SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION RECOVERY MONTH

Supported by You, Assembled by Sameem Associates The Public is Welcome and The Press is Invited Recovery Month...............................................1 Let 9s Call for Respect.......................................2 Linda 9s Story..from Loss to Recovery..............2 What MOAR about Granada House...............2 Victory Programs..............................................3 New England School Advisory Track..............4 Carolyn Castro-Donlan....................................5 MOAR 2 nd Annual Membership Meeting......5 Recovery: The Gift of Freedom ......................6 Treatment to Recovery ~ A Perspective..........6 An Interview with Matt Cornish.....................7 page number Recovery Month 2001 With Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, CSAT Director Westley Clark, Teen Challenge Pastor Rodney Hart with Celebrants on the Common! Sponsored by: The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. CSAT, The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the national funding agency for addiction treatment.<br><br> 12th Annual Recovery Day Celebration Sponsors: National Sponsorship from: The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment High Point Communications, Inc. Sponsored by and in Cooperation with: MA Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Boston Public Health Commission, New England Alliance for Addiction Recovery (NEAAR), AdCare Educational Institute, Inc. and friends from The Governor 9s Advisory Council on Substance Abuse, Massachusetts Substance Abuse Information and Educational Helpline, Massachusetts Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, Massachusetts Board of Substance Abuse Counselor Certification, Mental Health and Substance AbuseCorporations of Massachusetts, Way of Life, Institute for Health and Recovery, Massachusetts Black Alcoholism & Addiction Counselors, Dorrington and Saunders, People to People, Community Associations Serving Alcoholics, Massachusetts Chapter of Employee Assistance Professionals, Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, Recovery Homes Collaborative, Labor Assistance Professionals Program and thank yous to: AdCare Hospital and Massachusetts Behavioral Health for sponsoring the Recovery Day refreshments We are Using Our Voices to Change the Conversation About Addiction Recovery and put the CSAT National Treatment Plan, which calls for creating genuine partnerships to reduce stigma, enhance services, change policies and improve treatment access into Action .<br><br> There will be MOAR on Recovery Month Celebrations from the State House, Springfield, Northampton, Tewksbury, Lowell, & New Bedford - in the next edition of MOAR News Watch for it! September 2002 Edition, Publication II 2 Deb Larson, Granada House Executive Director Granada House is a coed residential treatment house located in Allston which currently serves 22 residents, 12 women and 10 men. Good infor- mation!<br><br> So, why is MOAR doing a story on Granada House? Twenty years ago, Granada House admitted a severely disabled woman in need of structured residential treatment. This was a time prior to the Ameri- can with Disabilities Act, when treatment for the disabled was rare.<br><br> Buildings were not handicap accessible. The woman had a speech impediment and walked with a brace and a cane. Granada House took the risk to serve this woman.<br><br> It proved to be an investment in a life that has, in turn, touched and saved many lives. The woman who went to the Granada House twenty years ago is it Executive Director, Deb Larson. In 1991, a wheelchair confined disabled person who needed structured addiction recovery support knocked on Granada House 9s doors.<br><br> He was admitted as an outpatient because the facility was not wheelchair accessible. He came to the house daily and returned to his apartment at night. Unfortunately, this person lost his battle with addiction.<br><br> He lost his life to addiction. With the passing of the American with Disabilities Act, and haunted by the possibility that a young man had lost his life, Granada House opened a memorial suite for disabled persons within a year. Granada House has led the way in treatment for people with disabilities.<br><br> With Mayor Menino and the city 9s assistance in installing wheelchair lifts, Granada recently added a separate three-quarter house for people with disabilities, Alcott House, to their services. To the best of Ms. Larson 9s knowledge, that is the only handicap accessible three-quarter house in Boston.<br><br> Granada House has a philosophy that requires that their residents be productive. That means work a full day 9s work as well as participation in the therapeutic groups. cWe believe rehabilitation is always possible.