Come help us celebrate 25 years of service here in Tucson. Craig Thompson soon to be the new CEO will be out there cooking Hamburgers and Hotdogs along with Ross Croydon our Clinical Director. There will be plenty of food and drinks for all so stop by talk with your peers get credit for a relapse prevention group at the same time.

 

If you or someone you know is in need of a free meal this Thanksgiving, here are some places around Tucson that are offering meals:

Wednesday, November 23rd
Gospel Rescue Mission, 4550 S. Palo Verde. 6:30 AM - 8:30 AM, 11:30 AM - 1 PM, and 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM (plus drive through 11 AM - 2 PM)
Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, 352 E. 26th St. 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Grace St. Paul-Joseph's Pantry, 2331 E. Adams St. Snack packs offered 9 AM - 12 PM
Casa San Juan, 602 W. Ajo Way #6046, 9:30 AM - 12 PM
Caridad Community Kitchen, 845 N. Main Ave, 2 - 4 PM
Saguaro Christian Church, 8302 E. Broadway Blvd, 5 - 6:30 PM
Z Mansion, 288 N. Church Ave, soup served from 6 - 6:30 PM

Thursday, November 24th
Salvation Army at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1145 E. Fort Lowell Rd, 11 AM - 1 PM
The Lot on 22nd, 4431 E. 22nd St, 5 - 6:45 PM

Friday, November 25th
Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W. 23rd St., 7:30 - 9 AM
Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, 352 E. 26th St. 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Grace St. Paul-Joseph's Pantry, 2331 E. Adams St. Snack packs offered 9 AM - 12 PM

Saturday, November 26th
Life in Christ Community Church, 102 E. Palmdale St, 8 - 8:30 AM
Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, 352 E. 26th St. 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Gospel Rescue Mission, 4550 S. Palo Verde Ave, 11:30 AM - 1 PM and 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Friendship Baptist Missionary Church, 850 N. 11th Ave, 11 AM - 1 PM
Lerner and Rowe at the Manheim Tucson Auto Auction, 7090 S. Craycroft Rd, 12 PM while supplies last

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

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I was asked to put a link on are website which normally I don't do unless it is extremely important and or can provide a benefit to are clients without costing them any money.
As some of you know I became disabled in 2011 and was just not ready to sit around and do nothing. I wish at that time their was a resource like this for me to use I had not composed a resume in over twenty years so this got my attention and I am happy to provide a link for those of you that may need this assistance. This guide was written by Jeff Arsenequx who is a Disability Employment Consultant and who is willing to share his knowledge in this area. Thank you Jeff! I have been assured that using this resume building tool is absolutely free of charge so if anyone is asked for any type of payment please let me know. 
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https://www.resumebuilder.com/comprehensive-resume-and-career-guide-for-people-with-disabilities/.

Pear Therapeutics developed the first FDA Approved software application to be used in addition to normal evidence based substance abuse counseling and it is a product that passed my scrutiny and something that has been needed for a long time. We currently have several clients using it and the response and results have been exceptional and far out weighed my expectations. However the cost is high as is with any prescription these days and the funds to cover the cost are coming from a grant that wont last forever so it is extremely important to get this bill passed so it can be covered by Medicare and Medicaid a like and will allow us to continue to use this tool in are recovery efforts. So please read below and let are government officials know that we need their help getting this done. 

As you know, one of the barriers for broad access to PDTs is payer coverage, and access to these treatments for patients who need it is important. Despite strong data showing a reduction in overall healthcare resource utilization associated with our products and evidence-based clinical outcomes, we are still struggling to get payers to adopt PDTs.
To change this, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, or AMCP, is working with Pear and other PDT companies to urge Congress to pass the Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2022 this year. If this bill passes, it will allow CMS to create national Medicare coverage for PDTs and enable Medicaid coverage as well.
Right now, the bill has more than 20 Senators and Representatives signing on as cosponsors, and we can use your support.
AMCP developed a turn-key way for citizens to let their members of Congress know that they support turning this bill into law. Anyone can click the link below to automatically send a note to every member of your Congressional delegation.

1. Click on this link: Take Action web page 
2. Click the box Write (vs Tweet)
3. Fill out your personal information (your zip code determines who receives your notes)
4. Add comments (optional), to the default text in the Message Body section (under the heading Review Third Message)
5. Click Send Message

A pre-populated email asking Congress to pass the bill will be sent to your state members of Congress, whose names you’ll see on the confirmation page after you submit. If you’d like to add to the default message, just add your comments in the Message Body section. This should take you no more than 3 minutes to complete.
Thank you for your ongoing support in the shared mission of ensuring patients who deserve evidence-based treatment receive evidence-based treatment.
Please go to the AMCP website this week, and let Congress know how you feel.


