Addiction Recovery included in healthcare reform package

Don't count addiction recovery advocates among those who see healthcare reform as 'Armageddon': the bill signed into law by President Obama on March 23 includes addiction and mental health services in its basic benefits package and is being broadly praised by treatment, prevention and recovery leaders.

According to an analysis from the Legal Action Center (LAC), the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) requires a basic benefit package for all health plans in the individual market and small-group markets. "All such plans will be required to cover mental health and substance use disorder services," according to the LAC, which said the measure represents a "ground-breaking expansion of addiction and mental health coverage of prevention, treatment and recovery."

SAMHSA launches website

SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) recently launched a Web site - http://chab.samhsa.gov - to help grantees, health professionals, and the public address problems of homelessness and co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders.

Recovery Symposium Videos Now Available for Viewing

The NeATTC and IRETA are pleased to announce that videos of the presentations from the Recovery Symposium, “Aligning Contexts, Practice, and Concepts to Promote Long-Term Recovery: An Action Plan” are now available for online viewing.

Visit the New National ATTC Workforce Development Page

Visit the National ATTC section of the website devoted to workforce development to find resources about careers in the addiction field, watch the award-winning recruitment video, "Imagine Who You Could Save," and more.

Dual Diagnosis Program Effective, Study Says

Irish researchers say that programs designed to meet the specific needs of depressed and bipolar alcoholics can effectively improve mood and lower craving and alcohol consumption.

Eyes Can Reveal FASD in Children

Fetal-alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) can be identified using an eye-blink test when children have been exposed to alcohol in the womb but don't exhibit the classic facial malformations associated with FASD.

Smoking Your Sleep Away

Smokers are four times more likely than nonsmokers to report sleep problems, and researchers say that nicotine may disrupt sleep patterns and prevent smokers from experiencing deep sleep.

Methadone Cardiac Death Danger Reported

Normal therapeutic doses of methadone could cause sudden cardiac death.

Comprehensive Health Coverage Resource Center Launched

The Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE) has launched a new Internet resource center that provides eligiblity and other information on more than 144 government-sponsored programs designed to help people who lack health insurance.

Stop-Smoking Drug Faces Suicide Warning

European regulators are calling for a suicide warning to be including on packaging for the stop-smoking drug Champix (varenicline).

NIDA Releases Draft Strategic Plan, Seeks Comments

Citing "recent revolutionary advances in drug abuse research," NIDA has been working with its national advisory council and others in the addiction research field to develop the plan, the agency's first major new outline of goals and objectives since former director Alan Leshner, Ph.D., published a five-year strategic plan in 2000.

Co-occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders in Adolescents

The NeATTC has recently revised the Adolescent Co-occurring Curriculum. The curriculum format has been updated to include the power point within each module of the trainers manual. A participant manual was also developed. . . . .

New SBI Codes, Dollar Values, for Medicare, Private Insurance

Physicians now have four different codes that can be used in 2008 for screening and brief intervention (SBI). These codes are a victory for the addiction field, and especially for the sponsors, with Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, leading the way.

Smoking by Age 12 Related to Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Dependence

Youths who begin smoking at age 12 or younger are more likely to meet the criteria for past year alcohol and drug abuse or dependence, according to a recent analysis of data from the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Lost in Woonsocket: A Fundraising Opportunity

The Lost in Woonsocket campaign offers showings of an inspiring film and sales of a Special Edition DVD as fund raisers for recovery, homeless, and faith based organizations.