<br><br> There is always something we can do to help. d, says Ms. Larson. cWe run many groups, from men 9s and women 9s support groups, AA and NA, to peer led HIV/AIDS support groups d, says Ms.<br><br> Larson. cWe also run two very special and unique groups, our ACOD (Adult Chil- dren of Dysfunction) groups. We noticed many people with long-term sobriety, in spite of doing all that experts would say to do, were relaps- ing.<br><br> Thru informal research, we found that many of these people were victims of severe neglect and abuse as chilren d, noted Ms. Larson cThese people had untreated issues that came from trauma they suffered. We get these people thru therapy and then involve them in ACOD groups.<br><br> These groups are facilitated by specialists in this field. d Ms. Larson noted that one of the facilitators drives from Connecticut because of the commitment to treat this issue. cWe have seen some real miracles as a result of these groups. d As it turns out, others were figuring this out at the same time as the folks at Granada House, but it is still relatively new in the treatment field d, says Ms.<br><br> Larson. What MOAR About Granada House inda 9s tory . .<br><br> . . from oss to ecovery Although Linda, now 64, had experienced problems playing cards dur- ing her college days, it was not until a hand of poker during a trip to Lake Tahoe at age 41, that her gambling truly got out of control.<br><br> cI didn 9t get up from the table for two weeks d, says Linda. During the next fifteen years, stealing from her husband and losing sev- eral houses, ultimately living out of her car, Linda rationalized her gam- bling losses at high stakes. She rationalized that it was the life of a cprofessional d gambler.<br><br> cI thought that somehow it was noble to gamble and lose money. d Twice divorced and with her third husband threatening to leave, Linda found her way to Gamblers Anonymous. cWhen he threatened to leave, I went to GA just to shut him up d, says Linda. She met people she liked at GA.<br><br> cThese are gamblers who don 9t want to take my money. d Linda has attended GA meetings regularly and has not gambled in over six years. cThere is help out there, d says Linda. cIf I can be helped, any- body can be helped. d Submitted by MA Council on Compulsive Gambling Join The Voices of Recovery: A Call for Action Recovery Month 2002 cLet 9s Call for Respect d I am in my own celebration of personal recovery, and I am celebrating my first year as MOAR president.<br><br> Much has happened in a year. The Board of Directors went through a major change in its composition, and we are going in a positive direction. My Board experience and related events from policymaker education days, coalition meetings, NEAAR trainings, Alcohol April Awareness Celebration have taught me about the enormous need for the voices of recovery to be heard to reduce stigma, enhance and improve treatment and change public policy.<br><br> We can be weighed down or pushed ahead by how we listen or react to the voices. It is all about self respect and mutual respect. We can build the MOAR membership by the mission - cTo organize individuals in recovery, families and friends into a collective voice to educate the pub- lic about the value of recovery from alcohol and other addictions d Let us value each other.<br><br> The National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month theme is respectfully, a fitting theme: cJoin the Voices of Recovery: A Call to Action d....Let 9s begin with valuing each other. Amos Marshall, MOAR President Victory Programs 3 MOAR recently spoke with Jonathan Scott, President and Executive Director of Victory Pro- grams, a Boston based mutli-service agency providing individualized treatment programs to people recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, particularly those with psychological and medical problems including AIDS and HIV disease. Victory Programs opened its doors twenty-seven years ago in 1975.<br><br> With the Vietnam War ending, Victory Programs took a proactive stance to address the needs of returning vets, many of whom suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They were self-medicating to deal with their problems. State hospitals were also being closed across the state.<br><br> Many discharged from state hospitals were homeless and filling detox centers across the state, unable to get into other programs because of diagnosed mental health illness. cWe have always maintained a forward looking philosophy, identifying who isn 9t being treated and why d, says Jonathan. cWe were very involved in the early years of HIV infection to develop services for people with symptomatic HIV in addition to their addiction. d Victory Programs has also developed a variety of specialized services for women who need a variety of options in addition to traditional recovery home care.