking is affecting a sensitive brain in a way that promotes the progression to addiction." "Let's say you've been arrested for driving while drunk and spent seven days in jail," Crews added. "You'd think, 'No way am I going to speed and drive drunk again,' because you have the ability to weigh the consequences and the importance of a behavior. This is exactly what addicts don't do." New Web site on Pain Management for Healthcare Professionals Pain in America is a healthcare crisis, with half of all persons suffering chronic or recurring pain conditions. Up to 80 percent of persons entering addiction treatment programs complain of pain disorders, a third of them experiencing chronic pain, and many are either untreated or undertreated for their pain. Targeting these vital issues, "Pain Treatment Topix" — www.pain-topix.com — is a new noncommercial website for healthcare professionals. It provides evidence-based clinical news, information, research, and education on the causes and effective treatment of all pain conditions. According to Pain Treatment Topix Publisher/Editor, Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD, "In many ways, Pain-Topix.com acts as a clearinghouse gathering and logically organizing all the clinical essentials of pain management at one website; thereby, visitors can make the most of their time on the Internet. This is an open-access Web site — all of the resources are available free of charge, without restriction or required registration — and we are not promoting or selling any products or services." Pain-Topix.com is designed for easy navigation, and a special section on Addiction Topix addresses how pain in addiction can complicate the treatment of both disorders. Safety concerns in prescribing analgesics for substance-dependent persons are stressed. The website has the most complete listings anywhere of pain-related events, education courses, clinical guidelines, research reviews, and website links. Original articles, reports, and answers to frequently asked questions provide evidence-based summaries and helpful practice perspectives. Pain Treatment Topix is modeled after another successful project — "Addiction Treatment Forum" — which Leavitt and colleagues started in 1992. This has become a leading noncommercial educational program in the addiction treatment field worldwide. Both Pain Treatment Topix and Addiction Treatment Forum rely on sponsor support in the form of unrestricted educational grants to fund the considerable costs of developing and providing quality content free of charge to a worldwide audience. Mallinckrodt Inc., St. Louis, MO — a leading manufacturer of opioid analgesic products — is the current sponsor of both projects.
NIDA's Sixth Blending Conference to be held in Seattle on Oct.16 and 17, 2006 As in other fields of medicine, a gap exists in the drug abuse treatment field between clinical practice and scientific research. Blending Addiction Science & Practice: Bridges to the Future provides an important opportunity for clinicians and providers to interact with the developers of empirically supported treatments in awareness raising workshops focused on treatment implementation. One important response to the gap in the drug abuse treatment field
between clinical practice and research has been the National Institute
on Drug Abuse's (NIDA's) National Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network
(CTN), a research infrastructure currently consisting of 17 research "nodes" designed to test the effectiveness and usefulness of new and
improved interventions in community-based treatment settings with
diverse populations. The CTN is an important component of NIDA's overall
goal to establish and maintain partnerships with drug abuse researchers
and community treatment providers. This is made possible by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in conjunction with other partners. |
OneVoice Table of Contents Page One 'Rule 25' Implementation Delayed until 2008 Events Member News MARRCH Welcomes new Agency Members State News Research News The Next Big Thing? Methamphetamine in the United States African-American Youth Exposed to More Alcohol Advertising Than Their Peers Dramatic Increase in National Treatment Admissions for Meth Coincides with Increase in Criminal Justice Referrals New Web site on Pain Management for Healthcare Professionals NIDA's Sixth Blending Conference to be held in Seattle on Oct.16 and 17, 2006 |
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Job ads New Beginnings at Waverly, a chemical dependency treatment facility located 40 miles West of Mpls, just off Highway 12, has the following job opportunities: Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Sunday through Thursday, 8-4:30 pm, job duties include doing chemical assessments, facilitating primary groups during the week and spirituality group on Sunday. We will train you to fill in where ever needed in a busy chemical dependency environment. Excellent benefit package available. Chemical Dependency Counselor Location: Category Deadline Qualifications/Job Description We offer a competitive salary as well as a generous benefits including medical, dental, profit sharing, and 15 paid days off in the first year with an additional day off accruing each year. Application Notes Salary Range Start Date Contact Contact Phone Contact Fax Contact E-mail Chemical Dependency Counselor Location: Deadline Qualifications/Job Description Contact Contact Phone Contact E-mail Chemical Dependency Counselor Location: Category Deadline Qualifications/Job Description Education: Completion of accredited Counselor training program with 3 years working experience in a Chemical Dependency program OR Baccalaureate degree in Behavioral or Social Science including specialized education in alcoholism/chemical dependency with 1 year experience as a Counselor. Experience: One to three years as a counselor in a multidisciplinary team setting is preferred Application Notes Salary Info Start Date Web Site Contact Contact Phone Contact Fax Contact E-mail |
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MARRCH Board of Directors Tom Fuchs Bob Melson Cathy Cerra Nancee Andresen Lance Egley Brian Teuber Regions Region 2: Region 3: Region 4: Region 5: Region 6: Region 7: Region 8: Region 9: Region 10: Region 11: Committees Education Ethics Membership / Fellowship Public Policy Sections Detox Halfway House / Extended Care School Spiritual Care
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MARRCH Welcomes New Agency Members: Juel Fairbanks Chemical Dep Services, Janice Lindstrom, St. Paul www.juelfair The Evergreen House Inc., Bemidji, Becky Schueller, www.evergreen Turning Point, Inc., Peter Hayden, Minneapolis, www.ourturning |
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MARRCH eNews is a subscription-based e-mail publication from the Minnesota Association of Resources for Recovery and Chemical Health to its members. If you would prefer not to receive the newsletter anymore, click here to unsubscribe and enter “Unsubscribe” in the subject line of the email reply. Copyright ©2006 MARRCH. All rights reserved. |
