Old Orchard Beach, Maine, July 17, 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 Maine.

“In 2016, Maine lost more than 350 lives to a drug overdose,” says Jessica Hulsey Nickel CEO and president of the Addiction Policy Forum. “With new resources on the Addiction Resource Center expanding to Maine, we will be able to help individuals and families struggling with substance use disorder.”

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 resource line staffed by addiction counselors, licensed social workers, and peer recovery support advocates that provide callers with substance use disorder-related information, education on treatment options, and support. Maine residents can call the line at 1-833-301-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM EST.

“Within one year Maine saw a 35 percent increase in deaths from overdoses,” says Isabel Rodzik Addiction Policy Forum Maine State Chapter chair. “When my fiancé Steven was struggling with substance use disorder we didn’t know where to turn, but now families have the Addiction Resource Center, an amazing tool to connect them with local resources in Maine.”

Addiction Policy Forum is a national nonprofit located in Washington, D.C. with 21 state chapters and 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 .  

Casey Elliott Addiction Policy Forum 3128605353 celliott@addictionpolicy.org