<br><br> Today, Victory Programs continues to identify those most in need, looking at integrating all clients into residential care who are at high risk of relapse, including those living with HIV, those on methadone maintenance and those with Hepatitis C. In light of the ongoing Massachusetts state budget crisis, MOAR asked Jonathan his view concerning the effects on treatment services. cIn the last fifteen years, we have made incred- ible strides in building an extraordinarily integrated system of care for people in recovery from alcohol and other drugs.<br><br> The budget cuts are having the effect of dismantling much of what has been created. We need everything in our continuum of care. cAddiction and alcoholism affects so many individuals and families across all state depart- ments and yet there is grossly insufficient funds to tackle a problem that is in the heart of every community.<br><br> Cutting a system that has learned to function so economically will perma- nently scar and jeopardize the infrastructure of the entire treatment system d, Jonathan said. Jonathan believes the grassroots recovery movement is an important initiative. In the past, there was so much shame in being labeled an alcoholic or having alcoholism in the family.<br><br> A grassroots recovery movement gives people a sense of pride in their recovery and a way to acknowledge that it is a family disease and that as a community, we are also responsible to help each other. A grassroots movement serves to demystify and remove the shame from addictions, showing there is hope and there is help. d Six years ago, Victory Programs launched their now annual fundraising dinner, cReflections d, to highlight the physical, spiritual, and emotional journey of recovery and to celbrate the beauty and courage of recovery. cWe wanted to honor people who had been so important to making that journey possible, d says Jonathan.<br><br> cWe use the term 8Reflections 9 because, while in treatment, people must look at themselves in a new and beautiful way. The recovery journey is a reflection of accomplishments and losses, and the renaissance of unseen strengths. Many local artists reflect their gratitude by participating in an art auction supporting Victory Programs. d This past May, Reflections was held at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.<br><br> Emceed by local TV news anchors, Randy Price and Mary Richardson, and joined by local celebrities, the event re- flected the communities valuable support of Victory Programs! MOAR Board of Directors: President: Amos Marshall, Vice President: Thomas Delaney, Treasurer: Joseph Kelleher, Board Members: Diane Kurtz, Joanne Quinn, Mishel Lilly, William Sciturro, Lisa Clark, Christine LaClair, Timothy Lineaweaver, Ronald Bratton MOAR wants Y ou to join! People in Recovery, Families and Friends are invited to join!<br><br> Membership meetings are held in Lowell, Worcester, Springfield, Boston and New Bedford. Brockton location coming soon! Next meeting: Cape Cod Wednesday, Oct.<br><br> 16 5:30 p.m. Cape Cod Covenant Church Dennis/Brewster Town Line Corner of Fetucket and Airline Rd. Volunteer Opportunities Await You!<br><br> For MOAR Information Call toll free: 1- 877-423-6627 email: MOARfran@aol.com, Visit online: http://www .neaar .org/moar/ The Bureau of Substance Abuse Services invites new members to our Statewide Consumer Advisory Board. Members play a significant role in advising the Bureau about policies and proce- dures. Members are persons, or family members directly impacted by substance abuse.<br><br> Members and/or spouses or significant others may not be employed by BSAS funded agencies. Meetings are held the third Thursday of every month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., MA Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, Boston, MA.<br><br> Members travel needs are reimbursed. Interested? Call: Paul Carey, 617- 624-5134 for a membership application.<br><br> An Invitation to Join MA Bureau of Substance Abuse Services Consumer Advisory Board 4 Denise Devlin, Project Director, NEAAR, at the New England School of Addiction Studies New England School Advocacy Track For one week early in June, several members of MOAR, of which I was fortunate to be one, joined recovery advocates from around New England in attending a Recovery Advocate Leadership Academy at the New England School of Addiction Studies and sponsored by NEAAR (New England Alliance for Addiction Recovery). The purpose of the Academy is to cultivate and support participants 9 organizing skills, so they can contribute to the thinking, planning, shaping, and implementation of their respec- tive state recovery organizations. The presenters of the program have actually been involved on the local and national level i n creating and strengthening Addiction Recovery Support Programs.