Young Addicts in Rensselaer, NY Find Hope with New Helpline
The Rensselaer Adolescent Rehab Helpline is dedicated to helping teenagers who are interesting in finding a reliable drug and alcohol addiction recovery facility. For more information on specially designed teenage rehab centers and programs, please … Read more on PR Web (press release)

Aid in Recovery Comments on Recent Study of Naltrexone for use in Opioid …
Aid in Recovery released a statement today commenting on a recent study into the effectiveness of Naltrexone in treating addiction to opioids. Aid in Recovery has said … Aid in Recovery is a premier drug and alcohol treatment center. Our approach is … Read more on PR Web (press release)

Behanan: 'I'm going to get help'
But first? Behanan's going to take care of himself and head to Houston. He's going to work with former NBA coach John Lucas and take some time at Lucas' rehabilation facility, the John Lucas Treatment and Recovery Center. It's a big move for Behanan, … Read more on CBSSports.com

Recovering Addicts Seek Angels to Build New Home in the New Year
SMITHVILLE, TX — (Marketwired) — 12/30/13 — Addiction recovery center SerenityStar has launched Angels & Addicts, a grassroots crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to build an environmentally self-sustaining ranch to expand existing services. Read more on SYS-CON Media (press release)

A year of disasters: Top ten local stories of 2013
Peoria's two UnityPoint-Health facilities have about 4,000 employees and serve more than 100,000 patients through their physicians' practices. The affiliation also brought Proctor's Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery and Hult Center for Healthy … Read more on Peoria Journal Star

Groton man's struggles fuel his drive to help others
Gardner bought a pair of slippers, visited his family in Chicago, and used the rest to start a fund to help recovering addicts. John Haugabook, off-campus coordinator for Stonington Institute, said he's called Gardner eight or nine times to help people … Read more on TheDay.com

Gun Control Battle Shifts To States After Newtown Massacre
In scores of statehouse battles, both gun-control and gun-rights advocates have notched wins since a mentally unstable gunman killed 20 first-graders and six adults at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012. … That includes $ 2.2 … Read more on Huffington Post

Getting control of substance abuse
… Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment for substance use problems. The national model for the program resulted from an Institute of Medicine recommendation that suggested a community-based screening for risky behavior, including substance abuse. Read more on Virginia Gazette

Local hospitals to merge substance abuse services
Mayo Clinic Health System – Albert Lea and Austin's Addiction Recovery Services and Fountain Centers — a Mayo Clinic Health System program for substance abuse and addiction — have merged. The services are now called Fountain Centers. “With the … Read more on Austin Herald

Truth of Addiction Program Review: Techniques to Break Free from Pornography …
The Truth of Addiction System contains an e-guide that explains what addiction is from a neuroscience perspective and what treatments have been revealed in scientific literature to produce optimal results in recovery. The book explains why cravings … Read more on SBWire (press release)

Local nonprofit offering free Christmas meal
Those classes include topics like budgeting, financial planning, job skills, anger management, spiritual growth, addiction recovery, healthy living, relationships and parenting, among others. To go with the classes, SALT also offers sustained support … Read more on Waynesville Daily Guide

Health Trends to Watch for in 2014
“Opioids are frequently prescribed for post-surgical pain management, but a real risk exists for patients to develop dependence and addiction,” says Theresa Bowling, vice chairman, department of Anesthesiology at The Stamford Hospital. “Many hospitals … Read more on Fox Business

4 Tools You May Not Be Using That Could Help Prevent Drug Relapse
watch for relapse triggers People in early addiction recovery are like ticking time bombs – relapse is often just one stressor away. For many, the holiday season is that stressor. Family conflict erupts. Reality falls short of their expectations … Read more on PsychCentral.com (blog)

Question by T B: What is diversion like?
I live in Fort Collins(Larimer County) Colorado and I will most likely be on diversion soon. Can i get specifics of what it is like and things like cost, curfew, how long the program lasts, classes, community service hours, how long I have to go without breaking the law etc.

Best answer:

Answer by Danny
I am from New Mexico, usually diversion programs here include a wonderful little gem called “drug court”

drug court in NM once consisted of a year of INTENSIVE supervision. It included the following.

