Systems-Level Implementation fo SBIRT

Great resource from SAMHSA for those interested in SBIRT.  This toolkit describes core elements of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) programs for people with or at risk for substance use  disorders.  Describes SBIRT services implementation, covering challenges, barriers, cost, and sustainability. Click image before for more information

Urgent Policy Alert: NC House of Representatives Vote on House Bill 693 Today!

Message from APNC     Urgent Policy Alert: NC House of Representatives Vote on House Bill 693 Today! The NC House of Representatives will vote on House Bill 693, which would prohibit health care providers or their agents from providing minors with health care services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse issues without notarized consent of the parent (or guardian) and written consent of the minor. This legislation could have a chilling effect on the ability of our members to treat underage persons, particularly those in delicate family situations in which parental involvement is detrimental to the overall…

A Drug Policy for the 21st Century

The release of the 2013 National Drug Control Strategy, a science-driven plan for drug policy reform in America.  This 21st century drug policy outlines a series of evidence-based reforms that address our Nation’s drug problem as not just a criminal justice issue, but also a major public health concern. The President has outlined his vision of an America built to last—where an educated, skilled workforce has the knowledge, energy and expertise to compete in the global marketplace. Yet—for far too many Americans—that vision is limited by drug use, which not only limits the potential of the individual, but jeopardizes families, communities…

New Web-Based FASD Toolkit

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), with support through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) has developed a comprehensive, web-based FASD toolkit that helps to raise awareness, promote surveillance and screening, and ensure that all affected children receive appropriate and timely interventions. Primary care providers should consider FASDs when evaluating children with developmental problems, behavioral concerns, or school failure. Like other children with complex medical or behavioral disabilities, children with FASD need a pediatric medical home to provide and coordinate care and ensure necessary medical, behavioral,…

Parents’ Deployment May Increase Risk of Kids’ Substance Abuse

Researchers from the University of Iowa evaluated data from 2010, when 1.2 million American children had a parent in the active duty military.  Study results suggest parent’s deployment may increase risk of substance abuse in preteen and teens. “We worry a lot about the service men and women and we sometimes forget that they are not the only ones put into harm’s way by deployment—their families are affected, too,” senior study author Stephan Arndt, PhD, said in a news release. “Our findings suggest we need to provide these families with more community support.”