National
COMBATING METHAMPHETAMINE IN INDIAN COUNTRY--DOJ Testimony
Navajo Nation Code for Controlled Substances
National Methamphetamine Threat Assessment 2008
Open Door Forum on Health Initiatives January 24, 2008 Open Door Forum
Agenda for Open Door Forum on Behavioral Health Initiative
Welcome: Dr. Richard Olson, MD, Director OCPS
Note: The presentations for today are on the Director’s 3 initiatives website found at:
http://www.ihs.gov/NonMedicalPrograms/DirInitiatives/index.cfm
Update on the National Behavioral Health Initiative efforts: Robert McSwain, Acting Director
“Meth and Rural Communities,” Dr. Susan Dreisbach, University of Colorado Health Services Center
“Meth Tool kit” Heather Dawn Thompson, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
DHHS Indian Country Methamphetamine Initiative (ICMI) and outcomes of Year 1: Beverly Watts-Davis, SAMHSA, ICMI Project Coordinator
Presentations from 3 Behavioral health integration with local primary care sites:
Phoenix Indian Medical Center: “Special Clinic for Women"- Kim Couch, CNM, PIMC
Colorado River Indian Tribes: The Matrix Model Treatment for Meth- Jerry Szymanski, Director
Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council (MWTLC) and their SAMHSA ATR grant, Dr. Kathy Masis, MWTLC
Dr. Olson will open up lines for additional questions and comments from participants.
Meth Use and HIV Hepatitis Risk- Susan Dreisbach PDF - 615KB
PIMC Special Care for Women- Kim Couch PDF - 104 KB
RockyMTTribal SAMHSA Access To Recovery (ATR)- Kathy Masis PDF - 60KB
Integrating Programs Improved Treatment Outcomes- Jerry Syzmanski PDF - 1.002KB
ICMI Open Door Forum Beverly Watts Davis PDF - 132KB
Agenda Open Door Forum January 24, 2008 WORD - 44KB
MethSMART: Smart Programs for Smart Kids
A list of Federal Meth Projects
DO’s AND DON’T’s OF LOVING A METH ADDICT
DO accept you are NOT in control of others lives, chemical use, lies, actions, emotions, finances, or feelings.
DO seek out other people who have been where you are now and listen to their comments without getting defensive. Know they are trying to help, not be critical.
DO take a personal inventory of the way in which you interact with the meth user and determine if you are in any way, preventing their recovery. Also determine if you are in any way enabling them to continue using or being an umbrella or safety net for them.
DO get on with your life as best as you can. They may not ever get WELL, you must realize this and accept it. If you can not get your self to the point where this fact does not wreak havoc on you personally, then YOU MUST put distance between yourself and the user. This sounds cold but it is actually the opposite as you need to realize that you must take care of you.
DO understand the dynamic of the relationship between the addict and their addiction. They are not the person you love and yet they are at the same time. The person you love is not really in control at this point. Their addiction is. This addiction really does not care about you or your loved one’s. It has NO conscience. It cares only about satisfying it’s chemically derived need. This is not personal or meant to be vindictive; it is just the nature of addiction. It is overwhelming powerful. Your loved one is powerless against it on their own.
DO realize that the person you love can eventually come back, although in all honesty, the odds are against it.
DO learn everything you can about the drug, addictions and co-dependency. The more you know the better prepared you are to take care of yourself and be an assist in any hope of recovery that the addict may have.
DO try and help others who are hurting in the same way that you are hurting. This does two things:
1. It allows you to gain a better understanding of your relationship with the user. (You can see similarities and know you are not alone).
2. It will make BOTH of you stronger (Iron sharpening Iron).
DO NOT allow yourself to be manipulated by the user. It is NOT your fault they are an addict. It is NOT your fault that they are not in control of their lives. It is NOT your fault that they are broke or losing their children, it is THEIR fault and the result of choices that THEY made. The very first step towards recovery for them will be the recognition of this fact.
