Download Spring 2013 - Lancaster County

D&A News
A PUBLICATION OF THE LANCASTER COUNTY DRUG AND ALCOHOL COMMISSION
SPRING 2013
VOL. 24, NO. 1
RASE Project Recovery Specialist Program
The RASE Project Recovery
Specialist Program (RSP) will help
both individuals in treatment and
treatment providers. The RSP is a
HealthChoices Reinvestment Project
serving Cumberland, Perry, Dauphin,
Lancaster and Lebanon Counties.
Help for Parents and
Teachers: Separating
Fact From Fiction
about Marijuana
The subject of marijuana use
has become increasingly difficult for
parents and teachers to talk about—
in part, because of the mixed messages being conveyed by the passage
of medical marijuana laws and marijuana legalization in certain states. In
addition, some parents may have
used marijuana themselves when
they were younger, which could
make talking openly uncomfortable
and setting definitive rules about its
use more difficult.
As if those challenges were
not enough, adults also have to contend with the fact that theirs are not
the only voices their children are
hearing. Most teens today have a
Continued on page 6
The Recovery Specialist’s
main goal is to assist individuals engaged in the treatment process to stay
in treatment. A Recovery Specialist is
matched with a person new to the
process as they work together to build
the new person’s “recovery capital.”
Recovery capital is the breadth and
depth of internal and external resources that can be drawn upon to
initiate and sustain recovery such as
physical health, financial assets, safe
and recovery-conducive housing,
clothing, food, access to transportation, educational/vocational skills,
problem solving capacities, and selfesteem.
Recovery Specialists begin
their relationships with the participants during the treatment process and
continue to work with them after they
complete treatment. The program tarIN THIS ISSUE OF THE D&A NEWS:
1
2
3
4
5
7
8
RASE Recovery Specialist,
Marijuana Fact from Fiction
From the Executive Director
New State Department
Career in the Addictions Field
Addiction Certification
Fact Sheet: Marijuana
Legalization
Upcoming Meetings/Events
gets individuals who are in need of
one-on-one services to assist them to
overcome obstacles that keep them
from succeeding in the recovery
process. The RSP will especially
target those individuals who chronically relapse and struggle to stay in
treatment and/or recovery. RSP Services will take place in the community and at RASE offices located in
one of the five county areas, depending on participant need. Recovery
Specialists act as role models to
demonstrate how to successfully
navigate life and the various professional systems necessary to succeed
in recovery. Vocational Enrichment,
Employment Assistance, and other
educational services are also available to interested participants several
times a week. Recovery Specialists
divide their time between individual
and group interactions with participants.
The RSP was designed primarily for individuals on Medical
Assistance, however, in some cases
RASE can also work with individuals who are not on Medical Assistance. The reinvestment grant is for
approximately three years and will
provide drug and alcohol peer-topeer recovery specialist services to
the five county HealthChoices region
of Cumberland, Perry, Dauphin,
Lebanon, and Lancaster. Approximately $309,000 was set aside for
the first year of the grant. To find out
more about RASE or the Recovery
Specialist Program, call 717-2328535., or visit www.raseproject.org.
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In our newsletter today, we identify an
exciting new service provided by Recovery Support Specialists, which is a pilot program funded
by HealthChoices reinvestment funding. HealthChoices is a managed care model of delivering
mental health and substance abuse treatment, to
low income citizens covered by Medicaid, also
known as Medical Assistance or MA. So if you
have Medicaid or MA health insurance coverage,
and you need a mental health or drug and alcohol treatment service,
then the HealthChoices project sets up the treatment and pays for it. It is
essentially the insurance coverage for low income clients.
More than ten years ago, Lancaster County decided to actively
own and operate the HealthChoices project in our community. This
allows for the coordination of services and funding for another low income group of clients, who are supported in treatment using county
base dollars. Since people can flip from HealthChoices coverage to
county base dollar coverage, there are many benefits for having the
county manage both funding streams.
With this ownership of HealthChoices, comes both risk and reward.
If the HealthChoices project is doing well financially, the county is allowed to keep up to 3% of the income, for one of two purposes:
1. Place some of the “profit” into a savings account, for those years
that the project is in the red.
