bethel

FRONT COVER BETHEL COUNSELING SERVICES

FALL 2016 ISSUE

FELICIA R. OSBORNE DEVELOPS NEW PROGRAM TO BREAK THE COP STIGMA

INSIDE SCOOP BEYOND DETOX BLANDING shares his expertise on saving lives

KHALISE

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FEATURES 08 FOOD FOR THE SOUL Food pantry helps families keep food on the table 12 CHASING AN EPIDEMIC Trying to keep up with the demand for detox amid an opioid crisis 16 SERVICE WITHOUT BORDERS Bethel counseling intern helps people worldwide 46 STARTING OVER Relapse after years of sobriety creates second chance for client 50 CAMP SPIRIT Bethel launches summer Bible camp to help students grow 54 ANGELS WITH BROKEN WINGS New Bethel program looks to improve police-community relations 60 HOUSE CALLS Medical students provide Bethel clients with much-needed expertise BETHEL COUNSELING SERVICES

CONTENTS To send a comment or question, write to: BETHEL COUNSELING SERVICES

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IN THE NEWS 24 BEND BUT DON’T BREAK Yoga is being used to help people maintain recovery and avoid relapse 26 COPING WITH DISCRIMINATION Discrimination remains largely ignored as a cause of substance abuse 28 FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE Researchers look to combat addiction through repurposed pharmaceuticals 30 HIDDEN DANGERS Alcohol poses whole host of health concerns 32 MORE THAN SKIN DEEP Implant represents revolutionary approach to treating opioid addiction

34 UNDERSERVED AND UNDERTERRED Overcoming the unique challenges LGBTQ individuals face with addiction 36 RELAPSE TRACKERS Fitness trackers can help prevent relapses 38 PROLONGING THE PAIN Study suggests painkillers may be having the opposite effect in the long run 40 GROWING CONCERN OVER HEROIN USE New poll shows Americans are increasingly concerned with the dangers that heroin use poses to the country 44 BOOM, BUST, AND DRUGS Study says economic downturn leads to increase in substance use disorders

LAB PROFILE

OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE A CONFIDENTIAL, SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE AFFLICTED WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF ADDICTION.

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elieving the pressures of poverty requires systematic change in economic conditions,

running the food pantry. “It's growing every week.” Drinkard says the pantry now feeds roughly 50 to 80 families each week, and credits some of that increase to word of mouth spreading throughout the community. With a focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, Drinkard says they try to provide not just food, but nutritious food to help improve community wellness. “My goal with the food pantry is to make the clients healthier,” Drinkard says. Community spirit e pantry is open every Friday and they try to give clients a three- to ve-day supply of food, but sta also hope they take away much more than a bag of groceries. Drinkard says she and her team try to create a spirit of community, talking with those who visit the pantry to include them in fellowship and make them a member of the Bethel family. “Every person that comes by, I personally say, ‘God bless you,’” Drinkard says. “We greet them with a smile and we try to embrace them because everybody has been through a rough time.” e eort has created a sense of camaraderie among sta as well. Drinkard says “the team atmosphere is great” with every sta member embracing the Helping Hands ministry’s goal of creating an inclusive and positive environment.

Food For the Soul

educational opportunities, housing, and a whole host of other considerations both big and small. While there are numerous nonprots and government agencies dedicated to the

task, Bethel Counseling Services understands that none of that matters if the people are starving. Bethel recently opened a food pantry to supply the community with that most basic of human needs which makes all other endeavors possible. Bethel’s Executive Director and CEO Pastor Felicia Osborne started the pantry after seeing too many people going hungry, and unfortunately the need appears to be growing. [ ] “My goal with the food pantry is to make the clients healthier.” “It started out with maybe 40 to 50 people at one time, and now it’s upwards of 90 at times,” says Sarah Drinkard, a Bethel employee in charge of - Sarah Drinkard, Bethel Counseling Services

Food pantry creates community and improves wellness

“We work as a team, no struggle, no ghting,” Drinkard says. “ey really do it from their heart.” [ ] “We greet them with a smile and we try to embrace Mutual aid Just as clients leave the pantry with food to ll their stomachs, sta also walk away from the experience with something to sustain them. Drinkard says everyone who works on the pantry team enjoys helping people in need, and she even enjoys the day-to-day tasks like shopping for the food. But she says the real reward is knowing that people in her community aren’t going to bed hungry. “It has been a great experience, I love it. I love shopping,” Drinkard says with a laugh. “I love the fact that I can give these people food that they can actually use.” Drinkard says she was inspired by Pastor Osborne’s vision for the food pantry and by her mission to “take back the city.” After seeing the dierence it can make in people’s lives, Drinkard says she wants to expand the food pantry program even further to help as many people as possible. them because everybody has been through a rough time.” Sarah Drinkard

“We’re helping our city, helping the people in our city,” Drinkard says. “It’s very exciting, very rewarding work.”