DO NOT fall victim to Guilt. EVERY addict will try and blame someone else for their situation. As I said, the first step in their recovery will be accepting responsibility. You MAY actually BE DOING something that IS contributing to their problem but they are not going to be in a sound enough mind set to determine what that might be. They will just be trying to run a guilt trip on you if they say it is something you are doing. (example: Cop Out).
DO NOT “ride the roller coaster” during their recovery. Addicts almost never “get it right” on the first attempt. Watch yourself and your feelings and do not get sucked back down or back in. They will be going through an emotional roller coaster themselves also. Try and be understanding of this. Also know that if they were heavy users, it may take a month of abstinence before they return to anything near normal.
Date: 2/21/2007
Media Contact: SAMHSA Press
Telephone: 240-276-2130
Treatment Admissions for Heroin and Cocaine Decreased in 2005, But Increased for Methamphetamine and Prescription Narcotic Pain Medication
The number of admissions to substance abuse treatment for cocaine and heroin abuse declined between 2004 and 2005, but the number of those seeking treatment for narcotic pain medication or methamphetamine/amphetamine increased sharply during that same time period, says a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Five substances accounted for 95 percent of all substance abuse treatment admissions in 2005 alcohol; opiates, primarily heroin; marijuana/hashish, cocaine; and stimulants, primarily methamphetamine, said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. At the same time, we continue to see disturbing signs that misuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem. Based on these findings, we can anticipate a growing demand over the next several years for treatment services that address prescription drug misuse. Too many Americans suffer from the disease of addiction, said John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy. But we know that treatment works: There are millions of Americans who are successfully in recovery for drug and alcohol addiction. At the same time, there are millions more who are still in denial about their drug problem. We encourage families and friends of those struggling with drug addiction to learn how to recognize the symptoms of drug dependence and intervene early to help them.”
After six previous years during which the proportion of heroin admissions had exceeded that of cocaine admissions, the proportion of heroin admissions fell below that of cocaine admissions, says Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) Highlights 2005. In 2004, there were 259,349 admissions to treatment for cocaine and 266,013 for heroin. In 2005 there were 256,491 admissions for cocaine abuse and 254,345 admissions for heroin.
The total number of people using methamphetamine/amphetamine is small relative to other illicit drugs, with approximately 1.3 million persons ages 12 or older reporting use of the drug in 2005, according to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). But the number of those seeking treatment for methamphetamine/amphetamine increased 12 percent between 2004 and 2005, the report said. There were 151,649 admissions in 2004 rising to 169,489 in 2005. From 1995 to 2005 there was a 172 percent increase in the number of admissions for methamphetamine/amphetamine, and the proportion of treatment admissions for methamphetamine/amphetamine rose from 4 percent to 9 percent.
The proportion of those seeking treatment for prescription narcotic pain medication increased 9 percent between 2004 and 2005, to 64,120 admissions. Medications abused by those seeking treatment in this category included codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, morphine, opium, oxycodone, pentazocine, propoxyphene, tramadol, and other drugs with morphine-life effects. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of admissions for these drugs increased more than 300 percent.
The number of those seeking treatment for marijuana abuse decreased slightly from 300,792 in 2004 to 292,250 in 2005. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of treatment admissions for marijuana increased 70 percent.
The proportion of admissions for alcohol abuse treatment declined from 52 percent in 1995 (858,287 admissions) to 39 percent in 2005 (723,646 admissions). Forty-five percent of primary alcohol admissions reported secondary drug abuse as well.
Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) Highlights 2005 provides annual information on demographic and substance abuse characteristics of the 1.8 million annual admissions to treatment for abuse of alcohol and drugs in facilities that report to individual State administrative data systems. TEDS does not include all admissions to substance abuse treatment. In general, TEDS includes admissions to facilities that receive State alcohol and/or drug agency funds (including Federal Block Grant funds).
Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) Highlights 2005 is available online at http://oas.samhsa.gov , or by calling SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol & Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686 and asking for publication number SMA 07-4229. The full TEDS report with state-by-state data will be available during the summer of 2007.
