Throughout my time in Congress, I have sought to fight substance abuse and addiction by using proof-based resources concerning prevention, treatment, and recovery.  Below are some materials put together by the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic in order to help those in need.

Resources on Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery

PREVENTION

1.     The Parent Toolkit ­ Whether your child is toddling through preschool, meandering through middle school or cruising through his ’20s ­­ here are tips to help guide him toward a healthy life at every age!

2.     Join a Community Anti­Drug Coalition ­ Community Anti-­Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) is the leading substance abuse prevention organization, representing over 5,000 community-based coalitions across the United States and in 22 countries who work to create safe, healthy, and drug-free communities. CADCA’s Membership Department is ready and able to connect you with our coalition network which reaches into every U.S. state and territory.

3.     Free Online Course: "Medicine Safety: Drug Disposal and Storage"

4.     6 Parenting Practices ­ 6 practices that will help you reduce the chances your child will develop a drug or alcohol problem.

5.     How to Connect with Your Kids ­ Teens say that parents are the most important influence when it comes to drugs and alcohol. This link provides information for parents on how to bond with your teenagers as well as 8 ways to talk with your teen about drugs and alcohol.

6.     Family Checkup ­ Highlight parenting skills that are important in preventing the initiation and progression of drug use among youth.

7.     National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month and Online Toolkit for Community Leaders ­ CADCA’s online prescription drug abuse prevention toolkit introduces facts, strategies, and tools to prevent and reduce teen prescription drug abuse in your communities.

8.     SAMHSA ­ Parent Resources ­ Underage Drinking ­ Check out these resources to help you start—and keep up—the conversation about the dangers of drinking alcohol at a young age.

9.     Teen engagement ­ Resources to help teens live “Above the Influence” and learn the facts about drugs and alcohol.

10. The Medicine Abuse Project ­ The Medicine Abuse Project website includes information about prevention of prescription drug abuse, painkiller addiction, and over-­the-­counter (OTC) medicine abuse. It provides information about how to dispose of medicine and how to safeguard the medicine in your home, as well as lists medicine abuse facts and includes comprehensive information about the most abused prescription drugs.

CHILDREN ­ PARENTAL SUBSTANCE USE

1.     Children of Alcoholics Kit for Parents ­ The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) has assembled this kit to help you and your children learn more about this disease and to provide information for you about resources others have found to be helpful.

2.     Find Al­-Anon ­ Al­-Anon is a network of support groups for friends and families of problem drinkers. This link provides information on how to tell if someone’s problem drinking is affecting you and resources available for support.

3.     Find Alateen ­ Alateen is a fellowship of young Al­-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking. Alateen groups are sponsored by Al-­Anon members who help the group to stay on track. Alateens come together to share experiences, strength, and hope with each other, discuss difficulties learn effective ways to cope with problems, encourage one another, help each other understand the principles of the Al­-Anon program, learn how to use the Twelve Steps and Alateen's Twelve Traditions.

TREATMENT

1.     Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator ­ A confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for substance abuse/addiction and/or mental health problems.

2.     Find a Behavioral Health Provider ­ A comprehensive list of behavioral health providers throughout the country.

3.     Find an Addiction Psychiatrist ­ The AAAP (American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry) Patient Referral Program (or Physician Locator) is a listing of AAAP Members by state for quick and easy navigation and referrals.

4.     Finding Quality Addiction Treatment ­ Whether you are seeking help for yourself or for a friend, family member or someone you know, this guide will point you toward the best quality treatment. Depending on where you live, your treatment options may be limited, but that doesn’t mean you should ever go without treatment.

5.     Intervention eBook: What to do if your child is drinking or using drugs ­ This e­book answers parents’ most pressing questions about confronting their child about his or her use.

6.     Medication­-Assisted Treatment (MAT) E­book ­ This eBook will help you learn more about medication assisted treatment – what it is, how it’s used, where to find it and how you can best support your child through treatment.

7.     National Institute of Drug Abuse: Treatment ­ Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain, which can be long lasting. These changes in the brain can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who use drugs. Drug addiction is also a relapsing disease. Relapse is the return to drug use after an attempt to stop.

8.     Patient Guide ­ The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse’s step-by-­step guide was created to help you navigate the vast amount of information—and misinformation—about finding addiction treatment and the questions that may arise along your journey.

9.     Questions to Ask Treatment Programs ­ This list of questions can help guide your conversation with treatment program staff in helping you decide which program is the best fit for your child and family.

10.   SAMHSA’s National Helpline ­ SAMHSA’s National Helpline (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) is a confidential, free, 24 ­hour-­a-­day, 365­ day-­a-­year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental health and/or substance use disorders.

11.   Treatment eBook: How to find the right help for your child with a drug or alcohol problem Our Treatment e­book (pdf) has all the facts you need to know so that you can get the right help for your child. You will learn what alcohol and drug abuse treatment is, how to pay for treatment, how to get your child to start treatment and what you can do to help yourself and your family cope with the challenges you’re facing.

RECOVERY

1.     Continuing Care ­ A Parent’s Guide to Your Teen’s Recovery from Substance Abuse

2.     Find Local A.A. ­ Find local Alcoholics Anonymous programs and meetings.

3.     Find Local N.A. ­ Locate helplines and websites for local groups near you who can assist you in finding a meeting.