2. Use some of the profit, or reinvestment dollars, in the creation of
new treatment programs.
This is how we are able to support new and innovative services,
such as the Recovery Support Specialist program with RASE. Other
past reinvestment projects that were started, using HealthChoices reinvestment dollars, include recovery house facilities, Buprenorphine Coordinators, methadone clinics, recovery house scholarships, adolescent
outpatient clinics, recovery drop in centers, and others. If these programs demonstrate positive outcomes, then they are considered for ongoing support in most cases.
With the past ten years of human service funding cuts, the HealthChoices reinvestment projects are the only new programs created in our
community. The RASE Recovery Support Specialist program has
great potential, and was created due to the successful management of
our HealthChoices project. We look forward to analyzing the results,
and if effective, RSS can become another ongoing service offered to
our citizens.
D&A NEWS
County Commissioners
Scott Martin, Chairman
Dennis P. Stuckey
Craig Lehman
Executive Director
Rick Kastner
Administrative Assistant
Marcia Musser (PT)
Accountant
Erin Watts (PT)
Fiscal Technician
Brenda Geiter-Sokso
Fiscal Assistant
Cindy Lawson
Fiscal Secretary
Vacant
Prevention Supervisor
Vacant
Prevention Specialist
Lisa Starr (PT)
Case Management Supervisor
Beth Bulat
Case Managers
Matt Barnett
Becky Sayeg
Niki Snyder (PT)
Single County Authority
Public Commission
Dr. Herbert Beeders
Casey Douglas
Jack Enco
Doreen Kreiner
Cynthia Lonergan
Kay Moyer
Mary Munster
Christian Parsons
Kendra Saunders
Fred Stier
Commissioner Dennis Stuckey
Sylvia Vane
Katherine Wood-Jacobs
D&A News Editor
Lisa Starr
D&A news is published two times a year by the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission, 150 N. Queen St., Lancaster,
PA 17603; phone (717) 299-8023. This project is made possible by a contract with the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol
Commission and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The County Office and Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs specifically disclaim responsibility for any analysis, interpretations, or conclusions
herein.
2
Enjoy Summer
Safely!
New State Department Reflects
Pennsylvania’s Commitment to
Families Dealing with Addiction
Pennsylvania’s waterways become playgrounds in the summertime. But it is important to remember that boats and other watercraft require a sober driver just like cars.
Roughly half of all boating accidents are alcohol or drug-related. The United States
Coast Guard estimates that 60,000 or more
nonfatal boating accidents take place annually, with a cost of $240 million.
As of July 2012, the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs (BDAP), formerly under the Department
of Health, has become a department in its own
right. This change reflects a commitment by the Commonwealth to provide education, intervention and treatment programs to reduce drug and alcohol abuse and
dependency for all Pennsylvanians. Gary Tennis, formerly chief of the legislation unit in the Philadelphia
District Attorney’s Office, has been appointed Secretary
of the new department by Governor Tom Corbett.
Alcohol use can be even more dangerous in
a marine environment than on land. The motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind, and
spray all accelerate and increase a drinker’s
impairment. A boater becomes fatigued more
quickly than a driver, which leads to a decline
in coordination, judgment, and reaction time,
especially when under the influence of drugs
or alcohol.
According to Mr. Tennis, “By creating a Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, the Corbett Administration and the General Assembly have established
the infrastructure to ensure that drug and alcohol programming across government is coordinated and streamlined, and that the issue receives undivided attention.”
The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
(DDAP) is tasked with the following:
 Developing and implementing programs designed to
reduce substance abuse and dependency through
quality prevention, intervention, rehabilitation and
treatment programs.
 Educating all Pennsylvanians on the effects and dangers of drugs and alcohol abuse and dependency,
and the threat they pose to public health.
 Mitigating the economic impact of substance abuse
for the citizens of Pennsylvania.
Never boat under the influence!
GO PAPERLESS!
Receive
D&A News as a PDF
The change from bureau to department, says
Mr. Tennis is “in recognition of the fact that one out of
four families in Pennsylvania and in the nation are suffering with drug and alcohol addiction in the family.
