Jasper, AL, Aug. 27, 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 Alabama.
“The preliminary CDC data for overdose deaths show we lost 72,000 people last year. It’s critical that we expand addiction resources to every state in an attempt to stop these numbers from rising,” said Jessica Hulsey Nickel, Addiction Policy Forum President and CEO.
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 information, education on treatment options, and support. Alabama residents can call the line at 1-833-301-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM CST.
“My personal experiences with addiction-related loss make me passionate about adding even more resources for individuals struggling in the state of Alabama to help prevent more deaths. I’m confident that the expansion of the ARC database into Alabama will help to achieve this,” says Matthew Tucker M.D., Alabama state chair.
Addiction Policy Forum, which has chapters in 30 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 .
Casey Elliott Addiction Policy Forum 3128605353 celliott@addictionpolicy.org