<br><br> Participants were privileged to have leaders in the field shar e their experience and skills with us. Jim Gorske, Executive Director of AdCare Educational Institute, Denise Devlin, Project Director of NEAAR, and Tom Hill, Technical Assistance Manager for Recovery Support Community Grantees were presenters at this track. We also met and worked with our peers from other states who are also endeavoring to build this grassroots recovery movement.<br><br> Through experiential and informational sharing, participants gathered skills that will enable us to go out into our communities and work to build our organizations. Across the state and New England region, indeed across the country, individuals in recovery, their families and friends are com ing together to work towards reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with addiction and spread a positive message of recovery. All participants left with new knowledge and renewed commitment to our mission.<br><br> I came away invigorated, with a renewed pride in being a MOAR member and doing what I can to bring a face and a voice to recovery, to make us truly visible, vocal, and valuable. by: Dana Moulton Ron Bratton, MOAR Board of Directors 5 Carolyn Castro-Donlan MOAR spoke with Carolyn Castro-Donlan, Deputy Director of the Bu- reau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS), to ask her about the upcom- ing RFR process, and the impact. The RFR (Request for Response) is the process by which the Bureau contracts for services with various treatment providers.<br><br> All services that the Bureau funds will be going thru this RFR process in the coming months. cThe Bureau does an internal review, and solicits input from providers in forums. It is equally important to get the consumer perspective.<br><br> Having had one RFR review meeting with MOAR members in Boston, further meetings are planned in other regions in the months to come. cMOAR really brings in the consumer voice and BSAS has a strong commitment to consumer involvement across all levels of the continuum of care we provide. BSAS wants to support and work with MOAR because it recognizes its value as an organization.<br><br> MOAR communi- cates directly with the community in a way that we have not been able to do in the past. MOAR gives a face and a voice to people in recovery, families, and communities. The voices let us know the value of treat- ment. d The value of lives lost to heroin overdose is a major concern of MOAR members, who want a voice about this issue.<br><br> So MOAR asked how can we work with BSAS on this issue. cThe Bureau most importantly wants to work with the recovery community on this devastating issue. There are a few things happening.<br><br> Commissioner Koh has given us tremen- dous support to work to reduce the impact of heroin in our communities. We are collaborating with federal and local law enforcement agencies to track increases in drugs in various areas. This is the first time they have worked with treatment.<br><br> We are developing a system to allow data shar- ing with communities, to assist in education, prevention, and treatment. Prior to this, we did not have a way of gauging how big the problem was until we heard from the communities thru the police, the emergency rooms, and community members. We hope to reduce heroin use, thus deaths by overdose and youth suicide.<br><br> We have worked with South Boston, Lynn, Cambridge, and Lawrence and are extending this collabo- ration and data collection system throughout the state. The recovery community voice is very much wanted. d said Carolyn. MOAR thanks Carolyn Castro Donlan for the affirmation of the recov- ery community movement as a Visible ~ Vocal ~ Valuable.<br><br> MOAR members from across the state gathered September 9, 2002, at Community HealthLink in Worcester for the Second Annual MOAR Membership Meeting. Following a brief business meeting, MOAR members joined in an interactive forum with a panel of policymakers, members of the judiciary and grassroots advocates. Panel members included Deborah Klein-Walker, Commissioner of Programs and Prevention for the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services; The Honor- able Robert Ziemian, Presiding Justice of South Boston District Court; Franciska Fajana, of Mass.<br><br> Law Reform Institute; Kathy Dwyer of SHARELoan; Diane Kurtz of the Western MA Parents Support Groups; and Sandi Carlson, grassroots advocate for the recovery community. The panel, facilitated by Margot, addressed the audience in turn and then responded to questions by MOAR members gathered at this celebration in cJoining the Voices of Recovery d. In a lively dialogue, members asked questions about issues that are of great concern to members around the state.