The opioid epidemic sweeping the country has put a strain on resources in Newark, forcing Bethel Counseling Services to nd new ways to help those in need. Bethel has a longstanding partnership with Bergen Regional Medical Center, using a van to drive people to detox at the hospital. Bergen reserves bed space for Bethel clients, but lately they’ve had more demand than beds. Bethel staff say they’ve always seen people struggling with heroin addictions, but now prescription medications have come to the forefront, especially with young people. “It’s taking our young people by storm. I’ve never seen so many 20-year-olds going to detox,” says Khalise Blanding, a behavioral technician in charge of the detox van. “It just hurts your heart because those are our kids, that’s the future, and they don’t even know the world that they're getting into.”

Besides the prescription drugs, new substances are showing up in mixtures without users’ knowledge. More and more, law enforcement ofcials are nding heroin supplies cut with fentanyl, which is about 50 times more powerful than pure heroin and can have deadly consequences. “The heroin is worse than it was before because it’s being mixed with all kinds of things now,” Blanding says. “It makes it really hard to maintain [sobriety].”

“I’VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY 20-YEAR-OLDS GOING TO DETOX.” - Khalise Blanding, behavioral technician, Bethel Counseling Services

CHASING AN EPIDEMIC TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND FOR DETOX AMID AN OPIOID CRISIS 12

Unprecedented demand Blanding says the need for detox services this summer was like nothing he’s ever seen. He says often people will try to enter detox during the winter months as much for the help as for a warm place to sleep. But he says now they’re often booked two weeks out with people looking for a bed in the detox center. “It is so full, I’ve never seen it this full,” Blanding says. “By the time the calls come in, I’ll sometimes be on the third week because there’s such a need.” Blanding has several connections in New York and will reach out to any agency he can nd if the beds at Bergen are full. He says there’s nothing tougher than having to turn away someone who’s in need of help, so he works tirelessly to make sure they get into a detox program as quickly as possible. “You want to help them so bad, but if circumstances don’t allow it, there’s not much you can do,” Blanding says. “If I could, I’d try to take the whole neighborhood.” Beyond detox As Bergen is working to expand the number of beds available for detox, Bethel staff are concentrating on those returning from their stay in the hospital. They know that without continued treatment, many won’t be able to maintain their sobriety for long. “There’s a lot of individuals who can get clean, but staying clean, that’s the challenge right there,” Blanding says. “Sometimes it’s not always good to just detox them, you have to have a plan.” That’s why Bethel staff urge all of their detox clients to enroll in their intensive outpatient programs to learn the relapse prevention skills that may save their lives. As anyone who has been through the process knows, detox is only the beginning. “After the inpatient, it’s a lifelong process, you have to stay connected,” Blanding says. “We’re trying to get them to change their thinking and sometimes the outpatient program can really make a difference.”

“IF I COULD, I’D TRY TO TAKE THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.” - Khalise Blanding

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BETHEL COUNSELING SERVICES WILL CONTINUE THE COMMITMENT TO THE WELFARE OF YOUTH AND ADULTS STRUGGLING WITH DRUG ADDICTION AND IMPRISONMENT 14

WE WILL WORK DILIGENTLY TO REDUCE THE BURDEN OF ILLNESS, INJURY AND DISABILITY AND TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH FUNCTIONING OF THE INDIVIDUALS WE SERVE.

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Whether she’s in Newark or back home in Ghana , Eugenia Jennings has always been ready and eager to help those in need. “If my friend needs something, I’m there for them, always trying to help them out,” Jennings says. Born and raised in Ghana, in West Africa, Jennings came to the U.S. as a visitor and worked her way to earn a green card, later enrolling in school at Essex County College. Her journey was fueled in part by her desire to fulll her father’s dream of seeing Jennings and her 10 siblings all receive a college education. “My dad didn't get a chance to go to university, he just went to high school, so he encouraged us to use our abilities,” Jennings says. “My father just saw education as important for life.”

SERVICE “ AS A COUNSELOR, YOU CAN ’ T JUST TALK, TALK, TALK, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN. ” - Eugenia Jennings, counseling intern, Bethel Counseling Services Jennings started at Bethel last October as an intern, answering phones and collecting urinalysis tests. But she quickly became a counselor, hosting both group and individual sessions. She says she enjoys the one-on-one experience and tries to get people to commit to the program and be honest in their recovery. BETHEL COUNSELING INTERN HELPS PEOPLE WORLDWIDE

“I let people open up and I just listen to whatever they’re saying,” Jennings says. “As a counselor, you can’t just talk, talk, talk, you have to listen.”

Learning on the job While she had always had a desire to help people, delving into the eld of addiction recovery was difcult at rst. Although she had some rst-hand experience seeing family members abuse alcohol, including watching one of her grandmother’s sisters die as a result of an alcohol addiction, it took time for her to learn the intricacies of the disease. “It was kind of new and learning from the clients was kind of an eye-opener for me,” Jennings says. But she says hearing clients’ stories helped her learn more and more each day and strengthened her resolve to serve people in need. She also says she learned from Bethel’s staff who embraced her and helped her to develop a skill set that will benet her and the clients she serves. “Everybody welcomed me with open arms and I learned a lot here,” Jennings says.

