Rhode Island, July 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Providence, R.I. — Addiction Policy Forum, a leading addiction nonprofit, has expanded its Addiction Resource Center (ARC) to include treatment resources, facilities and health care providers specific to Rhode Island.
“In 2016, 326 Rhode Islanders died from drug overdose. With new resources included in the ARC database to help connect Rhode Island residents to local services, we hope to see these numbers decrease as more patients and families access the help they need,” 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-related information, education on treatment options, and support. Rhode Island residents can call the line at 1-833-301-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM EST.
“With an almost ten percent increase in overdose deaths between 2015 and 2016, it is clear that Rhode Island needs additional resources to help save more lives. I am excited that the ARC has been expanded to fill in the gaps of additional help needed in Rhode Island,” says Mitch Weintraub, chair of Addiction Policy Forum’s Rhode Island State Chapter that launched in July.
Addiction Policy Forum, which has chapters in 21 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.