Communities That Care

Posted on July 29, 2010

Info on Specific Drugs Available for Parents

The Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) offers fact sheets on a variety of drugs.  If you want to learn more about drugs you may have heard about but are unfamiliar with—like  “shrooms” (Psilocybin) or GHB—from a respected and reputable source, visit the CESAR website’s drug info page at http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drug_info.asp .

Posted on July 27, 2010

Take Preventative Steps With Prescriptions

From www.LockYourMeds.org:

Quite frequently young people merely open the medicine cabinet and there before them is a variety of drugs available for the taking: pain pills for post surgery; sleeping pills from an overseas plane trip; cough medicine from last season’s flu.  For parents, the time to act is now, as you are key to your child’s drug free future.  Take the following preventative steps:

REMOVE drugs from your medicine cabinet and hide them, lock them up or take them out of your house.

SAFEGUARD all medicines that have to remain at home by monitoring quantities and controlling access.

TAKE INVENTORY by writing down the names and amounts of medications you currently have and regularly check to see if anything is missing.If your child is on prescribed medication, monitor the dosages and refills.

SET CLEAR RULES, such as not sharing and always following proper dosages.

WARN your youngsters that taking prescription or OTC drugs without a doctor’s supervision can be just as dangerous and potentially lethal as taking street drugs.

SUPERVISE YOUR CHILD’S INTERNET use:  many pharmacy sites are not regulated and will sell your child medications without prescriptions.

PROPERLY DISPOSE of old, expired, or unused medicines in the trash.  Call for local “take-back” collection information.  DO NOT flush medications down the drain or toilet, unless the label indicates it is safe to do so.

TAKE THE PLEDGE to protect your child and spread the word.

Posted on July 23, 2010

Blue Sky Cantina and Big Fish Restaurant Donate to Five Town CTC

As a result of an April and May campaign called “Cuisine for a Cause” two local restaurants were able to combine to donate over $300 to Five Town CTC.  On Wednesday nights during those two months, Blue Sky Cantina in Rockport and Big Fish in Rockland gave 10% of all food sales to Five Town Communities That Care.

This month, owners Jennifer and Ron presented the proceeds to Five Town CTC.

Photo by Peter Russell: Five Town CTC Board Member Peter Russell accepts a check from Jennifer Thieme of Blue Sky Cantina and Big Fish Restaurant in the amount of $317.49.

Posted on July 21, 2010

Prevention “Number One Priority”

A real interest in prevention appears to exist at the federal level now!  Here is an interesting piece reflecting on statements made by three top federal officials at a recent meeting:

(Excerpt from Behavorial Healthcare online, a piece entitled Looking into the “crystal ball”: Hyde, McLellan, and Compton envision the future at SAAS/NIATx gathering. Part I in a series by Dennis Grantham, Senior Editor)

Before a crowd of about 800 at this year’s State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) and NIATx Summit, three key officials—SAMHSA administrator Pamela Hyde, ONDCP deputy director Tom McLellan, and NIDA division director Wilson Compton—highlighted federal efforts and initiatives that will impact funding, care methodologies, care delivery, and technology implementation for providers of behavioral health and substance use treatment services now entering into what Hyde called “the brave new world” shaped by national health reform and parity.

Because 50 percent of adult mental health issues manifest symptoms before the age of 14 and 75 percent manifest before the age of 25, the trio emphasized the need to build a “system of prevention” implemented locally and focus community-based supports on children, adolescents, and young adults.

“Our number one priority is prevention,” asserted Hyde, who asked, “How can we develop emotionally healthy kids?” The key, she explained, is to reach them early by fostering the development of “prevention prepared communities,” or PPCs. McLellan remarked that such communities would foster coordinated programs among multiple groups—parents, schools, law enforcement, and local governments, for example—with the goal of surrounding young people with “relevant, age appropriate messages and interventions that span the timeframe of risk.”

—-> To read the rest of the article, please go to http://www.behavioral.net/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=64D490AC6A7D4FE1AEB453627F1A4A32&tier=4&id=35A0252458974B1C85F4991BB1861763

Posted on July 19, 2010

West Bay Rotary Donates $600!

Five Town Communities That Care was one of five organizations to receive a $600 donation at the West Bay Rotary’s July 2010 Meeting.  Accepting the check on behalf of Five Town CTC was Board member Peter Russell (second from left).

Photo by Leni Gronos

In addition to this generous donation, West Bay Rotary is working with Five Town CTC on a joint event for this fall, tentatively entitled the “Harvest Hootenanny.”  More details on that event will be published soon.

For more info about West Bay Rotary, visit their website at http://www.westbayrotaryofmaine.org/.  For more info about Five Town CTC, call our offices at 207-236-9800, email info@fivetownctc.org, or visit www.fivetownctc.org.

Posted on July 2, 2010

Five Town CTC offices closed week of July 4th

The Five Town Communities That Care offices at 219 Meadow Street in Rockport will be closing at noon on July 2nd for staff vacations.  The offices will re-open at 7:30AM on Monday, July 12.   Email and phone messages will not be monitored during that time.  Thanks for your understanding!