Search Results

By Rob Kent, J.D. from https://www.linkedin.com/posts/robert-k-9422953a_a-serious-course-correction-is-necessary-activity-7189578397692440577-qHay I have been thinking a lot about the intersection of harm reduction and treatment. This is at the top of my mind based on my conversations with treatment program staff where they tell me that they believe, or have been told by their regulators, that they must treat folks who are unwilling, or uninterested, in accessing all of the services offered by their program and that they cannot refer folks to other, better suited services, in that instance. We all need to acknowledge that there are a range of providers that offer a range of services, and that the full continuum accepts folks at all stages. I do not believe that every program should be required to serve individuals who only want medication and no counseling. In that instance, the programs should be able to make a real connection for that person to another program. Some have told me that my work at OASAS (New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports) has led to the current state of affairs. Let me clarify that the overriding principle of my work is that we must keep folks who use drugs engaged and connected, or they will die! For me that translates to not conditioning access to essential medications on compulsory participation in counseling. That does not translate to keeping someone in your program if they never choose to participate in counseling, so long as you connect them to another program. That translates to finding someone another program when they continue to use harmful substances if you do not believe that you can help them. Treatment and harm reduction programs must be willing to refer folks to each other. When we removed the New York state regulatory language that made abstinence the goal of treatment, we did not say that abstinence could never be the goal of treatment. The goal should be driven by the person seeking help in consultation with their provider! In the name of supporting harm reduction, it seems that some are making harm reduction the goal of treatment for all, without consulting those who seek help and those who offer it. If we want a full and real continuum of help, we need to invest in both harm reduction and treatment services. We cannot and should not make every program do the same thing, to offer the same services! I am also very concerned about what I hear from the amazing folks who work in the addiction care system. They tell me about how heavy the work is, about how difficult, about how the pay offered makes many choose to work elsewhere, how those choosing to work in the system are “green” and inexperienced, about how their regulators in the name of harm reduction tell them that they cannot hold those in care accountable in any way, and that they cannot refer folks to other programs better suited for their current needs. They tell me about the lack of partnership from their government funders and regulators — that they are told what to do and not asked for input — about government audits and program reviews that focus on items that have absolutely nothing to do with good care! This worries me greatly and makes me question whether current government efforts to reduce death and health consequences from drug and alcohol use are actually contributing to the bad outcomes. I hear many government regulators talk about being “data driven” and requiring the use of “evidenced-based” interventions. ​The data and evidence clearly show that the current approach is NOT working! We are losing more than 250,000 individuals to drug and alcohol use every year! The numbers are going up, not down! The current approach where government bureaucrats decide what medications should be made available to those in need, and telling providers that they must all provide the same type of care will fail. A serious course correction is needed. Rob Kent, J.D., is president of Kent Strategic Advisors. He was previously legal counsel for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and before that, legal counsel for the New York state Office of Addiction Services and Supports. For more information go to www.Kentstrategicadvisors.com.

From https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aaronweinerphd_alcohol-challenging-dangerous-cultural-norms-activity-7186435818347991041-2pel If someone says "drug use," what comes to mind? Here's a guess: a lot of things might pop into your head, but alcohol isn't one of them. ...but why is that? Alcohol is just as much an intoxicating chemical as anything we normally consider a recreational "drug." Why have we collectively opted to carve it out and put it into its own separate (and socially accepted, if not outright celebrated) category? For my latest article on Psychology Today, I expand on an idea from a recent LinkedIn post: that alcohol use has been so normalized in the United States that we've lost sight of the true public health cost of making it ubiquitous in so many facets of our social life. If 178,000 people in the US can be dying each year from alcohol but using the term "alcohol epidemic" would still strike most people as odd, how bad does it have to get before we take our collective alcohol problem seriously?

Bringing attention to the fight against the Opioid and Fentanyl Epidemic, Societal Stigma on Substance Use Disorder, Mental Health Issues, and our unconditional Love for each other and our pets! Sunday, May 05, 2024 12 Noon to 4 pm Washington Park, Albany, NY Contact: Jihad El-Amin 518-487-4617 jelamin@capitaldistrictrecoverycenter.org Share the flyer

Healthy Capital District is offering courses for provisional certification for the role of Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA)! We support you through the entire process and are dedicated to your success!! Unlike other programs, we provide THREE MONTHS of support after course completion! This month, we're holding the program at Capital District Recovery Center - CDRC and there's still time to join! To learn more and to register, visit https://buff.ly/3vaC7ym

When: Every Saturday 8:00 PM – 12 MIDNIGHT Where: 45 COLVIN AVE, ALBANY, NY 12206 - WHERE RECOVERY HAPPENS! Call (518) 487-4617 if you have questions FELLOWSHIP, MUSIC, CHESS, CARDS, SNACKS, LAUGHTER, ETC....

