Meet the candidates: Ford County circuit judge
The drug court team is made up of the state's attorney, public defender, counselors — both mental health and substance abuse — and the probation department, and we discuss these things. There are a couple police officers, as well. We discuss these …
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Should the Church speak out more strongly against alcohol?
A first positive test will result in counseling, a second in disciplinary action, and a third in dismissal. While some libertarians are irritated, many parents are thrilled the school is creating an environment that addresses the problems of drug use …
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Question by Kevin7: has the drug GRN-29 improved autism symptoms in mice?

science daily news

Best answer:

Answer by Hαяνεγ βoi 416™
*GRN-529

Agent Reduces Autism-Like Behaviors in Mice: Boosts Sociability, Quells Repetitiveness

ScienceDaily (Apr. 25, 2012) — National Institutes of Health researchers have reversed behaviors in mice resembling two of the three core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). An experimental compound, called GRN-529, increased social interactions and lessened repetitive self-grooming behavior in a strain of mice that normally display such autism-like behaviors, the researchers say.

GRN-529 is a member of a class of agents that inhibit activity of a subtype of receptor protein on brain cells for the chemical messenger glutamate, which are being tested in patients with an autism-related syndrome. Although mouse brain findings often don’t translate to humans, the fact that these compounds are already in clinical trials for an overlapping condition strengthens the case for relevance, according to the researchers.

“Our findings suggest a strategy for developing a single treatment that could target multiple diagnostic symptoms,” explained Jacqueline Crawley, Ph.D., of the NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). “Many cases of autism are caused by mutations in genes that control an ongoing process — the formation and maturation of synapses, the connections between neurons. If defects in these connections are not hard-wired, the core symptoms of autism may be treatable with medications.”

Crawley, Jill Silverman, Ph.D., and colleagues at NIMH and Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, CT, report on their discovery April 25th, 2012 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“These new results in mice support NIMH-funded research in humans to create treatments for the core symptoms of autism,” said NIMH director Thomas R. Insel, M.D. “While autism has been often considered only as a disability in need of rehabilitation, we can now address autism as a disorder responding to biomedical treatments.”

Crawley’s team followed-up on clues from earlier findings hinting that inhibitors of the receptor, called mGluR5, might reduce ASD symptoms. This class of agents — compounds similar to GRN-529, used in the mouse study — are in clinical trials for patients with the most common form of inherited intellectual and developmental disabilities, Fragile X syndrome, about one third of whom also meet criteria for ASDs.

To test their hunch, the researchers examined effects of GRN-529 in a naturally occurring inbred strain of mice that normally display autism-relevant behaviors. Like children with ASDs, these BTBR mice interact and communicate relatively less with each other and engage in repetitive behaviors — most typically, spending an inordinate amount of time grooming themselves.

Crawley’s team found that BTBR mice injected with GRN-529 showed reduced levels of repetitive self-grooming and spent more time around — and sniffing nose-to-nose with — a strange mouse.

Moreover, GRN-529 almost completely stopped repetitive jumping in another strain of mice.

“These inbred strains of mice are similar, behaviorally, to individuals with autism for whom the responsible genetic factors are unknown, which accounts for about three fourths of people with the disorders,” noted Crawley. “Given the high costs — monetary and emotional — to families, schools, and health care systems, we are hopeful that this line of studies may help meet the need for medications that treat core symptoms.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425143634.htm

Negative Allosteric Modulation of the mGluR5 Receptor Reduces Repetitive Behaviors and Rescues Social Deficits in Mouse Models of Autism (Abstract)
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/4/131/131ra51

UN anti-narcotics panel urges greater stock in prevention, treatment of drug abuse
4 March 2014 – Investment in prevention and treatment of drug abuse can lead to significant savings in health-care and crime-related costs, and alleviate the suffering of drug-dependent users and their families, the independent United Nations body …
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Renz program offers substance abuse care for minority women
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New drug treatment facility proposed
Last month, Catholic Charities said it would cease using Parmadale Institute as a residential treatment center for troubled youths, but it will continue other social service programs there, including mental health services. WKYC-TV. Monica Robins, WKYC …
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Back2Basics Drug and Alcohol Rehab Hosts Discussion Panel at Northern …
In addition to life-skill building, the long-term addiction treatment program offers wilderness therapy, traditional therapy and counseling, culinary classes and supports higher learning education. “I feel what makes B2B different from what I expected …
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Question by tangerine: drug and addictions therapist?
I am considering going into a career as a drug and addictions therapist. What kind of schooling/degrees is required?

Best answer:

Answer by Bella Boo
this doesn’t answer your question but, i think the best therapists are the ones who know exactly what their clients are going through by experience, etc.

Answer by Megumi D
Having worked as a licensed clinician in the mental health field for several years (first licensed in 1992), and having specialized for a number of those years in addiction disorders, I honestly think that the best training for someone who wants to work with addictive disorders is to first get a Masters (MA or MS) in psychology, and then a doctorate–preferably a PsyD–in clinical psych. During the practicum phase of education and in your pre-licensure internship hours, one would do best to work with a variety of mental health issues but to focus on addictive disorders. Most important though is to get a solid background in clinical training and then branch out to addictive disorders. It truly helps to be able to recognize when a person with drug/addiction disorders also has “co-morbid” psychological disorders–depression, personality d/os, etc. that are complicating the picture, and one will be able to treat those as well.

