Recovery Rally 2004 Video!
 
 
 
 View Photos Here from the 2004 Recovery Rally!
 
 
Watch the Video -"Cory" in an effort to raise awareness by his family and bring change.

^{Corey's alcohol induced Death
 "Holding young people solely responsible for underage drinking is like holding fish responsible for dying in a polluted stream." This quote from Laurie Lieber (Center on Alcohol Advertising) raises awareness of the impact of environmental influences.
Greater risk for our children .}
Article published by the  the Marin Institute, on Recovery and Prevention Pioneers in Louisiana, Sharon Ayres of the Louisiana Alliance & Samantha-Hope Atkins


From Our Members Speak out on the need of youth  Louisiana
Program Director for youth speaks on need in Louisiana, and our Treatment Gap for youth!

There is an urgent need for more treatment services for adolescents, both outpatient and inpatient. At our facility our single point of entry is really supposed to be the outpatient clinics, but many of our communities either have no specific services available for adolescents or they have assessment services only. Many, many times it takes a kid being in crisis, due to overdose (both accidental and intentional) and at that point we get a frantic call from an emergency room, an acute hospital or mental health unit, searching for some immediate placement.
Our waiting list is normally three to four WEEKS!!
Even those participating in outpatient but unable to maintain any sobriety frequently have to be placed in detention awaiting a bed. Detention has its place, but addiction responds to treatment, not punishment.

Almost every day I get at least one call , usually several, from a parent or an outside facility, telling me about a young person who is in desperate need of inpatient treatment.   Our state is currently serving a very small percentage of the need; in fact, our facility is the only adolescent facility run by state employees. There are other beds under
state contract (at Gateway and I believe now there are a few inpatient beds connected with The Adolescent Center).

If  this growing problem is not adequately address when it presents in adolescence, there will be ever growing problems in our adult population, with increases in drug related crimes, drug related diseases and at risk pregnancies, to name just a few. The adolescents we are treating are presenting with more and more serious problems. Several years ago it was an exception to see a young person who was an IV drug user; today we always have several in treatment. We have provided treatment for a girl as young as fourteen who are pregnant and have
used during the early stages of their pregnancies. We see a growing need for treatment of co-occurring disorders, as most of our clients also are dealing with mental health issues. We are currently able to provide only four hours a week of psychiatric consultation.

We work with a bare-bones staff because of low funding. Many of our clients are Medicaid recipients and are therefore charged no fee for services. Even those families who have private insurance have difficulty with the expense of treatment, since most insurance companies do not provide for long-term treatment for substance related problems.
I have listed just "the tip of the iceberg". If I think of any more major concerns, I will send them along to you. Thanks for all you do to advocate for more services for this struggling population!!

NEED In Louisiana
Only 8% of Louisiana adult residents finding recovery support (Treatment) even less for youth, where

4.5% of Juveniles who need treatment for alcohol and other drugs find available services.

A mere 32 medical detox beds are available for 4.4 million residents,

 Clean up costs for the lack of treatment and prevention costs Louisiana more than $8 Billion annually in direct and indirect costs according to CASA