<br><br> Questions ranged from how the state will address recovery support and what direction can we expect public policy to take, to the issues of CORI and housing and support for families and youth in recovery. The meeting in Worcester was a reflection of the efforts across the state to give a face and a voice to recovery. There will be a range of events across the state in support of National Recovery Month: A Call to Action.<br><br> Local celebrations will take place in New Bedford, Springfield, Northampton, Worcester, and Tewksbury. Members who attended the Second Annual MOAR Membership meeting also walked away with some information that perhaps they had not know before hearing from the panel and its responses to the audience questions. They learned about: "Speaking about Personal Recovery: a a a a a You can be in a recovery support group and speak or write, as an advocate, without dishonoring traditions.<br><br> Second Annual MOAR Membership Meeting "Locating Recovery Informational Resources a a a a a Questions on CORI _ Criminal Offender Record Information by contacting the Mass Law Reform Institute, Tony Winsor or Franciska Fajana, 617-357-0700. a a a a a Questions on Housing- Call SHAREloan, Kathy Dwyer, 617-661-3991 x129 a a a a a W MA Parent Support Group, as MOAR members, will do at least four presentations across state on cHow to start peer Parent Support Groups. d MOAR info: MOAR- 1-877- 423-6627 (toll free), Diane Kurtz 3 413-547-0239 a a a a a Denied insurance benefit coverage for treatment 3 report it to The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Patient Care Protection- 1-800-436-7757 "Facts, Stats, Plans, and Hope: a a a a a State treatment admissions for opiate use are equal to alcohol for the first time. a a a a a MA Drug Diversion Courts, alternative sentencing court programs, which offer recovery support versus prison, have helped many people lead a crime free life.<br><br> a a a a a The National Annual Household Survey finds adolescent drug use has increased a a a a a The state is committed to improving residential treatment for adolescents. a a a a a The Bureau of Substance Abuse Services will work with providers to develop more pathways for consumer participation a a a a a The National Annual Household Survey finds Americans in denial about drug use The voices of and for recovery make a difference! The meeting closed with the group joining in singing cAmazing Grace d and a pledge to come together again at the State House on September 25 at the 12 th Annual Recovery Day Celebration, to show that recovery is real, and the faces and voices of recovery are Visible, Vocal, and Valuable!<br><br> N E A A R RECOVERY: The Gift of Freedom By: Patrice M. Muchowski, Sc.D., Vice President of Clinical Services, AdCare Hospital 6 Alcoholism and drug addictions are powerful diseases that wreak havoc on the individual suffering from the addiction, his famil y, and often his community. Society is very aware of the devastation and the consequences that accompany addiction since this is so frequently p ortrayed in the media.<br><br> Recovery on the other hand is much less recognized, due to the stigma of addiction. Persons are often fearful of disclosing th eir addiction history even when in recovery for fear of recrimination and discrimination. Recovery is a process that requires courage and commitment on the part of the addicted person as well as his family.<br><br> There are many benefits to recovery, the most important being freedom. " to be oneself without influence of a drink or drug. " to live without shame and guilt over ones behavior.<br><br> " to develop friendship based on interests other than alcohol or drugs. " to experience the ups and downs that make life what it is. " to work hard and play hard.<br><br> " to make decisions for oneself. What will help society see recovery as valuable? People and families in recovery forming groups like MOAR across the country.<br><br> This recovery movement is indispensable in helping society see recovery first hand. As society becomes more familiar with recovery, stigma w ill diminish. Persons in recovery will feel support from society rather than rejection.<br><br> This will result in recovery being much more visible and understood. As the faces of recovery become more visible, the impact will become more and more positive. Lowell House, Inc.<br><br> is proud of the comprehensive services that we offer, including ambulatory care, AIDS/HIV and residential treatment services. We continuously strive to develop cultur- ally competent programs that are sensitive to the diversity and dignity of our clients and col- laborate within our community to ensure that we are responsive to changing needs. Lowell House remains the heart of continuum of services, having provided services since 1977.<br><br> Since its inception, Lowell House Inc. has grown to provide Criminal Justice, Adolescent, Dual Diag- nosis, Elders, Driver Alcoholic Education as well as traditional outpatient services. In 1984, we co-founded the Greater Lowell AIDS Coalition and later the Merrimack Valley AIDS Coalition, being the first in our area to specifically deal with HIV/AIDS.