Left untreated, addiction can increase crime, child abuse
and neglect, health care problems and costs, and many
other issues; in fact, it drives up costs across many different commonwealth agencies.”
“But the good news is that the right prevention
programming works. And treatment, if the full continuum of care is available and clinically-matched to the
individual’s level of addiction, works as well. Millions
have recovered. And it pays off economically. At the
governmental level, study after study shows a $7 benefit
for every dollar invested in drug and alcohol treatment,
primarily in reduced criminal justice costs.”
Would you like to receive the D&A News
electronically instead of your printed copy? The
D&A News can be sent to your email address as
a PDF. In order to receive our newsletter this
way, (or to request any other changes to our mailing list) please send an email to Lisa Starr at
[email protected]. To assist us in managing our mailing list, include the five digit number
in the upper right hand corner of your mailing label.
3
Considering a Career in the Addictions Field?
What to study: Most substance abuse professionals
recommended social work or psychology, selecting a
clinical track and course work in substance abuse, family dynamics, pharmacology, brain function, and community resource awareness. Alvernia University offers
a degree in addictions studies. Some schools, like
Drexel and Saint Vincent College, offer addictions
studies as a minor, with courses that are directly applicable to Pennsylvania certification requirements. Other
schools, such as Villanova University, offer a certificate program that contains all the required course work
for certification. Several professionals emphasized the
importance of internships, field placements, and volunteer work. Abby Peters, Executive Director at Addictions Recovery Systems of Lancaster recommends, “I
would encourage the person to volunteer or work in our
college student consid- field to make sure this what they want to do. Many
agencies will allow a person to volunteer or even
shadow for the day, so that
the individual has a better
In its Occupational Outlook Hand- understanding of our field.”
Helpful Advice from the Field
Are you a high school or
ering a career in the addictions
field? Or perhaps you currently
work in another field and are
considering a career change.
Here is some helpful advice from
professionals currently working
in the drug and alcohol field in
Lancaster County:
book, 2010-11 Edition, the U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL) named
substance abuse and behavioral
disorder counselors as one of the
fastest growing professions, expected to grow 21 percent by 2018.
What qualities prospective
employers are looking for:
Along with the obvious benefits of education and experience, several professionals
The job outlook is good! Depointed out particular qualispite the current economy, there
ties that they look for in job
has never been a better time to
applicants. Carol Kuntz,
enter the addictions field. AcChief
Operating
director
at Compass Mark, cited a
cording to Mary Jo Mather, Executive Director of the
clear
ability
to
be
able
to
communicate effectively.
Pennsylvania Certification Board, “With the Affordable
John
Baltzer
said
he
looks
for
someone who is “open
Care Act, parity, a workforce crisis, and other drivers,
minded,
can
take
ownership,
and
learns from each inthere are many opportunities for employment for treatteraction,
success,
and
mistake.”
Many respondents
ment and prevention professionals. In its Occupational
Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, the U.S. Depart- also said they look for persons who are peopleoriented, compassionate, creative, and teachable.
ment of Labor (DOL) named
Deb Bard, Facility
substance abuse and behavioral
Want
to
make
a
difference
but
not
Director
at T. W. Ponessa and
disorder counselors as one of
Associates,
pointed out that
sure counseling is your thing?
the fastest growing professions,
being
well-organized
and thorexpected to grow 21 percent by
Consider a career in prevention.
ough is an often over-looked
2018.”
requirement,
since
documentation
and paperwork needs
John Baltzer, drug and alcohol counselor and
continue
to
grow
in
the
human
service
field.
instructor at Millersville University puts it this way, “We
will not run out of clients in our lifetimes.”
— Continued on next page —
4
Consider Prevention: Want to make a difference but
not sure counseling is your thing? Consider a career in
prevention. Prevention Specialists work with children
and their families to prevent substance abuse before it
starts. The skills needed to become a prevention specialist include teaching, group facilitation, and community
organizing. Some work directly with children in the
schools while others work mainly in the community.
