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Santa Fe's once-vaunted diversion program for people with addictions has dwindled to nearly nothing

Ted Alcorn

December 22, 2021 |

Santa Fe Reporter |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Santa Fe, New Mexico

One of the nation's first programs using police officers to get people into drug treatment instead of jail succeeded at first, and inspired other programs throughout New Mexico. But the original Santa Fe program now serves as a lesson in what can all but kill such a program, thanks to a leadership vacuum and mistakes that undercut the cultural change needed within a police department. Like the first program of its kind, in Seattle, Santa Fe's LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program takes aim at people whose drug abuse deeply entangles them in the justice system when what they need is treatment.

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The Judge Who Keeps People Out of Jail

Ted Alcorn

November 30, 2021 |

The Washington Post Magazine |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rio Arriba, New Mexico

Since 2018, Judge Jason Lidyard of Rio Arriba County, N.M., has forged a new model for a drug court. Instead of demanding abstinence from drugs as the price to stay out of jail, Lidyard uses respect and personal relationships to seek a redefinition of success: making substance abuse less deadly and less socially crippling. Violating the court's requirements to get treatment results in more help, not jail. The less punitive approach seemed to reduce overdoses until a new fentanyl surge complicated the picture. Almost all of the people who've gone through the court have avoided new felony arrests.

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'So much hope': Alaskans say peer support can make recovery possible

Anne Hillman

November 24, 2021 |

Alaska Public Media |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Alaska

Alaska has begun certifying peer support specialists with a free 40-hour training. Peer support specialists use their own experiences with mental health conditions or substance use to guide others dealing with similar issues. The state has certified 43 people, including 12 Indigenous traditional peer support specialists. Trainings teach peer supporters about different coping skills and how to help clients deal with a mental health diagnosis and set healthy boundaries. They also cover legal and ethical issues in peer support. The specialists model recovery and offer support without telling people what to do.

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Evidence-based reentry resources key for sicker incarcerated population, researchers say

Elizabeth Thompson

November 08, 2021 |

North Carolina Health News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, North Carolina

Community health workers with North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program (NC FIT) counsel people recently released from jails and prisons to help them get the care they need for mental and physical health problems. The program closes some but not all of the gaps left by the state's inadequate Medicaid coverage and prison health services. Banking on the trust that comes with shared experiences, the formerly incarcerated health workers can connect people with medication-assisted treatment for substance use, covid-related treatments, and mental health care, all common ailments post-incarceration.

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Medication and Recovery: Doctors Say Access to Critical Addiction Care is Difficult in Appalachia

Taylor Sisk

October 21, 2021 |

100 Days in Appalachia |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Wise, Virginia

The Health Wagon provides medical care to those experiencing addiction. The Health Wagon also provides services for those in recovery, including medications, counseling, and peer support groups in an effort to reduce relapses and overdose deaths which have skyrocketed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Radical Shift in Drug Treatment Happening Inside California Prisons

Juan Moreno Haines

October 15, 2021 |

Next City |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Quentin, California

To combat opioid overdose deaths among incarcerated people, the California prison system in January 2020 launched a treatment program that combines medication-assisted treatment with professional and peer counseling. The program uses the three most effective medications to reduce opioid dependency. The one-year program features intense counseling, individual and group, based on a workbook that takes gender and trauma-related causes for drug abuse into account. Preliminary data show a decrease in deaths at San Quentin prison. More than 15,000 people have enrolled in the program.

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Progress amid the opioid epidemic: New Fall River fire station program seeing results

Meg McIntyre

October 02, 2021 |

The Herald News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Fall River, Massachusetts

Safe Stations, which operate out of local fire stations, provide a place for people struggling with opioid addiction to walk in and request help. They can be assessed for immediate health concerns, connected to a trained recovery coach and other mental health resources, and get help finding a bed in a detox facility or an inpatient treatment program.

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‘Every man was drinking': how much do bans on alcohol help women in India?

Preeti Jha

September 14, 2021 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Bihar

The Bihar, India, state government banned drinking and selling alcohol in 2016 after women in the mostly rural state mounted protests blaming men's alcohol abuse for rampant violence against women. Hundreds of thousands of arrests, carrying severe penalties, resulted from the ban. Previous bans in Bihar and other states failed because of unpopularity and loopholes. This one has some evidence to suggest a 15% decline in drinking, but only a 4% decline in violence, while bootlegging and other crimes have increased. The prohibition protests have spread to other states.

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Eagle County problem-solving courts offer new hope to repeat offenders battling substance abuse

Kelli Duncan

September 09, 2021 |

Vail Daily |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Eagle, Colorado

Eagle County's two problem-solving courts put treatment ahead of punishment when addressing crimes committed by people with substance abuse problems. Originally set up as one court, they now function separately to address drunken driving and drugs and serve people "teetering on the edge of serious prison time" for repeat offenses. More than 90 percent of participants in 2020 maintained sobriety and more than 80 percent avoided new legal troubles. While the threat of punishment is used to win compliance with rules, prosecutors say they're more interested in permanently curing the underlying disease.

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Colorado's Harvest Farm Battles Addiction and Homelessness in Unexpected Ways

Daliah Singer

September 01, 2021 |

5280 - The Denver Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Wellington, Colorado

Harvest Farm is an experiential recovery program that helps men experiencing homelessness and struggling with substance abuse achieve sobriety and become self-sufficient with stable work and housing. The program is free and a minimum of 6 months. The men toil on the farm and have access to case managers, addiction support groups, life and career development classes, and counseling. In the last phase of treatment, many hold jobs off of the farm, which provides added support through the post-graduation transition. A year after graduating, 70% of participants maintain housing and sobriety.

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