There are state, faith-based, non-profit and private treatment programs. Inpatient treatment usually lasts 30 to 90 days and treatment is intensive. Following inpatient treatment you may transition to a half-way then three-quarter house where treatment support services continue while you begin getting back to everyday life and learning new structuring and life skills necessary in a life of recovery. Following half-way house which may last 3 to 18 months, depending on the person, it may be recommended that the client not return to their pre-treatment living situation, and instead move into a sober-living housing community.

These transitional housing programs allow a person in early recovery to live in a clean and sober community while starting anew, and continuing to work on recovery in 12 step or faith based programs in their communities. O’Brien House now offers such housing for its programs’ graduates, and more are becoming available every day. While not as structured as in-patient and half-way house residential treatment centers, these sober living communities do offer early recovering addicts the opportunity to improve on life skills while transitioning back into the mainstream community.

Once you are assessed and a course of treatment is recommended, what’s the next step?
An assessment tells you if you have an addictive disorder and what the best course of treatment may be for you for where you are at this particular time in your alcohol and drug use history. You may have tried to quit drinking or using drugs on your own, but found that you couldn’t remain sober for any length of time. It is never advised that you stop drinking without medical assistance. If you have been drinking alcohol for a long period of time in large amounts, then you will need to be medically detoxified under the care of a physician.

Suddenly discontinuing alcohol use may cause you to have a seizure and it is strongly recommended that you do not attempt to stop drinking on your own. Medical detoxification is available at any hospital. You can seek a referral from your doctor or any health professional as well as a treatment professional at any of Louisiana’s outpatient. To find an outpatient facility in your area of the state go to the Louisiana Office for Addictive Disorders web site: http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/page.asp?ID=23&Detail=3732

Do you sign up, attend the treatment program for a prescribed number of months and then you are cured?
Is a diabetic who takes medication and follows a special diet for a prescribed number of months cured? Of course not. The same goes for treatment for addictive disorders—addiction is a chronic, progressive, treatable disease that can be managed. Treatment is just the beginning. Whatever course of treatment you follow—outpatient or inpatient—the time comes when you must incorporate what you have learned into your everyday life—for the rest of your life.

Once you are medically de-toxed you will enter treatment. During treatment you will receive individual and group counseling and participate in educational classes. You may be introduced to a 12 Step program like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Your family members may have started attending Al Anon or Nar-Anon meetings. You may have participated in a faith based substance abuse program. It’s up to you to decide what it will take for you to maintain a clean and sober lifestyle now that you have discovered you can indeed live happy, joyous and free life of recovery. Notice that the word is recovery, not recovered. Recovery is an ongoing, life-long process of spiritual growth that can only happen if you remain clean and sober.

What if you give up and start drinking and using drugs again?
In treatment you will learn about the process of recovery which includes what to do when you become frustrated and think about giving up your sobriety. When that happens it is called Relapse. You may have heard this word before. If you or someone you know has quit drinking or using drugs for a certain period of time, but then starts drinking or using again, he or she is said to have “relapsed.” You will learn why relapse is considered part of the recovery process. This is very hard for family members to understand or accept. In Getting Help Means Getting Better you will hear from those in various stages of recovery tell about their own struggles with relapse. You will hear from addictive disorder treatment professionals why relapse happens and most important, why it is important not to give up on recovery just because a relapse occurs. It is quite common to relapse, but what’s important is that you find out where you may have begun going in the wrong direction, what your “pre-lapse” thinking and behaviors should have been telling you. What were the warning signs that you were headed to a relapse? What steps can you take to help prevent relapse? Relapse is a detour. But you can get back on the Highway to Healing.

National:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: http://www.samhsa.gov/

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information: http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/

National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www.nida.nih.gov/

National Substance Abuse Index: http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/

American Council for Drug Education: http://www.acde.org/

The Association of Halfway House Alcoholism Programs: http://www.ahhap.org/

Alcoholics Anonymous: http://www.aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash

Adult Children of Alcoholics: http://www.adultchildren.org/

Gamblers Anonymous: http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/

Narcotics Anonymous: http://www.na.org/

Nicotine Anonymous: http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org/

Cocaine Anonymous: http://www.ca.org/

Mothers Against Drunk Driving: http://www.madd.org/

Intervention Center: http://www.intervention.com/

Addiction Resource Guide: http://www.addictionresourceguide.com/

National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers: http://www.naatp.org/

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence: http://www.ncadd.org/

Faces and Voices of Recovery: http://www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org

Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention: http://www.higheredcenter.org/

Office of National Drug Control Policy: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/