Currently, Lancaster County contracts with eight organizations to provide prevention services, including,
Compass Mark, COBYS Family Services, SACA, Big
Brothers Big Sisters, Elizabethtown Communities that
Care, and YWCA.
What Certifications are Available
for Addictions Professionals in
Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) is
a private, non-profit corporation which offers voluntary state-level credentialing to substance abuse and
other behavioral health professionals. The board is
comprised of certified professionals throughout the
state. The PCB establishes, safeguards, and monitors
certification standards for professionals; and advocates for high quality substance abuse services for
Pennsylvanians.
The following certifications are offered in
Pennsylvania, many of which have reciprocity in
other states and foreign countries:
Sharpen your skills and
learn more about addiction
and substance abuse!
 Associate Addictions Counselor I (AACI)
 Associate Addictions Counselor II (AACII)
 Certified
Associate
Addictions
Counselor
(CAAC)
 Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
 Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor
(CAADC)
 Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)
 Associate Prevention Specialist I (APSI)
 Associate Prevention Specialist II (APSII)
 Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS)
 Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Profes-
sional (CCJP)
 Certified Case Manager (CCSM)
 Certified Case Manager Supervisor (CCMS)
 Certified Allied Addictions Practitioner (CAAP)
For the most complete and up-to-date listing of
professional trainings and seminars, visit Compass Mark’s interactive website. You can search
for workshops and training events for professionals and volunteers in Lancaster County and
around Central Pennsylvania by visiting
www.compassmark.org and clicking on Training
and Events.
 Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Professional
(CCDP)
 Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Professional
Diplomate (CCDPD)
 Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS)
 Certificate of Competency in Problem Gambling
For more information on certification in Pennsylvania, contact the Board at (717) 540-4455 or
[email protected], or visit www.pacertboard.org.
5
Help for Parents and Teachers: Separating Fact From Fiction about
Marijuana — continued from page one
seemingly infinite array of
opinions and information at
their fingertips at any given
moment through social media
that can be accessed through
their personal communication
device. Dispensing sage parental advice becomes a lot more
difficult when a teenager is
pulling up counter arguments
on an iPhone.
cans 12 or older reported receiving treatment for marijuana use,
more than any other illicit drug.
The research is clear. Marijuana
users can become addicted to the
drug. It can lead to abuse and
dependence, and other serious
consequences.
President Obama has approved
marijuana for medical use. No,
he hasn’t. The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued guidance for
federal prosecutors in states that have enacted laws
authorizing the medical use of marijuana under state
law. The DOJ guidelines do not legalize marijuana. The DOJ guidance explicitly states that marijuana remains illegal under Federal law. The guidelines explain that it is likely not an efficient use of
federal resources to focus enforcement efforts on individuals with serious illnesses who use marijuana as
part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent
with applicable state law or their individual noncommercial caregiver. However, persons who are in
the business of cultivating, selling, or distributing
marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such
activities, are in violation of federal law, and are subject to federal enforcement action, including potential
prosecution.
But these challenges
make it more important than ever that parents and
teachers don’t throw in the towel. A report by the
White House Council of Economic Advisers showed
that parents still have enormous influence over their
teens’ behavior. Teens who reported being “close” to
their father or mother and who reported eating dinner
with a parent five or more times per week had significantly lower rates of drug use, teen pregnancy, and
delinquent behavior.
Here are some facts that may assist parents
and teachers in countering teens’ arguments regarding marijuana’s perceived safety:
Everybody’s doing it. Marijuana is indeed the most
used illegal drug by teens and adults. But the majority of Americans have never even tried it. According
to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
(NSDUH), 58% of Americans over age 12 have
never used marijuana. Only 7% had used it within the
past 30 days.
Legalizing marijuana would eliminate a lot of
crime and would eliminate Mexican drug lords.
No, violent Mexican criminal organizations derive
revenue from more than just marijuana sales. They
also produce and traffic methamphetamine and heroin, continue to move significant amounts of cocaine,
and conduct an array of criminal activities including
kidnapping, extortion, and human trafficking. They
would still have plenty of “business” without marijuana. And the existing black market for marijuana
will not simply disappear if the drug is legalized and
taxed. Research suggests that the economic costs
associated with use of the drug could far outweigh
any benefit gained from an increase in tax revenue.