Bright future ahead Jennings will attend Monmouth University in the fall to pursue her bachelor’s degree in social work. From there she plans to get a master’s degree in social work and says she would ultimately like to hold several master’s degrees in areas such as mental health and marriage counseling. Bethel’s executive director and CEO, Pastor Felicia Osborne, says everyone at Bethel is extremely proud of Jennings and excited to support her in her future accomplishments. Jennings says she would like to return to Ghana some day and open an addiction treatment center of her own. She says there is a severe shortage of such facilities in the country, and she wants to give back to those struggling with substance abuse. But wherever she ends up, Jennings just wants to use her talents and her energy to help those in need. “I just want to learn more and maybe one day I’ll have something in my country,” Jennings says. “I just like helping people.“

without BORDERS

“ EVERYBODY WELCOMED ME WITH OPEN ARMS AND I LEARNED A LOT HERE. ” - Eugenia Jennings,

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IT’S TIME TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS RECOVERY 63-65 PIERCE STREET, NEWARK, NJ 07103 973.643.6565 BETHELCOUNSELINGSERVICES.COM

1 My attitude has changed for the positive since I’ve been coming to Bethel Counseling Services. I’m more open to different coping skills that the program offers. The skills I have learned caused

me to humble myself and develop a more positive attitude. I have learned that with a positive attitude, you get more out of life.

New attitude

Since I’ve been coming to BCS, a weight has been lifted! The staff is so encouraging and the atmosphere is uplifting. There are so many programs that are open for us to join, regardless of the reason you initially came for. They all helped me to apply positive changes that will prove to be of benefit to me for the rest of my life.

Ever So Grateful

Bethel has given me my new beginning! Love is here and love is the message. I’m being guided by good people that are teaching me how to live again, to breathe again. Before I didn’t recognize myself, couldn’t identify, but Bethel’s counselors have shown me the mirror. This enabled me to see what I was, allowing me to get better and change into what I want to become.

Checking, changing & improving myself

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EDUCATION, COUNSELING AND INSIGHT, INTEGRATED WITH ANY BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL SERVICES NEEDED – PROVIDING OUR CLIENTS WITH THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO RECOVER. WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE:

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LAB PROFILE

Bend But Don’t Break Yoga is being used to help people maintain recovery and avoid relapse

Yoga is no longer exercise your annoying, health-conscious friend won’t stop talking about. The ancient practice is now being used to help people recover from addiction. While scholars estimate yoga was developed sometime around 300 to 400 B.C., the practice hasn’t stopped changing over the last 2,000 years. A new wave of yogis are now helping people in recovery connect their spiritual and physical sides through yoga by combining the practice with more traditional 12-step elements. “It’s just a way of coming back to a sense of wholeness,” says Nikki Myers, a yoga therapist who helped develop the 12-step yoga system. “We use yoga as a process in order to bring that reintegration.”

Myers says she developed the system primarily as a means of relapse prevention. She says a typical 12-step yoga session would begin the same way most 12- step meetings do, with a focus on sharing and discussion of important recovery topics. Once the “meeting” portion of the session is over, the group will then move into a series of yoga poses designed to help participants focus on their physical recovery. “A focus needs to be on the body- based piece as well as the cognitive piece in order for wholeness to really be manifested,” Myers says. “Once you include those things, the whole idea is that these will begin to offer us a set of tools that we can use both on the mat in the yoga practice and off the mat when the triggers of life show up.”

“It’s just a way of coming back to a sense of wholeness.” - Nikki Myers, yoga therapist

The right tools Myers says the idea that yoga can provide a set of tools is critical as the practice of yoga is much more than the poses themselves. She says there’s also a focus on breathing techniques, a meditation of sorts, and a connection to one’s physical reactions that can prove vital when faced with difficult circumstances. Myers recalls how one woman who participated in 12-step yoga later found herself in a very stressful situation at home with her kids misbehaving and everything going wrong. She said she could feel the negativity boiling up inside her. It was the kind of stress that had triggered her to drink in the past, but the woman said in that moment she was able to relax and calm herself by focusing on her breathing and remembering the feeling of tranquility she had experienced in class. “It had a way of creating a space, giving her tools to create a space between her reactions and instead take a different neural pathway,” Myers says. “These are the kind of tools that we’re looking to have people use.” “A focus needs to be on the body-based piece as well as the cognitive piece in order for wholeness to really be manifested.” - Nikki Myers

Not a replacement Myers is quick to point out that yoga is not a substitute for traditional 12-step support, but rather an additional measure that some people may find helpful. She says some people have pushed back against the practice, but others have been enthusiastic about its power, with classes spreading across the country and even internationally. Myers says she hopes that one day 12-step yoga will be as common as other treatment programs. But she says as long as people are maintaining sobriety and finding wholeness within themselves, she’ll be proud of the difference her system has made. “We’ll tell people, ‘Notice this in your body, what it really feels like,’” Myers says. “Healing only happens in safe space.”

