Richmond, V.A., Oct. 02, 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 Virginia residents. The Addiction Resource Center (ARC) offers two ways to find lifesaving help; an online portal and confidential phone line.
“According to newly released CDC data, an estimated 72,000 lives were lost due to drug overdose in 2017 with about 1,407 of those fatalities in Virginia,” said Jessica Hulsey Nickel, Addiction Policy Forum President and CEO. “With resources added to the ARC database to help connect Virginia residents to local substance use disorder services, we hope to see these numbers decrease as more patients and families access the help they need.”
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. Virginia residents can call the line at 1-833-301-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM EST.
“The newly expanded ARC database provides Virginians with a researched, unbiased list of treatment resources, facilities, and healthcare providers throughout the state,” said Danielle Tarino, Addiction Policy Forum’s VP of Health Information Technology. “I hope to see the number of overdose deaths in Virginia decrease as more residents discover and utilize the new resource.”
Addiction Policy Forum, which has chapters in 39 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.