The poorest training is those who only work towards a certificate as an “addictions counselor” or certificate in alcoholism and drug dependency counseling, because such people do not have the training to recognize the complicating factors of co-existing disorders and tend to only see one facet of the person’s disorders.

It does not matter, contrary to popular opinion, whether someone has been an alcoholic or addict oneself. In fact, that can make it more difficult because such counselors are often too close to their own issues to be able to deal with the problems of someone else. Or, they often tend to focus on “what worked” for them, not realizing that different approaches are necessary for treating different people. After all, you wouldn’t necessarily think that a doctor who him/herself had cancer would make the best oncologist, would you?

I designed and started a “dual diagnosis” (substance-abusing chronically mentally ill) treatment program in So Calif, and was the clinical supervisor of another program that treated pregnant and parenting women. I worked in the field with SAMHSA, NIMH, and other federal agencies as well, and have a great deal of experience supervising and providing treatment for drug and alcohol issues. The best clinicians are those who are truly empathetic, caring people who also have excellent clinical skills in a broad range of mental health treatment modalities, not just as drug and alcohol counselors.

Latonia Williams: Onetime addict builds promising future
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Former Clallam firefighter/paramedic steeped in treatment, counseling in wake …
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Gambling addiction nothing to play around with
They go through a radical withdrawal process, to help them change their behavior and abstain from gambling. Like drug addicts, they suffer mood swings, insomnia and intense cravings. An in-patient treatment lasts two months, therapy for an out patient …
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Question by Evan: I NEED TO KNOW THE MONEY SPENT ON ALCOHOL REHABS YEARLY. RECENT AND RELIABLE PLZ.?
RECENT AND RELIABLE PLZ.

Best answer:

Answer by raysny
The most recent I could find for the US has the figures for 1997:

“A study shows that the U.S. spent a combined $ 11.9 billion on alcohol and drug abuse treatment, while the total social costs were more than $ 294 billion. The results were part of the National Estimates of Expenditures for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1997, which was released at the end of April by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

The report, prepared by the MEDSTAT Group for SAMHSA, examines how much is spent in the U.S. to treat alcohol and drug abuse, how that spending has changed between 1987 and 1997, how much of the spending is done by the private and public sectors, and how substance abuse expenditures compare to spending for mental health and other health conditions in the U.S.”
http://www.usmedicine.com/newsDetails.cfm?dailyID=54

In NY:
“States report spending $ 2.5 billion a year on treatment. States did not distinguish whether the treatment was for alcohol, illicit drug abuse or nicotine addiction. Of the $ 2.5 billion total, $ 695 million is spent through the departments of health and $ 633 million through the state substance abuse agencies. We believe that virtually all of these funds are spent on alcohol and illegal drug treatment.”
Source: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, Shoveling Up: The Impact of Substance Abuse on State Budgets (New York, NY: CASA, Jan. 2001), p. 24.

States Waste Billions Dealing with Consequences of Addiction, CASA Study Says
May 28, 2009

The vast majority of the estimated $ 467.7 billion in substance-abuse related spending by governments on substance-abuse problems went to deal with the consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, not treatment and prevention, according to a new report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The report, titled, “Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets,” found that 95 percent of the $ 373.9 billion spent by the federal government and states went to paying for the societal and personal damage caused by alcohol and other drug use; the calculation included crime, health care costs, child abuse, domestic violence, homelessness and other consequences of tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse and addiction.

Just 1.9 percent went to treatment and prevention, while 0.4 percent was spent on research, 1.4 percent went towards taxation and regulation, and 0.7 percent went to interdiction.

“Such upside-down-cake public policy is unconscionable,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s founder and chairman. “It’s past time for this fiscal and human waste to end.”

CASA estimated that the federal government spent $ 238.2 billion on substance-abuse related issues in 2005, while states spent $ 135.8 billion and local governments spent $ 93.8 billion. The report said that 58 percent of spending was for health care and 13.1 percent on justice systems.

Researchers estimated that 11.2 percent of all federal and state government spending went towards alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse and addictions and its consequences. The report said that Connecticut spent the most proportionately on prevention, treatment and research — $ 10.39 of every $ 100 spent on addiction issues — while New Hampshire spent the least — 22 cents.
http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2009/states-waste-billions-dealing.html

Key Findings

Of the $ 3.3 trillion total federal and state government spending, $ 373.9 billion –11.2 percent, more than one of every ten dollars– was spent on tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse and addiction and its consequences.

The federal government spent $ 238.2 billion (9.6 percent of its budget) on substance abuse and addiction. If substance abuse and addiction were its own budget category at the federal level, it would rank sixth, behind social security, national defense, income security, Medicare and other health programs including the federal share of Medicaid.

State governments spent $ 135.8 billion (15.7 percent of their budgets) to deal with substance abuse and addiction, up from 13.3 percent in 1998. If substance abuse and addiction were its own state budget category, it would rank second behind spending on elementary and secondary education.

Local governments spent $ 93.8 billion on substance abuse and addiction (9 percent of their budgets), outstripping local spending for transportation and public welfare.¹

For every $ 100 spent by state governments on substance abuse and addiction, the average spent on prevention, treatment and research was $ 2.38; Connecticut spent the most, $ 10.39; New Hampshire spent the least, $ 0.22.

For every dollar the federal and state governments spent on prevention and treatment, they spent $ 59.83 shoveling up the consequences, despite a growing

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Addiction Treatment Specialists Say Heroin Deaths Avoidable
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