Discrimination, whether based on race, gender, or sexual orientation, has long been thought to be a contributor to substance abuse. Now a new study has confirmed the relationship between discrimination and addiction, but it’s also brought up many more questions that still need to be answered in order to improve treatment outcomes. Researchers at the University of Iowa recently completed a peer review study in which they looked at 97 previous studies on discrimination and alcohol use. Their goal was to summarize the collective knowledge researchers have uncovered throughout the years, and what they found confirmed in more detail what many had previously suspected.

“Generally there is good scientific support, but the evidence is mixed for different groups

and for types of discrimination.” - Dr.Paul Gilbert, University of Iowa

overtly racist or sexist to another person. But less research has been done on what are known as micro-aggressions, small everyday occurrences that can rub a person the wrong way. That research is improving, but there are other factors that need to be more fully explored. While studies have looked at historical trauma in the African-American population, the concept has not been fully investigated with regards to Hispanic and Asian populations. “This notion of historic trauma could be really relevant to other groups, but it hasn't received much attention at all,” Dr. Gilbert says. “This is something we should pay attention to.” All of this adds up to the fact that treatment providers may be missing a key piece of the substance abuse puzzle.

The team found that discrimination did indeed lead to an increase in drinking frequency, quantity of alcohol consumed, and in the risk for alcohol use disorders. Researchers say drinking can represent a coping mechanism in response to the stress caused by discrimination, and several studies showed clients acknowledging this direct link themselves. But when looking at specific populations and types of discrimination, the picture becomes less clear. “The story is that generally there is good scientific support, but the evidence is mixed for different groups and for types of discrimination,” says Dr. Paul Gilbert, the study’s lead author. “We don’t really know comparing one type or one level to another.” For example, much research has been done on interpersonal discrimination where someone is

But just because the intricacies of how discrimination affects drinking aren’t yet fully understood, that doesn’t mean our current knowledge base can’t be helpful. Dr. Gilbert says simply knowing that experiences with discrimination can drive drinking could inform the way treatment providers interact with clients, opening new areas of their lives to explore during treatment. “It can serve as sort of an early warning or indicator,” Dr. Gilbert says. “For treatment providers, it’s worth looking at: is there something that may be keeping folks from accessing services or affecting outcomes?”

Dr. Gilbert says treatment providers should continue to address discrimination as part of a holistic approach to recovery. He says it will be up to researchers to fill

in the gaps to find the precise ways that discrimination affects drinking behavior. “We’ve got good evidence on this level of interpersonal discrimination,” Dr. Gilbert says. “We’ve gotten the low-hanging fruit, now it’s time to start working on the stuff that’s a little further up the tree.”

“It can serve as sort of an early warning or indicator.”

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE

D espite years of stigma, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is steadily gaining in popularity among treatment providers. Government groups like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are actively campaigning to get more providers to oer MAT as a potentially vital resource for patients. While such groups often promote well-known medications such as methadone and buprenorphine, drug researchers are looking for new medications that could be a lifeline to patients in need. But new medications can cost millions to research and take years to get on the market. at’s why some researchers are taking a closer look, and nding success, with drugs already approved by the FDA. CURBING COCAINE USE Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say a drug already on the market for diabetes may be able to curb cocaine use. e FDA-approved drug Byetta, used to regulate blood sugar in diabetic patients, is derived from a natural hormone known as GLP-1. e research team looked at how the hormone functioned in rats and found that the same hormone that regulates food intake could be used to suppress cocaine consumption. “ese results are very provocative and suggest these compounds could be repurposed for drug addiction,” says Dr. Heath Schmidt, one of the lead researchers. “We have seen a reduction in cocaine consumption…but it doesn’t completely abolish it.” Currently, there is no FDA-approved drug for the treatment of cocaine abuse. But because Byetta and a similar drug have already gained federal approval, researchers say that leaves fewer hurdles before they could be used in treatment settings. Although still far from human trials, researchers say they’re optimistic, especially because their research suggests the hormone is not specic to cocaine and could be used in treatment of other substance abuse disorders. “I think this opens up a large world view with regards to this system in the brain,” Dr. Schmidt says. “ere’s really a lot to be explored here and I think it’s really an exciting time to be in the eld and exploring the GLP-1 system.”

