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What's New - September 15, 1998

Online Manuals for Cocaine Abuse Treatment

NIDA has put two manuals focused on treating cocaine abuse on the Internet. Manual I is entitled " A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach: Treating Cocaine Addiction". It includes an overview of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy principles, and how the therapy can be used with cocaine addicted individuals. Also discussed are topics such as: How to Handle Cravings, Refusal Skills, Case Management, and HIV Risk Reduction.
Manual II is "A Community Reinforcement Approach: Treating Cocaine Addiction". This manual describes a system using peer support and a voucher reward system to keep clients actively involved in treatment for cocaine abuse. It includes sections on Counseling Techniques, Dealing with Absence and Tardiness, Relationship Counseling, and Developing Drug Avoidance Skills.

NIDA is to be congratulated on the development of the manuals, and for putting them out on the internet for public utilization. This represents, in my opinion, the highest and best use of this wonderful medium.

Cocaine Recovery Meetings via E-mail

List Master Kevin M sends word of an E-mail discussion group for cocaine addicts seeking recovery. The group is called "Hope, Faith & Courage" and it is an online meeting of Cocaine Anonymous .

To subscribe to HF&C, either go to the instruction page at their website (http://www.nativesun.com/hfc) or send E-mail to hfc@nativesun.com with the SUBJECT of "subscribe" HF&C has been in existence for 1 1/2 years and has over 200 members.

Links, Links, and More Links

The Links Page at Mental Health Matters provides web links to a wealth of resources on a wide variety of disorders, including addiction, OCD, ADHD, PTSD, Depression and Autism. The rest of the site is interesting as well, but you should check out this links page.

Annual Cost of Alcohol, Drug Abuse in U.S. -$246 Billion

That averages nearly a thousand dollars for every man, woman and child in the country. Figures from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)released earlier this year are likely to be low, as they are reflective of 1992 statistics - the most recent year for which complete data is available. If estimates are correct, the numbers for 1998 could be well over $300 billion.

About 40% of the cost was representative of drug abuse and dependence other than alcohol, but alcohol made up the greatest proportion of cost. Some of the ways in which alcohol abuse cost society money are lost productivity in the workplace, increased health care costs, property damage, and crime.

Student Assistance Program Conference Planned

The Student Assistance Professionals Association of Georgia, a non-profit organization, will sponsor the Ninth Annual Student Assistance Program Training February 15-18, 1999 at the Sheraton Colony Square in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants may attend one, two, three, or all four days.
Approximately 1400 people have attended each of the last several years. Participants are primarily teacher, counselors, adminstrators, and community mental health providers, although more and more attendees are from law enforcement and community action agencies. Although attendees are primarily from Georgia, out of state attendees are gowing rapidly. Last year participants came from NC, SC, AL, FL, TN, HI, and Belize.
Many presenters are nationally known and the topics presented span the gamut of student assistance programming, including support groups, violence/safety issues, mediation, ATOD issues, etc. Full brochures will be mailed by the first week in November. For additional information, phone or fax Nancy Blair at 770-487-1151 or email nancyblair@aol.com

Perhaps you'd prefer Germany

Rick Sidley, President-Elect of the European Branch of the American Counseling Association, sends the following note:
We are holding our 39th conference at the AFRC Chiemsee, Lake Hotel, Germany, 6-10 November '98,and I am the POC. We have a number of addictions presentations, first mini-sessions on 7-8 Nov. covering Compulsive Gambling, Non-substance Abuse Compulsive Behavior Counseling, Spirituality in Addictions Counseling, Use of the Internet for Addictions Counselors, Wholistic Relapse Prevention for Addicted Relapsing Clients, Use of Inpatient Facilities in England, and others to come yet. Then on 9-10 we sponsor three Learning Institutes, two-days long, #1 Muliculturalism Counseling Competencies by Dr. Don C. Locke, Holistic Relapse Prevention by Dr. Ford Brooks, and Hypnotherapy in Counseling by Dr. Bob Bollet.
Any posting of our conference would be highly appreciated to draw from the international addictions community.
Rick can be reached by email at richard.sidley@kronach.baynet.de.

New Links

Addiction Treatment Forum. Methadone related site in newsletter format. Four years of back issues.
Mental Health Statistics Improvement Project
Grant Me the Serenity Sunny and Matt's Recovery Pages.
Richmond Drug Awareness Project - from the United Kingdom.
See earlier What's New Pages


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The Web of Addictions pages Copyright © 1995, 1996 by Andrew L. Homer Ph.D. and Dick Dillon. All rights reserved.

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