<br><br> We are proud to be the lead agency for the Greater Lowell Aids Consortium. Our residential services include LHI Cod Recovery Home, Sheehan Women 9s Program, Support for Sober Housing and a Substance Abuse Modu- lar Unit at the Billerica House of Correction. That is our philosophy and scope of services.<br><br> What about the perspective of treatment to recovery? Substance abuse treatment can be a bit like doing a home repair without knowing exactly how to go about it. You know the faucet is broken and it must be fixed.<br><br> You have a bucket full of parts in front of you but no sure knowledge of how to assemble them. It may take a few attempts at fitting everything together, but after one, two, or ten attempts, it just may work for you. As treatment providers, we are always overjoyed when someone can put the parts together.<br><br> More typically, as providers, we recognize relapse as a symptom of the powerful disease the client and we are dealing with. They come and they go, and they come back. For the client and our own peace of mind, we need to become more skilled at measuring the smaller gains of individuals as they drift in and out of our system.<br><br> The accumulation of guided changes leads to the answers. No treatment experience is wasted. We always learn something.<br><br> I would like to share the story of Dean (pseudonym), a not so young man adrift. He would apply for admission and then not appear for the interview. Ringing the doorbell the first time, knowing he could do it and that we were there, was the first change.<br><br> Later, he would make the interview but not the admission. Each time he spent more time with our staff, talking about how he felt and how we felt, about his potential. Dean was the son of a hard working, straight shooting, risk taking, municipal hero kind of father.<br><br> Dean was the antithesis of his father. He was full of anxiety, afraid of everything, drunk or stoned most of the time. His parents loved him, but not on their property.<br><br> Eventually, Dean entered the program and stayed. Today, Dean is a lawyer. Dean represents the many powerful faces and voices of recovery.<br><br> W believe that quality treatment funded appropriately can pave the road to recovery. We want to continue to provide quality treatment. We support MOAR, and its road to demonstrate the value of recovery.<br><br> Treatment to Recovery ~ A Perspective By: Ken Powers, Executive Director, Lowell House New England Alliance for Addiction Recovery cLessons Learned Symposium d WHERE? Merrimack College McQuade Library Auditorium, North Andover, MA WHEN? Sat., October 26, 2002 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.<br><br> PROGRAM PURPOSE: " Identify " Acknowledge " and Celebrate CSAT New England Recovery Community Support Project Accomplishments Please RSVP to: 603-668-4115 Donation to cover meal costs gratefully accepted, but not required Funding provided by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, DHHS 7 An Interview with Matt Cornish With the economic downturn and the resultant cuts in funding for substance abuse services, MOAR spoke with Matt Cornish, Fiscal Officer for the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS), to ask what we can expect in the coming Fiscal Year (FY 903). cThis year as we apply for the FY 903 Federal Block Grant, theoretically we should lose $4 million of our block grant funding because our state purchase of substance abuse services fell $4 million dollars of our maintenance of effort requirement. The maintenance of effort require- ment is that we have to maintain a state spending level that is equal to the average of the two previous years.<br><br> We had a $2.2 million buffer coming out of FY 901, and then lost $6.7 in budget cuts, leaving us with a $4 million shortfall d, explained Matt. Twenty-four other states find themselves in the same position across the country. cWe have submitted a waiver to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency).<br><br> They have 120 days to make a decision. We met the criteria necessary for a waiver at the time, so we are hopeful that we will not lose that money when awards of the federal block grants are made. Under the budget scenario that we face right now, the impact of that for next year, FY 904, would be a loss of approximately $8.8 million in federal money. d cThe newest twist has to do with tobacco.<br><br> We have a requirement in our block grant that obliges us to reduce the sale of tobacco to minors by a set percentage. If we fail to meet that requirement, we stand to lose 40% of our block grant. We had relied on Mass Tobacco Control to gather the data we needed and with the cuts to tobacco programs, we are not sure how that will play out d, Matt added.