It’s harmless – safer than cigarettes or alcohol.
Study after study shows that marijuana causes the
same lung damage as tobacco cigarettes. Marijuana
impairs reaction time and sensory perception, rendering the user an unsafe driver just like alcohol. If it
had no intoxicating effects, people wouldn’t smoke
it.
It’s not addictive. In 2011, approximately 4.2 million people met the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria for marijuana
abuse or dependence. This is more than pain relievers, cocaine, tranquilizers, hallucinogens, and heroin
combined. In 2011, approximately 872,000 Ameri-
To find accurate information on marijuana
and the implications of legalization, try visiting
www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp. Another excellent site
is http://learnaboutsam.com/.
6
Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission
150 N. Queen St.
Lancaster, PA 17603
Fact Sheet:
(717) 299-8023
Why Not Legalize Marijuana?
Several states have decriminalized possession
and use of marijuana by adults. Recently, a Pennsylvania senator has proposed legislation that would legalize the drug here. The proposed legislation has
met with opposition from many groups, including the
Commonwealth Prevention Alliance and the Pennsylvania Prevention Directors Association. Here are
some of the reasons most medical and human service professionals oppose legalization of marijuana:

Long term, chronic use of marijuana, particularly
beginning at a young age, can lead to dependence and addiction.

Chronic use of marijuana is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cognitive impairment, and birth defects.

Legalization would result in higher rates of use, both legally by adults and illegally by adolescents.

Higher rates of marijuana use would result in higher rates of driving under the influence, in
addition to the health problems mentioned above.

Public health costs of treating DUI injury victims and victims of other health effects would far
offset any revenue generated by taxation of marijuana sales.

Legalization would not decrease the prison population. Contrary to popular urban legend,
there are NOT large numbers of prisoners languishing in state and federal prisons for marijuana possession. In total, one tenth of one percent (0.1 percent) of the state prison population is incarcerated for marijuana possession. Arrests for alcohol-related crimes far exceed
arrests for ALL illegal drug use and far more than arrests for marijuana-related crimes.

Even if marijuana were legalized in Pennsylvania, it is still illegal according to federal and international law. This has led to many controversies and legal battles in states that have decriminalized it. According to the United Nations, it impedes the U.S.’s ability to ensure the implementation of international drug control treaties.
When considering information on marijuana legalization, students should ask:
 Is the information based upon solid scientific research?
 Does the information source stand to gain anything economically if their point of view can be
made into law?
 Is the information source using the issue of marijuana legalization to gain political power?
For accurate, up-to-date information about marijuana and other drugs, visit
www.compassmark.org.
7
LANCASTER COUNTY
DRUG AND ALCOHOL COMMISSION
150 N. QUEEN ST.
LANCASTER, PA 17603
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
LOOKING FOR OUR OFFICE?
We are located at 150 N. Queen St.,
Lancaster, on the fourth floor.
For the most updated and
comprehensive list of local D&A trainings
and events, please visit
www.compassmark.org.
Don’t forget to check out the
interactive calendar! It helps you search for
the workshops and events that interest you!
Treatment Service Provider Meetings
Meetings will be held: March 5, May 7, September 10, and
December 10, 2013. Meetings are generally held at 3:00
PM at 150 N. Queen St. in the 5th floor conference room.
Call (717) 299-8023 to confirm details.
For more information about events, contact the
D&A Commission at (717) 299-8023.
The D&A Commission will be closed for the
following County holidays:
March 29; May 27;
July 4; September 2; October 14;
November 11, 28, 29; December 25, 2013.
Single County Authority (SCA) Meetings
Meetings will be held January 25, March 25,
April 22, May 20, July 22, September 23,
and November 18, 2013.
Meetings are generally held at 6:00 PM
at 150 N. Queen St., Lancaster.
To confirm meeting times and locations, call
(717) 299-8023.
For emergency and weather-related closings
and delays of Lancaster County offices,
please tune in to local radio stations or watch
WGAL-TV8. Emergency closings are also announced on the Lancaster County website at
www.co.lancaster.pa.us.