4.     Find a Recovery Community Organization ­ Locate local organizations providing peer recovery support services in recovery community centers and other diverse settings.

5.     Guide to Mutual Aid Resources Find a Support Group ­ Mutual aid is the process of giving and receiving non-­clinical and non-professional help to achieve long-­term recovery from addiction. There are mutual aid groups for people seeking, initiating and sustaining their recovery and for their families and significant others.

6.     Join an Association of Recovery Community Organizations ­ Find a local recovery organization.

7.     Locate an Association of Recovery Schools Member School ­ The map of school-­based recovery support initiates from a broad market study conducted by The Stacie Mathewson Foundation on behalf of the Association of Recovery Schools. The goal is to paint a picture of the present landscape of schools that have a recovery support emphasis.

8.     Parent support network ­ The Parent Support Network at Partnership for Drug­Free Kids is a system of care for parents whose teen and young adult children are struggling with drugs and alcohol.

9.     Recovery Residences  Information about access to quality recovery residences through standards, support services, placement, education, research and advocacy.

10.   Young People in Recovery ­ Find a Chapter ­ Find a Young People in Recovery chapter nearest to you with this map.

FACTS AND INFORMATION

1.     Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction ­ Provides scientific information about the disease of drug addiction, including the many harmful consequences of drug abuse and the basic approaches that have been developed to prevent and treat the disease.

2.     A Focus on Heroin & Opioids: From Understanding to Action ­ Information to understand the opioid epidemic and how to take action.

3.     Drug Facts: Heroin ­ Facts from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

4.     Prescription Drugs and Cold Medicines ­ Some medications have psychoactive (mind-­altering) properties and, because of that, are sometimes abused—that is, taken for reasons or in ways or amounts not intended by a doctor, or taken by someone other than the person for whom they are prescribed. In fact, prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are, after marijuana (and alcohol), the most commonly abused substances by Americans 14 and older.

5.     Prescription Opioids and Heroin ­ Facts on prescription opioids and heroin from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

6.     That’s Right. Addiction is a Disease. Video presentation from the Partnership for Drug­Free Kids.

7.     Rx and OTC Drug Guide ­ Teen medicine abuse is an epidemic ­ one that is not poised to get better. But there are steps we can all take, starting with getting educated about the types of medicine that teens frequently abuse, you can take the first step in helping to end medicine abuse. Here, you can learn about the prescription and over-­the-­counter drugs that teens are most commonly abusing, including what they look like, their street or slang names, how they're taken and what the potential side effects are.

8.     The Teen Brain ­ Scientists are beginning to learn that it takes a brain about 25 years to fully develop, and that a huge burst of development happens during adolescence. That burst can explain a lot of unpredictable – and sometimes risky – teen behavior.

Helplines

SAMHSA’s National Helpline

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) is a confidential, free, 24­ hours a day, 365 ­days a ­year information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental health and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-­based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.

Call 1­-800­-662­-HELP (4357) or visit the online treatment locators.

Partnership for Drug­Free Kids Helpline

1-­855­-DRUGFREE is a toll-­free, national helpline for parents whose children are abusing drugs or alcohol take effective action to support their loved one. The Helpline is staffed by trained and caring, bilingual, master’s­level parent support specialists. Their job is to talk confidentially with callers and share information to help.

Community Anti­-Drug Coalition of America Technical Assistance Hotline

1­-800­-54­CADCA, Ext. 240

Drug Collection Units In Our Area

There are a number of drug collection units throughout our district. The service is free and anonymous and the units are open Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The drug collection facilities are located at:

·         Gaston Police Department, 420 West Franklin St. in Gastonia

·         Dallas Police Department, 207 West Church St. in Dallas

·         Bessemer City Police Department, 132 West Virginia Ave. in Bessemer

·         Stanley Police Department, 230 South Main St. in Stanley

·         Belmont Police Department, 201 Cronicle St. in Belmont

·         K.M. Pharmacy, 1106 Shelby Rd. in Kings Mountain

·         Mount Holly Police Department, 400 East Central Ave. in Mount Holly

·         Cherryville Police Department, 704 East Church St. in Cherryville

·         Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, 700 John Howell St. in Lincolnton

·         Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, 3606 West Highway 27 in Lincolnton

·         Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, 1889 North Highway 16 in Denver

·         Neal Senior Center, 100 T.R. Harris Dr. in Shelby

·         Cleveland County Health Department, 315 East Grover St. in Shelby

·         Shelby Police Department, 311 South Lafayette St. in Shelby

·         Medical Arts Pharmacy, 108 East Glover St. in Shelby

·         Maiden Police Department, 201 West Main St. in Maiden

·         Fallston Pharmacy, 5011 Fallston Rd. in Lawndale

·         Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, 198 North Washington St. in Rutherfordton

·         Professional Pharmacy, 139 East College Ave. in Shelby

·         Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, 60 Court Plaza in Asheville

·         Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, 339 Leicester Hwy in Asheville

·         Asheville Police Department, 100 Court Plaza in Asheville

·         Hickory Police Department, 347 Second Ave. SW in Hickory

·         Conover Police Department, 115 Second Ave. NE in Conover

·         Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, 100 Southwest Blvd. #B in Newton

·         Newton Police Department, 411 North Main Ave. in Newton

·         Claremont Police Department, 3301 East Main St. in Claremont