<br><br> cOur maintenance request for the FY 903 was $42,181,261. That is what it would cost to operate and maintain services at the FY 902 level. The final budget that we received was $37,166,514, so the loss from our maintenance of effort was $5,014,747.<br><br> We did receive one unfunded earmark of $90,000 and the AIDS Bureau purchase of Substance Abuse Services decreases by $500,000. So our net loss is $5,604,747 d. cWe are working with certain principles as we go forward.<br><br> We want to maintain services, meaning beds and visits, across the continuum of care and meet all of our federal set asides for the block grant at the same time. Twenty percent of our block grant must be spent on primary prevention; at least five percent has to be spent on HIV/AIDS services. We must also maintain a level of block grant funding for women 9s services, which is about $4.8 million. d cWe have significant infrastructure spending for new electronic data systems but we are seeking federal resources to support that so that will not affect services.<br><br> We have frozen any out of state travel for staff except for required meetings for specific grant projects that is paid for by the outside agencies. We are looking as we move forward to embed more smoking policy, wanting programs to all have certified gambling counselors, and integration of the capacity to deal with methadone clients as we go forward with the procurement process over the next year. We will have to roll back implementation dates for much of this because they have cost implications for programs.<br><br> We want to maintain the continuum of care for the most vulnerable. We are trying to cut direct services last. We are still working out the details of how we are going to do that.<br><br> We will look for reversions from the last fiscal year (FY 902) and make reductions based on what programs did not spend before we look to make any across the board cuts. We are ironing out what should be the final go-ahead plan. Other department initiatives that have been cut, including tobacco and others, could have an impact on pro- grams and we of course want to minimize the impact to services dcause they have cost impli- cations for programs.<br><br> We want to maintain the continuum of care for the most vulnerable. We are trying to cut direct services last. We are still working out the details of how we are going to do that.<br><br> We will look for reversions from the last fiscal year (FY 902) and make reductions based on what programs did not spend before we look to make any across the board cuts. We are ironing out what should be the final go-ahead plan. Other department initiatives that have been cut, including tobacco and others, could have an impact on programs and we of course want to minimize the impact to services d Capsule Review Of Recovery Month Events September 6 Recovery Month Softball Game New Bedford, MA Recovery Home Residents Win!<br><br> Treatment providers Lose! Senator Mark Montigny is a star! Kelly Sousa Simas, Reflections Director, coordinated this fun event!<br><br> September 14 SOURCE, cBack to School Empowerment Celebration d Rep. Ben Swan gave a positive message to children. September 19 A Downtown andCooley Dickinson Hospital Celebration Northampton, MA September 19 Recovery Information Tables Middlesex Comm unity College Lowell Campus September 20 Western MA Celebration with Senator Linda Melconian Court Sq., Springfield, MA September 20 Recovery Walk Henry Lee Lewis Center led the Sponsorship Path Worcester, MA September 23 Recovery InformationTables Tewksbury, MA September 24 Sober Housing Presentation Lowell House, Inc.<br><br> with Institute for Health and Recovery Lowell, MA September 27 Dance for Recovery (free admission) 8:00 p.m. - Midnight Tewksbury Hospital Chapel Call Laurie at LCHC Addictions Treatment at (978) 937-9448 x251 or Dawn at LCHC Detox at (978) 858-0533 MOAR Project c/o AdCare Educational Institute, Inc. 5 Northampton Street Worcester, MA 01605 Visit us online: http://www.neaar.org/moar/ MOAR is an affiliate of NEAAR, CSAT/SAMHSA grantee 8 Coming &.<br><br> Your Way 3 The Next Edition of the MOAR News MOAR Info for You! Get the Facts Recovery Month 3 The Real Experience The Drug Court 3 What is it and How does it work? The CORI 3 Criminal Offender Record Information 3 Helpful Facts?<br><br> People to People 3 Help for Women Leaving Prison STEP Inc&Thirty Years of Supporting Recovery Send your article&. All contributions to the MOAR news are welcome. They may be edited.<br><br> We will ask for your permission to publish articles by a signed consent form. All permitted printed information may be republished in entirety. Funding for the MOAR newsletter comes from NEAAR, a CSAT RCSP Grantee, and MA BSAS through AdCare Educational Institute, Inc.<br><br>

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