Navajo officers undergo training to fight meth
Tribal officers in Montana receive meth training
Windy Boy upset over tribe’s portrayal in HBO meth special
Interior chief, tribes meet to discuss meth problem
Bush budget to funnel money to Safe Indian Communities Initiative
WASHINGTON - In a federal domestic budget with little spending to spare, the Bush administration has found $16 million for a Safe Indian Communities Initiative that will strengthen the hand of tribal law enforcement against methamphetamine abuse.
The program, included in the fiscal year 2008 budget proposed by President Bush, responds to a national threat identified by tribal leaders as one of their worst fears, according to Interior Department Secretary Dirk Kempthorne.
‘’It’s happening everywhere in the country,’’ Kempthorne said of meth abuse. ‘’But we need to do something about it for Indian country.’’
Seventy-four percent of law enforcement agencies in Indian country have identified meth as the greatest drug threat in their communities; and a Navajo police chief has said he sees a higher number of meth-related arrests than alcohol-related arrests, Interior materials maintain. The foreign drug cartels that supply the majority of U.S. meth view the isolated, often impoverished rural communities of Indian country as meth enterprise zones, with limited law enforcement and plenty of residents who may be easy marks for a fast buck and a quick high. The low-cost, intense high of meth has led to its characterization as ‘’the poor man’s cocaine,’’ and its abuse has spawned the full gamut of social disorders - child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, suicide, unemployment, health damage and declining school achievement.
‘’Tribal leaders describe a methamphetamine crisis that has the potential to destroy an entire generation if action isn’t taken,’’ Kempthorne said. ‘’They refer to it as the second smallpox epidemic and rank it as the number one public safety problem on their reservations.’’
The $16 billion program, administered through Interior’s BIA, will provide $5 million to hire and train additional law enforcement officers; $5 million to increase staff at Indian detention facilities and train detention officers; and $6 million for specialized drug enforcement among law enforcement officers, as well as public awareness campaigns.
The initiative was bound to get a degree of welcome from tribal leaders who have identified anti-meth programs as a priority since 2005. But given the scope of the meth problem in Indian country, as outlined by Interior, the chairman of the House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee called the funding inadequate. ‘’While it seems to realize there is a problem that needs attention,’’ said Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., ‘’it is clear that the administration cannot bring itself to do the work to fully address it.’’
A Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on the Interior budget was scheduled for Feb. 15.
FACT SHEET: Safe Indian Communities
The production, smuggling, distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine have led to a crisis in Indian country. Tribal leaders fear that an entire generation of Native Americans could be lost to this one drug. Organized crime and drug dealers have specifically targeted Indian country because of its remote and rural character and limited law enforcement resources. Violent crime associated with drug activities is on the rise and the rate of violence on tribal lands twice the national average. The combination of illegal drug use and illegal drug trafficking has devastated Indian families and threatens Native American culture. .
The 2008 Budget proposes a $16.0 million Safe Indian Communities Initiative to support law enforcement efforts to combat the methamphetamine epidemic in Indian country. The initiative includes:
Criminal Investigations, Police Services & Law Enforcement Projects (+$11.0 million)
* Provide 51 additional law enforcement officers in Indian Country.
* Provide funding to conduct specialized drug enforcement training for Office of Justice Services and tribal officers, increasing the number of officers trained to investigate drug crimes from 11 to 111.
* Create a more robust methamphetamine public awareness campaign to educate residents of at-risk tribal communities about the dangers of methamphetamine and its affects on both physical and mental health. The education campaign will include the highly successful “mobile meth labs” to alert communities to the warning signs of clandestine drug labs and the environmental dangers associated with these toxic environments.
Improved Detention Center Staffing (+$5.0 million)
* With the dramatic increase in violent crime because of methamphetamine, Indian country detention centers are faced with increasingly violent inmates – often posing a serious threat to the safety of our correctional offices. This funding will be used to address this dramatic shortage in detention center staffing.
* Detention programs in Indian country currently have 1,230 personnel. This funding will allow for the recruitment of an additional 91 detention officers, an increase of 5% in the national staffing level for detention centers.