ADJUSTING ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION Another team of researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia believe the FDA-approved drug pindolol could be used to stop alcohol abuse. Pindolol is an anti-hypertensive medication used to treat high blood pressure. But because of the way it interacts with neurotransmitters in the brain, they believe it could also be eective in treating alcohol use disorders (AUDs). To study the drug’s eect, the team used mice and exposed them to an alcohol consumption regimen similar to a binge drinking cycle common in humans. For mice also given pindolol, the team found they were able to reduce drinking in the long term (after at least 12 weeks). e team did not see as positive of results in the short term (only four weeks), but they say they’re still excited about its potential uses. “Although further mechanistic investigations are required, this study demonstrates the potential of pindolol as a new treatment option for AUDs that can be fast-tracked into human clinical studies,” the authors wrote.

Most people are aware that excessive alcohol consumption is bad for your liver. But new research shows it can also be harmful to other parts of your body and put you at risk for a number of diseases previously thought to be unrelated to alcohol use.

Trouble breathing A research team from Loyola

Cancer nightmare

Cardiovascular concerns Heart disease is the number one killer of people worldwide, and medical experts everywhere have been trying to gure out how to reduce the risks associated with cardiovascular conditions. New research suggests they should take a closer look at alcohol. While some studies have suggested that low levels of alcohol consumption can improve heart health, a team of researchers from the University of California - San Francisco found that to be a bit of a mixed bag. In studying health dierences between people living in “dry” (alcohol sales prohibited) and “wet” (alcohol sold more freely) counties in Texas, they found varying results. “Greater access to alcohol was associated with more atrial brillation and less myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure,” the authors wrote. “Although an increased risk of congestive heart failure was seen shortly after alcohol sales were liberalized.” So while they did see a dip in some cardiovascular conditions, the results also show a clear link between alcohol access and various health problems. Researchers said policy makers should use this information when establishing laws to protect public health. “We believe that our results have broadly applicable health implications relevant to people with and at risk for various types of cardiovascular disease,” the authors wrote.

When people think about substances that can cause cancer, they often think of cigarettes or other tobacco products. But a new study shows alcohol may also be a major contributing factor to no fewer than seven types of cancer. A researcher from the University of Otago in New Zealand, Dr. Jennie Connor, looked at a number of studies dealing with cancer and alcohol and found strong evidence that excessive drinking can cause cancer in seven parts of the body. Connor identi ed those areas as the “oropharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast.” She wrote that while there are always limitations to determining exactly what caused a speci c disease, the evidence is overwhelming. “Current estimates suggest that alcohol-attributable cancers at these sites make up 5.8 percent of all cancer deaths worldwide,” Connor wrote. “Con rmation of speci c biological mechanisms by which alcohol increases the incidence of each type of cancer is not required to infer that alcohol is a cause.”

University in Chicago recently found that excessive drinking could also cause problems in the respiratory system. e team looked at levels of nitric oxide in the exhaled breath of over 12,000 people. Nitric oxide protects against a number of respiratory diseases and can even be used in medical settings as a treatment for sick infants. e researchers found that excessive drinkers had less nitric oxide in their breath, meaning they were more susceptible to respiratory infection and disease. Although more research is still needed to determine the full extent of the relationship between alcohol and nitric oxide, the authors of the study said the results are troubling. “Alcohol use impacts several lung diseases, and heavy consumption has been associated with poor clinical outcomes,” the authors wrote. “e fractional excretion of exhaled nitric oxide (Feno) has clinical implications in multiple airways diseases.”

Sign of the times Experts say the newly approved implant also provides a big boost to the concept of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in general. For years, the idea that someone could achieve recovery through the use of drugs like methadone and buprenorphine was rejected by many professionals in the eld who saw complete abstinence as the only true sobriety. Many still hold that belief, but attitudes appear to be changing. Top government ocials say they want to increase the amount of MAT taking place at the country’s treatment centers. Several states as well as the federal government have enacted laws making it easier for physicians to prescribe medications like buprenorphine, but they say too few patients receive the medication they need. National Institute on Drug Abuse, in a statement. “is product will expand the treatment alternatives available to people suering from an opioid use disorder.” ] [ "Opioid abuse and addiction have taken a devastating toll on American families.” - Dr. Robert M. Cali, FDA Commissioner “Scientic evidence suggests that maintenance treatment with these medications in the context of behavioral treatment and recovery support are more eective in the treatment of opioid use disorder than short-term detoxication programs aimed at abstinence,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the

M edication-assisted treatment is growing in popularity and acceptance among addiction recovery professionals. And now it’s taken a revolutionary step forward that could oer renewed hope to thousands of people struggling with an addiction to opioids. is summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new buprenorphine implant to treat opioid dependence. Buprenorphine had previously been available only as a pill or a dissolvable lm placed under the tongue. But the new implant, known as Probuphine, can administer a six-month dose of the drug to keep those dependent on opioids from using by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. "Opioid abuse and addiction have taken a devastating toll on American families,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Cali said in a statement. “We must do everything we can to make new, innovative treatment options available that can help patients regain control over their lives.” e implant comes in the form of four one-inch rods that are placed under the skin on the upper arm. e implant must be administered surgically and comes with the possibility of certain side eects, but experts say it could be more convenient and more eective for patients. ey say by eliminating the need to take pills, ll prescriptions and generally manage their medication, it makes it easier for people to focus on the other areas of their recovery while making it less likely someone will lapse in their treatment plan.