 

Fun in sobriety is a must and plays a huge part in self care. When Covid-19 hit peer interaction came to a screeching halt which led to isolation which in turn opens the door for relapse. In order to get people socializing and interacting while following social distancing guidelines was no easy task and we had to come up with ways to prevent isolation and mental health concerns. The Race for Recovery worked extremely well so much so that it has become a yearly event. Taking clients to Roadrunner Hockey games, to the Rodeo, Sugar Skull Games, Having BBQ's Setting up a drive in movie during Halloween and watching Jason do his thing on a thirty foot screen and thousands of watts of bass made it all that much better. These things combined with Telehealth which we had already been doing has helped greatly in preventing relapse and the addition of becoming a corporate sponsor for the zoo and making this trip part of the Relapse and Prevention Fun in Sobriety Series just adds another tool to are arsenal to combat opiate addiction and be successful in recovery. We have a limited number of tickets so sign up now with the front office and as always AHCCCS clients are paid for by us. 

So order your T-Shirts today to help support this fun advanture11 more details to follow!

So sign up now with the front desk so we know how much food to buy also buy your tickets for a chance to win that nice new portaqble gas grill winner must be in attendance to win. Bring the family there is no charge to you for attending and the hamburgers and Hot Dog will be delicious. This also counts as a relapse prevention group!!!!

So I have not posted in awhile so let me bring you up to speed on what we have been doing to fight this never ending battle against opiate addiction. We are the only Clinic in not just Tucson but Arizona that is using the first FDA approved software application that is by prescription only. Now I know what your thinking a prescription is for medication, well not in this case that being said once it is prescribed by an MD you are directed to google play if using an android device or to the app store if using an Apple Device. Once the sift ware is down loaded you are able to work on lessons that help with what you are learning in the clinic, coping skills and strategies to help prevent relapse and so much more. It is an excellent addition and tool to enhance what you are already doing. Three o'clock in the morning cant sleep thinking about using and no one to call grab your phone launch the app an instant support. This has been a long time coming and so needed every client that we have that is using it has nothing but good things to say especially when you complete a lesson you earn real money that is given to you on a debit card. So if your interested just ask and we would be more than happy to explain how it works or check it out at this link https://peartherapeutics.com/science/prescription-digital-therapeutics/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21_Pear+Therapeutics_HCP_Corporate_PDTs&utm_content=Pear+Therapeutics+%7C+Exact&utm_term=pear+therapeutics&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtvqVBhCVARIsAFUxcRug9Y3yviIw8A1-FhzQHDwevYTtDqYSYV3EqaBYcateUCWRnHgZmMMaAlFTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

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Everyone that participated had a great time watching the sugar skulls win over San Diego!!

In what seems like a never-ending battle fighting the opioid epidemic gets tougher and deadlier every day. We are seeing increasingly more new intakes coming through our doors seeking help and when asked why the majority of them respond with “I don’t want to die those blue pills are killing people everywhere and I am not going out like that.” In the twenty-five plus years we have been treating people for opiate addiction here in Tucson we have never seen such a high increase in opiate related overdoses that resulted in death and the majority of those involved fentanyl. One of the main reasons we are seeing this is because these fake pills are so readily available and inexpensive to buy it is hard for anyone with an opiate addiction to say no and when asked if they know they are playing Russian roulette with their life the simply state “It’s worth the risk for the price and you cant find anything else out there anyway.” This is correct according to the DEA the cost of a pound of heroin is $4000.00 dollars and the profit from that is about $180,000.00. The cost of a pound of fentanyl is about $4500.00 and the profit from that is 1.6 million dollars so it is no wonder why you do not find anything else available to buy on the streets. But that is about to change and not for the better and this is one of the main reasons I am pushing public awareness. There is a deadly synthetic opioid found recently in Florida called Isotonitazene commonly referred to as ISO. According to reports, ISO is approximately 20 to 100 times stronger than fentanyl. Like fentanyl, this synthetic opioid is being mixed with other drugs and appearing on the streets in powder or pill form. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration that, beginning in April 2019, ISO entered the illicit drug market nationally and is responsible for numerous deaths. Like fentanyl, ISO can be laced with other drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and even counterfeit pills. A 2021 American Society of Addiction Medicine report shows at least forty fatal overdoses involving ISO during a six-month time period. That number has now gone up to fifty fatal overdoses per month and to make matters even worse Narcan has little to no effect when being administered to an individual that is overdosing on ISO. So please share this information with anyone you may know that is dealing with opiate addiction and help them get the help they need to change their lives and once again become productive members of our community and enjoy all the wonderful things that life has to offer.
 
Ross Croydon Clinical Director
Behavioral Awareness Center