Jefferson City, M.O., Aug. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Addiction Policy Forum, a leading addiction nonprofit, has expanded its Addiction Resource Center (ARC) to include a database of treatment resources, facilities, and healthcare providers specific to Missouri residents. Opioids accounted for 67 percent of Missouri’s drug overdose fatalities in 2016, and starting today, the Addiction Resource Center (ARC) offers two ways for people to find life saving help; an online portal and confidential phone line.

“We lost 1,300 people in Missouri to overdose death in 2016. With resources added to the ARC database to help connect Missouri residents to local substance use disorder services, we hope to see these numbers decrease as more patients and families access the help they need,” said Jessica Hulsey Nickel, Addiction Policy Forum Founder. “The database is an invaluable tool for those struggling with substance use disorder and we need to build the capacity of quality care in Missouri. We were not able to find providers in 46 counties that met our criteria.”

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. Missouri residents can call the line at 1-833-301-HELP (4357) , Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

“Since losing my daughter, Alicia, to substance use disorder, I have been driven to change the stigma surrounding addiction and help get resources out into the community,” said Karla Jaques, chair of APF’s Missouri State Chapter. “I’m excited to share the easily accessible, localized support ARC provides to residents of Missouri.”

Addiction Policy Forum, which has chapters in 27 states and a national office in Washington, D.C., is continually 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