Residents in Louisiana Can Now Find Local Addiction Resources by County
Baton Rouge, LA, Oct. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Addiction Policy Forum, a leading addiction nonprofit, has expanded its Addiction Resource Center (ARC) to include treatment resources, facilities and health care providers specific to Louisiana.
“We wanted to eliminate the possibility of patients and families contacting bad actors and patient brokers when they are seeking help during a crisis,” says Jessica Hulsey Nickel, Founder and CEO of Addiction Policy Forum. “The ARC treatment provider database provides individuals with a researched, unbiased list of reliable treatment resources, facilities and healthcare providers in every county of Louisiana. It is our hope to see the number of overdose deaths in Louisiana decrease as more residents discover and use the new resource.”
The ARC includes a comprehensive, interactive website to help individuals and families struggling with addiction learn about substance use disorders and access critical resources. This platform dispels harmful myths about addiction by presenting the science behind the disease in easy-to-read formats, guiding concerned individuals through a self-assessment tool, helping to develop a proposed action plan and providing a database of local treatment providers. The ARC also includes a telehealth service staffed by addiction counselors and licensed social workers that provide callers with substance use disorder information, education on treatment options, and support. Louisiana residents can call the line at 1-833-301-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5PM CT.
“Louisiana saw a significant increase in drug overdose deaths in 2017,” says Danielle Tarino, Addiction Policy Forum Vice President of Health Information Technology. “Expanding the Addiction Resource Center to Louisiana will help residents impacted by substance use find resources to help themselves or loved ones.”
Addiction Policy Forum, which has chapters in 45 states and a national office in Washington, D.C., plans to continue adding state-specific resources to its database throughout 2018. In addition to addressing addiction through community resources, APF is committed to affecting policy change at the local, state and national levels and raising awareness of the nationwide addiction crisis.
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About Addiction Policy Forum
Addiction Policy Forum is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 2015 as a diverse partnership of organizations, policymakers, and stakeholders committed to working together to elevate awareness around addiction, and to improve programs and policy through a comprehensive response that includes prevention, treatment, recovery, and criminal justice reform. Jessica Hulsey Nickel, whose own family was devastated by addiction, is the founder of a coalition of 1,700 families impacted by substance use disorders and is available for further explanation and interviews by media.
More information on our mission and projects is available at http://addictionpolicy.org.
CONTACT: Casey Elliott Addiction Policy Forum 3128605353 [email protected]