Traverse City, MI, Sept. 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Addiction Policy Forum, a leading addiction nonprofit, has expanded its Addiction Resource Center (ARC) to include a database of treatment resources, facilities, and healthcare providers specific to Michigan.
“We lose far too many people to the disease of addiction. Just last year we lost 72,000 people to overdose nationwide, and more than 2,662 of those losses were here in Michigan. We must get services to patients and families struggling and save lives, which is the aim of the new resources we’re launching today,” said Jessica Hulsey Nickel, Addiction Policy Forum founder 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 information, education on treatment options, and support. Michigan residents can call the line at 1-833-301-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM EST.
“I have witnessed firsthand the devastating effect of addiction on families, and I’m excited that Michigan will now have these added resources to help those who may be struggling with addiction and their loved ones in their moments of crisis,” says Jim Surprenant, Addiction Policy Forum Michigan State Chapter Co-Chair.
“Families and people struggling with substance use disorder need all the resources they can get to help them through this disease. The ARC’s database of healthcare providers will be extremely valuable to people who need a simple way of accessing help,” says Richard Fox, other Michigan State Co-Chair.
Addiction Policy Forum, which has chapters in over 30 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.