“GRIEF - IT’S AN INSIDE OUT THANG!” February 10th, 2024 PLACE: 45 COLVIN AVE, 2nd floor, ALBANY, NY 1:00 – 3:00pm Snacks and beverage included Free of charge RSVP or questions to: Jihad El-Amin jelamin1924@gmail.com 518-487-4617 Hosted by: CDRC and Community Fathers

JANUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 3 2024 (Mon-Fri 4:30 pm – 9 pm,) REQUIREMENTS: Experience with a substance use disorder Willingness to share your recovery journey to help others. High school diploma or equivalent. Contact: Jihad El-Amin Cell: 518-429-5034 45 Colvin Ave 2 nd floor Albany, New York 12206

This is the first class that Healthy Capital. District hosted with SUNY Schenectady Office of Workforce Development and Community Education and with the support of Schenectady College and Career Outreach Center. Find out About CRPA Would you like to organize or attend a similar class? Contact us.

Congratulations to the Working Group on Girls of Schenectady on winning Women United's Perfect Pitch tonight at Brown's Revolution Hall! Women United's signature event, Perfect Pitch is a "Shark Tank-style" competition at which four local nonprofits "pitched" an idea for an innovative program that supports Women United's mission of advancing women’s rights and health, and educational and economic equity for all women in the Greater Capital Region. Visit their Website Delivered by Board Co-Presidents Chinira Lovick and Monique Wade, the Working Group on Girls of Schenectady pitched an original program called FRESH (Food, Resiliency, Education, Socialization, and Health). The main benefits of FRESH are to educate, empower, mentor, and provide sustainable life skills to young women in the Schenectady community. FRESH will be a holistic program including several components: mentorship, leadership, gardening, farm-to-table, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, social-emotional learning, and community service. FAN FAVORITE AWARD WINNER: Congratulations to the Capital District Recovery Center (CDRC), which was chosen by tonight's audience to receive the Sunmark Charitable Community Foundation Fan Favorite Award! CDRC will receive a $2,500 grant, courtesy of our partners at Sunm Visit their Website Delivered by Board President Deborah Eley, CDRC pitched an idea to expand its Trauma Workshop for Women and the Social Determinants of Health program. This initiative grew out of the recognition that men and women need separate supports that recognize the specifics of women’s diverse experiences and needs. The proposed workshop focuses exclusively on women participants and centers the ways in which gender impacts health inequities and social determinants of health. Being trauma-informed helps those in recovery to understand themselves and why they began using, their need for emotional safety, the universal need for healthy coping skills and connections, and their right to feel calm and good about themselves. THANK YOU TO OUR SHARKS! The toughest job in the building went to our Sharks, who were tasked with picking a winner after hearing four amazing pitches last night. In addition to being business leaders in the Capital Region, each of these women has prioritized giving back to the community. Immediately prior to the night's winner's being announced, our Sharks surprised the audience by combining to donate an additional $3,500 to the contestants! We can't thank them enough for their generosity and support of Women United and its partners. Thank you: Cinnamon Carlarne, President & Dean, Albany Law School Vera Cohen, President & CEO & Broker, Vera Cohen Realty Leola Edelin, General Manager, Renaissance Albany Hotel Carrie Hillenbrandt, Senior Vice President, BBL Hospitality Jennifer Keida, President & CEO, Standard, Heating, Cooling & Insulating Georgia Kelly, Senior VP, Senior Financial Advisor & Portfolio Manager, Merrill Lynch THANK YOU TO OUR EMCEE, TRISHNA BEGAM FROM NEWS10 ABC Back for the third consecutive year, News10 ABC's Trishna Begam did an amazing job as our mistress of ceremonies. We appreciate Trishna's continued support and the enthusiasm she brings to make Perfect Pitch an annual night to remember! Women United is a group of energetic, passionate, and philanthropic women empowered by United Way of the Greater Capital Region to mobilize change by inve

Download and share the flyer

We asked more than a dozen addiction experts, sobriety counselors, podcasters and people in recovery to share the books they found most helpful. From the NY Times ‘We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life,’ by Laura McKowen ‘Dry: A Memoir,’ by Augusten Burroughs ‘Stash: My Life in Hiding,’ by Laura Cathcart Robbins ‘This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life,’ by Annie Grace ‘The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober,’ by Catherine Gray ‘Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book,’ by William G. Wilson (Bill W.) ‘Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Deep Connection, and Limitless Presence Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol,’ by Ruby Warrington ‘Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol,’ by Holly Whitaker Read the full NY Times article to find out more about these books.

On August 22, Healthy Capital District hosted an inspiring and informative event that focused on collaborative efforts to transform the lives of community members reintegrating into society after incarceration. The event sold out with 95 attendees from 54 organizations packing the rooms of the Capital District Recovery Center to listen to engaging presenters and an expert panel. Participants contributed to interactive workshops and had opportunities to network. Thank you to Arkview Recovery Center, Legal Action Center, and Fusion Recovery for their support. Darby Larkin with the Legal Action Center has created a website of Reentry Tools and Resources. Whether or not you attended, they invite you to complete a survey regarding future events, training, advocacy, and opportunities to get involved to support our community! Find more photos of the event on the Healthy Capital District’s Linkedin Page!