-50.00 fee per month (on top of regular probation fees)
-Court review once per month to discuss progress, give incentives and sanctions
(at least 1 person in the program was arrested every single month in court. Offenses ranged from missing drug tests, failing drug tests, leaving the county, being out past curfew, or just having a “bad” attitude)
-Court ordered corrective classes
(including anger management, substance abuse, after care, etc. basically group counseling. During groups we had to complete workbooks which had a 12 step program to recovery)
-Court ordered AA meetings. 3 per week for the first month. 2 per week for the next 6 months, and 3 per week for the last 3 months.
-Mandatory random drug screening. Every day you had to call a number, if your program “color” was called, you had to report for a drug test.
-Frequent home visitation. at least once per week for the first 3 months, and at least 3 times a month for the remainder of the program. Drug tested every time that they show up at a home.
-Mandatory community service.
-Curfew: started at 9pm for the first 6 months, 10 pm for next 3 months, 11pm for last 3 months.

That is the gist of it. Tons of fun. If you are to go into such a program, take my advice:

1. Stop hanging out with ANYONE who is doing any kind of illicit activities. Period. If you hang around them long enough, you are gonna be right back into trouble, and your little diversion program is gonna turn into a behind bars program.

2. Do not break ANY laws. At all. I am talking speeding, failing to use a turn signal, jaywalking, oh, and the obvious ones of drinking and driving and for gods sakes do NOT do drugs. You will be tested. You will get caught. It ain’t worth it.

3. Find clean, sober friends and pick up new hobbies. Use your time to improve yourself. Do not get hung up on the idea of what you are “missing out on”. If you decide to partake in the activities you are prohibited from doing, you are looking for trouble, and probation officers LOVE to bust trouble makers.

4. If at all possible, make sure you are 100% clean on the day your program starts. No “last hurrah’s”. if you test dirty on your first screening, its gonna set the precedent for extra treatment, extra drug tests, and they are gonna watch you like a hawk for your entire term.

5. Finally, its not the end of the world. You got a second chance. It might seem like its unfair at times, but think about the alternative. Jail is not a fun place. Play it cool, and when its all said and done you are gonna be a better person, and all those parties, drugs, and bars you wanted to partake in are still gonna be going on. Keep your head up, and stay out of trouble.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Bills try to halt prescription drug abuse
The bills also aim to curtail the state's drug problem through stopping new addiction, keeping current addicts alive, and offering recovery treatment. The holistic approach is … Sprague said legislators plan to work on the bills' language. He said he … Read more on Review Times

Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center opens new recovery care unit
The program includes medical care by the Homeless Persons Health Project, as well as meals, housekeeping, case management, transportation and treatment or support for substance abuse or mental health issues. Brief stays before medical procedures … Read more on Santa Cruz Sentinel

More funding proposed for mental health services
Substance Abuse Community Recovery Program; $ 300,000 each year to combat substance-use disorders through employment and long-term recovery. Chuck Hall and David Coe, leaders of the Peninsula's community service boards, commended the … Read more on Daily Press

Richmond jail's recovery program growing
… is react, he said. The addiction recovery program, founded by the McShin Foundation, teaches men in jail how to turn an overcrowded room with triple bunk beds into an oversized family that supports each other toward substance abuse recovery, he said. Read more on Richmond Times Dispatch

Capital Recovery Center helps streamline services for homeless people
Efforts to serve the homeless population in Olympia continue to mature. The Capital Recovery Center, which is a new resource hub for service organizations, marks another step forward. The facility feels more professional and functional, according to … Read more on The Olympian

Weather closes Disaster Recovery Center at Brookport Library
BROOKPORT, IL (KFVS) -. The Federal Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in the Brookport Library located at 7415 S. US 45 in Brookport, Ill., will close Saturday at 4 p.m., and remain closed Sunday, December 8 due to another storm system expected to move … Read more on KFVS

Drug Rehabilitation Center Is Now Servicing the Hammocks, Florida, with …
Drug Rehabilitation Center is pleased to announce that its drug and alcohol treatment programs are expanding into The Hammocks, Florida area. For anyone needing immediate help they can call their 24 hour drug addiction hotline at 1 (888) 444-9148 or … Read more on PR Web (press release)

Recovery center now slated for Boyd County
GRAYSON, Ky. (AP) – Officials are looking for another location in Boyd County where they can build a drug addiction recovery center. Kentucky Housing Corp. spokeswoman Charla Jackson Peter told The Independent (http://bit.ly/1ePmz0v) that partners in … Read more on WKYT