Partners for Recovery: http://www.pfr.samhsa.gov/

Treatment Centers database: http://www.treatment-centers.net/

Alcohol Answers: http://www.alcoholanswers.org/

Center for Substance Abuse Research: http://www.cesar.umd.edu/


State:

Alcoholics Anonymous – Louisiana: http://www.aa-louisiana.org/

Louisiana Health and Rehab Center: http://www.lahealthandrehab.org/

Louisiana Office for Addictive Disorders: http://www.dhh.state.la.us/offices/?ID=23


Local:

Capital Area Human Services District: http://www.cahsd.org/

Florida Parishes Human Services Authority: http://www.fphsa.org/

Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority: http://www.jphsa.org/

Metropolitan Human Services District: http://www.mhsdla.org/home/

OAD Services by Region: http://www.dhh.state.la.us/offices/page.asp?id=23&detail=3732


Resource Links:

If you live in: Jefferson Parish, contact: Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority: www.jphsa.org/

If you live in: New Orleans, contact: Metropolitan Human Services District: : www.mhsdla.org/

If you live in: Baton Rouge, contact Capital Area Human Services District: www.cahsd.org/

If you live in: Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, Washington, St. Helena or Livingston Parishes, contact Florida Parish Human Services Authority: fphsa.org/

If you live in Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. Mary Parishes, contact the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of South Louisiana: http://adacsl.org

Recovery:
People & Places

The following programs participated in the Highway to Healing series:

Assessment, Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Services:
Lake Charles Addictive Disorders Clinic (Lake Charles) - Director, Tanya McGee

Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Services (Faith-based):
Free Indeed Treatment Center (Baton Rouge) - Director, Tonja Myles


Residential Treatment facility for Adult Men and Women including Women with Children:
Odyssey House Louisiana (New Orleans) - Director, Ed Carlson

Residential Halfway House for Adult Men and Women:
O'Brien House (Baton Rouge) - Director, Katherine Martin

Residential Long Term Treatment and Halfway House for Women with Children 12 and under:
Claire House (Morgan City) - Director, Carolyn Dishman

Lake Charles Addictive Disorders Clinic (Lake Charles)

Odyssey House Louisiana

O'Brien House

Claire House (Morgan City)

Children’s Health Initiative is a New Orleans based non-profit organization. Our mission is to provide health education media resources to families in Louisiana.

We firmly believe that people want to live healthily, but need correct information and advice in order to make healthy choices. Armed with knowledge, people can and do access appropriate health services. Thanks to today’s internet technology, we have a place to turn to answer just about any question we may have about anything.

But when it comes to questions about a big problem found not only in Louisiana, but nation wide, that is, alcohol and drug addiction, it is hard to know where to turn for help. Children’s Health Initiative (CHI) would like to help people find the help they need when addiction strikes their families.

In 2008 CHI began work on its first digital media behavioral health education initiative, Highway to Healing: Re-Thinking Addiction in Louisiana, to address addiction in Louisiana. We were fortunate to form a partnership with then-director of the Louisiana Office for Addictive Disorders, Michael Duffy. Mr. Duffy agreed with CHI’s director, Angelique LaCour, that people were suffering unnecessarily and even dying, from untreated addictive disorders. We saw a gap between the many services offered by the state and the number of people who know how to access those services. Services are available, and we what to help you find help for yourself or an addict in your family.

Ms. LaCour then approached Beth Courtney, CEO, Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB), about working together to produce programs to help people when they search the internet for help. We are very grateful to LPB for partnering with us to bring Highway to Healing to you.

If you are reading these words, we know that you or someone you love may be suffering. We are here to help you find the help you need.

Angelique LaCour
President/Executive Producer
Children’s Health Initiative

Ms. LaCour founded Discover Films in 1990 and has served as the company’s president and executive producer since its inception. She directed the development and production of a collection of forty-two health education videos targeting middle and high school students, and has earned many honors and distinctions for her work over the years. Most notably, she was awarded two CINE Golden Eagles, an “Oscar” equivalent for non-broadcast media.

In 2004 she founded Children’s Health Initiative for the purpose of creating digital media behavioral health projects utilizing public television and internet technology addressing important public health and public safety issues. That same year she was honored as one of CitiBusiness (New Orleans) Women of the Year.

CHI’s mission is to to partner with state agencies, community organizations and other non-profit organizations to provide families and members of the community with educational resources and programs that will increase their comprehensive knowledge and awareness of issues that affect and directly impact health and wellbeing, specifically, mental, emotional, spiritual and social wellness in balance with optimum physical functioning and health.

Ms. LaCour serves as President and Executive Producer of Children’s Health Initiative.
http://www.HealthyKidsNow.blogspot.com
http://www.ChildrensHealthInitiative.net