Posted By admin / 29th February 2012
http://www.in.gov/legislative/reports/2012/BSCHDS.PDF (Copy/paste in your browser)
SCR 7 (The Jennifer Act) has been scheduled to be heard in the Health and Provider Services Committee on Tuesday, March 6. The meeting will be at 9am in room 431 of the State House. The Chair of the committee, Senator Miller, will be allowing public testimony. If you are unable to make it to this committee, it should be broadcast on the internet. You can watch it by going to this link, clicking on the down arrow of the selection box, then selecting room 431. http://www.in.gov/legislative/2441.htm
Contact Information: Leadership Chair: Senator Miller
Statehouse Mailing Address: 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204
Statehouse Phone: 800-382-9467 or 317-232-9489
Email: Senator.Miller@iga.in.gov
Standing Committees
Appropriations
Elections
Health & Provider Services, Chair
Provider Services Subcommittee
Member, Health Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures
Member, Midwest Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments (CSG) Health and Human Services Committee
Legislative Assistant
Lindsey Moss 317-232-9489
Posted By admin / 21st February 2012
GENERAL BILL by FLORIDA Senator Jack Latvala
Substance Abuse Treatment Services; Citing this act as “The Jennifer Act”; revising the filing fee for involuntary admissions proceedings for substance abuse treatment; providing for the distribution of proceeds from the fee; increasing the period allowed for assessment of a person following involuntary custody or admission to a hospital or other facility; specifying requirements for initial processing of inmates by the Department of Corrections for substance abuse needs; providing that, to the fullest extent practicable, inmates be given the choice between faith-based and nonfaith-based substance abuse programs, etc.
Senate Committee References: Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (CF) , Criminal Justice (CJ) , Budget (BC)
Last Action: 02/23/2012 Now in Criminal Justice -SJ 671
Effective Date: July 1, 2012
Bill History
Date Chamber Action
01/06/2012 Senate • Filed
01/17/2012 Senate • Referred to Health Regulation; Criminal Justice; Budget -SJ 230
• Introduced -SJ 230
01/31/2012 Senate • Original reference(s)- removed: Health Regulation
• References corrected to Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Criminal Justice; Budget -SJ 300
• Now in Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
02/17/2012 Senate • On Committee agenda– Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, 02/22/12, 3:30 pm, 401 Senate Office Building
02/22/2012 Senate • Favorable by Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; YEAS 3 NAYS 2 -SJ 671
02/23/2012 Senate • Now in Criminal Justice -SJ 671
——————————————————————————————————————————————————–Committee Members on Criminal Justice (Contact to support The Jennifer Act)
The Committee on Criminal Justice handles issues and legislation relating to criminal penalties, sentencing, corrections, juvenile justice, law enforcement, firearms, victims, parole, criminal defense and criminal prosecution. The majority of legislation referred to the committee creates new crimes or amends existing crimes and/or their associated criminal penalties.
Major Department or Entities Oversight
Department of Corrections, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Law Enforcement, Parole Commission
Chair:
Senator Greg Evers (R)
Vice Chair:
Senator Charles S. “Charlie” Dean, Sr. (R)
Senator Michael S. “Mike” Bennett (R)
Senator Alan Hays (R)
Senator Gwen Margolis (D)
Senator Christopher L. “Chris” Smith (D)
Posted By admin / 3rd February 2012
5 Reasons Addicts Leave Treatment Early – And How to Prevent It
By David Sack, M.D.
Spot Lake RehabGetting an addict into drug rehab isn’t always an easy task. Getting them to stay there can be even harder. Here are five of the most common reasons people leave drug rehab against medical advice, along with suggestions to help the addict stay committed to their recovery.
1. “Detox is too painful.”
Research shows that the first week of drug rehab is the time when most addicts ask themselves, “What the heck am I doing here?” Withdrawal symptoms, drug cravings and an unfamiliar environment can fill the addict with anxiety at the same time they are deprived of their primary coping mechanism: drugs. Some addicts rationalize that they felt better when using drugs and give up on rehab before treatment really begins.
2. “I’m not like these people.”
This is a common assertion made after the addict attends their first 12-Step meeting or group therapy session. It is the nature of the disease for addicts to think they are different, smarter or stronger than other addicts. This belief allows them to put up emotional walls between themselves and others and to avoid doing the soul-searching work of recovery.
3. “I don’t like it here.”
If an addict wants to go back to using drugs, they must find a justification to do so, both for their own peace of mind and to appease their loved ones who desperately want them to get well. Rather than accepting responsibility for their own recovery, they may place the blame elsewhere – often on the food, accommodations, rules, treatment schedule, staff or other patients.
4. “I already know this stuff.”
In addiction recovery, there are certain themes that get repeated throughout treatment. This is because repetition is how we learn. Sometimes it isn’t until the second or third go-around that the addict truly embraces a particular recovery principle or gains new insight. In some cases, the addict may use this excuse to avoid dealing with the painful memories and feelings being explored in therapy.
5. “I can do this on my own.”
At some point during treatment, most addicts develop a type of confidence that is both healing and potentially damaging. After maintaining their sobriety for a while, they feel healthier than ever and are assured of their ability to stay clean. It is at this point that some believe they are “cured” of addiction and anxiously wish to return to their families and careers.
In many ways, drug rehab is an exercise in faith. We ask addicts to draw on coping, interpersonal and distress tolerance skills they haven’t yet developed, based on the assurance of others that recovery is possible. Change is hard for an addict, but stillness can be even harder. With the support of family and a team of professionals, addicts can stay still long enough to experience the many rewards of recovery.
David Sack, M.D., is board certified in psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. He is CEO of Elements Behavioral Health, a network of treatment centers that focus on addiction treatment, eating disorders, and dual diagnosis.