Although the implant is certainly a new alternative, it has yet to show any increased success in keeping people from relapsing compared to the pill or lm tablet. In a study of the implant’s eectiveness, they found that 63 percent of people given the implant were free of illicit drugs at six months, compared to 64 percent of people who took buprenorphine by pill. Still, those rates are much higher than the success rates of people who follow abstinence-only treatment plans. And ocials hope the new implant will lead more people to get MAT, increasing the number of successful recoveries across the country. 33

Underserved And Undeterred Overcoming the unique challenges LGBTQ individuals face with addiction A s more and more addiction treatment centers are looking for ways to tailor programs to address the individual needs of clients, one section of the population is being largely overlooked. Advocates say treatment providers need to be more aware of the unique issues and barriers facing the LGBTQ community. Numbers don’t lie For starters, statistics show substance abuse issues aect LGBTQ individuals at much higher rates than they do the heterosexual population. Some estimates show an addiction rate between 30 and 40 percent, compared to around 10 percent of the population in general. While statistics also show that LGBTQ individuals enter into treatment more readily than the rest of the country, they also face signicantly higher animosity once in a program. Advocates say 46 percent of homosexual men and women have had a homophobic therapist, and 34 percent felt their sexuality was seen as irrelevant. While putting sexuality aside to address addiction directly may seem like a good thing at rst glance, advocates say recognizing those dierences is key to creating a lasting recovery. Need for understanding Understanding a person’s sexuality and gender identity can be as important as understanding their race or ethnic background in that it can uncover potentially hidden sources of stress or trauma that may contribute to substance use. Just as counselors should consider the social experiences of African-Americans, so too should they consider the unique circumstances faced by members of the LGBTQ community. “In order to not continue to create trauma towards the LGBTQ community, the more culturally competent a person or work/recovery environment is, the better,” says Molly Gilbert, director of business development for the PRIDE Institute in Minnesota.

e PRIDE Institute specializes in addiction treatment for the LGBTQ community, and Gilbert says a lack of understanding or awareness by treatment providers can create barriers for people seeking treatment. Even for organizations that seek to become “inclusive” communities, they may not set up a program that accurately addresses LGBTQ concerns, or providers may not realize how they are doing harm to LGBTQ individuals, transgressions known as micro-aggressions. “Micro-aggressions occur daily towards the community and educating heterosexual colleagues, supporters and the rest of society is key in helping to diminish these daily slights and harm,” Gilbert says. Education first To improve treatment outcomes and the experiences of LGBTQ people in general, advocates say it’s vital that treatment providers, physicians, and social service

employees educate themselves on some of these unique challenges and barriers. But they also say LGBTQ people need to educate themselves as well. “Educating the LGBTQ

community on the dangers of abuse of alcohol and drugs, and the fact that the

community is actually being targeted by

institutions such as big tobacco, alcohol companies and drug manufacturers is key,” Gilbert says. With very few LGBTQ-specic treatment centers across the country, advocates know many

LGBTQ individuals will end up in heteronormative treatment facilities. And while that can present problems, Gilbert says with the right education and the right system in place, recovery is attainable. “With the right therapy coexisting with a mainstream treatment center, we believe it is doable.”

“There’s a lot of information that can be gained from when somebody relapses.”

- Dr. Stephanie Carreiro, University of Massachusetts

Fitness trackers could help prevent relapses

Dr. Carreiro says wearable biosensors can detect a relapse event for some substances (like heroin and cocaine) by sensing a change in heart rate or other physical conditions. The treatment provider can then use the tness tracker’s other information, like the time and location of the relapse event, to develop a prole about the conditions that prompt a patient to use. “It gives us very specic contextual information and serves as that reminder to the patient that someone could potentially know right away when they relapse,” Dr. Carreiro says.

Fitness trackers, or wearable biosensors, like Fitbit and Jawbone are the latest tness trend to gain widespread popularity. But some believe they could be used to treat addiction as well. New research suggests the devices can be used to reliably detect relapses, which could then give treatment providers the information they need to prevent relapses in the future. “There’s a lot of information that can be gained from when somebody relapses,” says Dr. Stephanie Carreiro, a researcher from the University of Massachusetts.

ACCOUNTABILITY MATTERS That accountability to someone who could see the relapse is an important step in moving past simple self-reporting and drug testing. People can lie during self-reports and drug testing will only show that drugs were used, but not information like how much was used, when it was used, and where. Because the sensors can be easily removed, the system will only work for patients who are truly motivated to stay sober. Dr. Carreiro says rather than a big brother scenario with treatment providers tracking a patient’s movements, the devices simply connect a patient to their support network.

“We could potentially trigger an interaction with a patient just seeing if they’re okay and need some help,” Dr. Carreiro says.

“It definitely served as a reminder that there was something motivating them to stay sober.”

- Dr. Stephanie Carreiro

SIMPLE REMINDER In a study of 15 patients, nearly everyone kept wearing the devices even when relapsing. Dr. Carreiro says that’s because many people are already used to wearing tness trackers, and the treatment plan simply ts into the daily routines they’ve already established. Researchers also say just having a physical object on a patient’s wrist to remind them about their dedication to sobriety can be enough to prevent a relapse. “Multiple people looked at it and thought of going back to jail or being there for their children,” Dr. Carreiro says. “It denitely served as a reminder that there was something motivating them to stay sober.”

WHAT ABOUT PREVENTION? The ultimate goal is to prevent relapses and keep patients on the path to sobriety. While the technology is advancing quickly, researchers say the collective knowledge base simply isn’t there yet to predict a relapse event. But as they conduct more studies and develop better algorithms with the information gained, they should be able to tailor interventions to a specic patient and hopefully keep them from relapsing.

“We need to continue to dene different proles so that we can get a more complete understanding of what’s happening,” Dr. Carreiro says. “That’s when it will be the most powerful.”

“We were surprised that morphine was able to induce these really long-lasting changes,” says Dr. Peter Grace, the study’s lead author. Dr. Grace says the cause of the chronic pain increase has to do with cells that form part of the immune system. He says if those areas could be isolated or their eects reduced, the resulting pain may not be as great. “If it does turn out to be a relevant issue to patients, then what our study suggests is that targeting the immune system may be the key to avoiding these kinds of eects,” Dr. Grace says. “Opioids could essentially work better if we could shut down the immune system in the spinal cord.” e team’s research only looked at spinal cord injuries and morphine, and did not study other opioids that are commonly prescribed to patients experiencing pain. But he said it’s likely drugs like Vicodin or OxyContin could aect other parts of the body in a similar way. “While we haven't actually tested other opioids in this particular paradigm, we predict that we would see similar eects,” Dr. Grace says.

ain relievers are supposed to relieve pain. It sounds simple enough, but new research suggests a common pain medication may actually be prolonging chronic pain. Morphine is an opioid painkiller commonly prescribed in hospitals and clinics, and while it is eective in the short term, doctors don’t always consider the potential consequences for pain down the road. at’s why a team of researchers based out of the University of Colorado - Boulder set out to study how morphine treatment aects chronic pain, and found some troubling results. e team, which used mice with spinal cord injuries, found that in mice not given morphine, their pain thresholds went back to normal about four to ve weeks after the injury. But mice who were given morphine didn’t see their pain levels return to normal until around 10 to 11 weeks, meaning the use of morphine eectively doubled the length of their chronic pain. P

Chronic problem Chronic pain can be debilitating for many people facing serious health problems, and it can also be a key factor in substance abuse. Many people report developing a dependence on opioids after having them prescribed for an injury. But new research suggests the number of people who develop dependency issues because of chronic pain may be far higher than people realize. A study from researchers at Boston University looked at a group of nearly 600 people who had either used illicit substances or misused prescription drugs.

ey found that 87 percent reported suering from chronic

pain, with 50 percent of those people rating their pain as severe. ey also found that 51 percent of people who had used illicit drugs like marijuana, cocaine and heroin had done so to treat their pain. While many prevention eorts focus on recreational users, the numbers suggest that chronic pain plays just as prominent a role in substance abuse. “Many patients using illicit drugs, misusing prescription drugs and using alcohol reported doing so in order to self-medicate their pain,” the authors of the study wrote. “Pain needs to be addressed when patients are counseled about their substance use.”

CONCERN OVER HEROIN USE GROWING

New Poll Shows Americans Are Increasingly Concerned With

45 percent of Americans think heroin use is a bigger problem in their communities than shows they’re not wrong. According to the Centers for Disease Control, heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled from 2002 to 2013. Experts fear the numbers will continue to rise, with recent data showing roughly 156,000 Americans began using heroin in 2012 alone. Political Discourse a time when lawmakers and treatment providers are struggling to combat the rise in heroin overdoses. Several states have passed legislation making it legal to purchase Naloxone, a drug that works as an antidote for opiates, and Congress is considering several bills that would change the way federal authorities handle drug issues.

ore and more Americans are feeling the dangers of heroin, with nearly half of adults describing heroin abuse as a very serious problem,

according to a recent poll.

1,000 U.S. adults about heroin abuse, with 49 percent saying they thought it was a very serious problem, and another 38 percent saying they thought it was somewhat serious. heroin epidemic is hitting, with one-third of respondents saying they personally know someone who has become addicted to heroin or another opiate. Numbers Don’t Lie Public perception of heroin use has changed quickly over the last few years. A Rasmussen Reports survey in November of 2015 found

groups to increase understanding of addiction as a disease, 28 percent said those who use heroin are most to blame. Still, the poll showed public opinion remains somewhat balanced, with 48 percent of people saying all groups are equally to blame. A Universal Issue races. Although black and Hispanic Americans were more likely than white respondents to cite heroin as a very serious problem, all three groups had similar views on nearly every other question. across almost every demographic over the past decade, and poll numbers show perception and reality are more in line than most would like to admit.

commander-in-chief have also paid closer attention to the heroin epidemic, with the issue playing a more prominent role in this year’s presidential campaign than it has in

past election cycles. Who’s To Blame?

voters are paying close attention to the problem may come as no surprise considering how much blame the public puts on them. Of those surveyed, 5 percent said the U.S. government and those who decide how heroin users are treated are most to blame for the current heroin problems. In comparison, drug dealers themselves were singled out by only 11 percent of “49 percent of U.S. adults think heroin abuse is a very serious problem, and 38 percent say it’s somewhat serious.” -

IT’S TIME TO BREAK FREE OF THE ADDICTION

FOR IT NO LONGER SERVES YOU.

63-65 PIERCE STREET, NEWARK, NJ 07103 973.643.6565 BETHELCOUNSELINGSERVICES.COM

Boom, Bust, and Drugs Study says economic downturn leads to increase in substance use disorders When the economy tanks, drug abuse goes up. That’s the finding of a new study which shows the state of the economy is closely linked with substance abuse disorder rates for a variety of substances. The study, conducted by researchers from Vanderbilt University, the University of Colorado and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found the use of substances like ecstasy becomes more prevalent during economic downturns. Researchers also found that other drugs like LSD and PCP see increased use only when the economy is strong. But for overall substance use disorders, the findings were clear.

“Problematic use (i.e., substance use disorder) goes up significantly when the economy weakens,” says Christopher Carpenter, one of the lead researchers. “Our results are more limited in telling us why this happens.” Researchers say it’s possible that people turn to substance use as a means of coping with a job loss or other major life changes caused by economic pressures, but their particular study did not pinpoint an exact cause and effect. Not all drugs are equal The study showed that a downward shift in the economy has the biggest impact on painkillers and hallucinogens. Rates of substance abuse disorders were significantly higher for those two categories than any other class of drug.

Researchers also found the change in disorder rates was highest for white adult males, a group which was one of the hardest hit during the Great Recession. They say more research is needed to determine exactly how the economy and drug use are related, but they say the study highlighted some key groups for prevention and treatment workers to target during future economic downturns.

“Problematic use (i.e., substance use disorder) goes up significantly when the economy weakens.” - Christopher Carpenter, Vanderbilt University

Slippery slope Despite some lingering questions, researchers were able to show the significance of the economy’s role in problematic substance use. The study showed that even a small change in the unemployment rate can have a tremendous impact on the risks for substance abuse disorders. “For each percentage point increase in the state unemployment rate, these estimates represent about a 6 percent increase in the likelihood of having a disorder involving analgesics and an 11 percent increase in the likelihood of having a disorder involving hallucinogens,” the authors write. Previous studies have focused on the economy’s link to marijuana and alcohol, with many looking at young people in particular. This study is one of the first to highlight illicit drugs, which given the current opioid epidemic, holds important lessons for those working to curb problematic drug use.

When it’s needed most The study bears significant weight for treatment facilities and public policy makers in particular. During economic downturns, government agencies typically look to cut spending on treatment programs as a way to save money, something researchers say may be more costly in the end. “Our results suggest that this is unwise,” Carpenter says. “Such spending would likely be particularly effective during downturns since rates of substance use disorders are increasing when unemployment rates rise, at least for disorders involving prescription painkillers and hallucinogens.”

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“Spending would likely be particularly effective during downturns since rates of substance use disorders are increasing when unemployment rates rise.” - Christopher Carpenter, Vanderbilt University

Starting Over Relapse after years of sobriety creates second chance for Bethel client

For anyone in recovery, it doesn’t matter if it’s been 10 days or 10 years, relapse can happen at any time. Tawanna Laboo knows that lesson better than most, but she is using a new lease on life to enrich the lives of others. Laboo first entered treatment in 1998, and she would remain sober for nearly 17 years, working a steady job at Rutgers and building a family, raising four children with her husband. But during that time, Laboo stopped going to support meetings, thinking that because she had gotten clean, she was finished with the recovery process. “Within the 17 years that I had, I was clean, but I wasn’t practicing the principles,” Laboo says. But last year she relapsed, going from prescription drugs to street drugs when the doctors wouldn’t prescribe any more. Her addiction eventually led to a return to treatment, finding her way to Bethel Counseling Services earlier this year. Dedicated to her faith, she says she knew Bethel was the answer from the moment she saw the program online. “I knew right then and there that that was God’s plan, God was sending me there,” Laboo says.

“When you walk in there, you feel the love and you feel the spirit.” -Tawanna Laboo Bethel client 46

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