The Importance of National Prescription Drug Takeback Day
According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.2 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The over-prescription and general availability of medicines like benzodiazepines, oxycodone and amphetamines have contributed to our current epidemic. We all have medicine cabinets, and many of those cabinets contain years’ worth of ...
The Patriots Welcome Josh Gordon and Help Raise Awareness of Addiction
If you’re a sports fan, you’ve heard of Josh Gordon. His entrance to the NFL was highly anticipated. Drafted as a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns in 2012, he logged 50 receptions for 805 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie year. But by the time his career in ...
Are States Ready to Implement Medication-Assisted Treatment in Correctional Settings?
Recently, State Director Earl Warren and Regional Program Director Nicole Rendon from Spectrum’s Correctional Division conducted a workshop on medication-assisted treatment to administrators and behavioral health practitioners attending the American Correctional Association’s 148th Congress of Corrections in Minneapolis. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is being considered by many criminal justice authorities to ...
How Addiction Affects Our Most Precious Population
Our older citizens have made our communities what they are today with years of love and hard work. That’s why its particularly sad to see the sharp rise in addiction among people over 65. Not only has the issue become far more prevalent, it is also under-diagnosed – allowing the ...
Get to Know Roger Bayog, M.D., Spectrum’s New Psychiatrist
Mental health and addiction cannot be separated – not in reality and not in treatment. As an organization dedicated to treating the whole person, we’re happy to announce the latest addition to our clinical team – Dr. Roger Bayog, Spectrum’s newest psychiatrist. Dr. Bayog has an extensive history of treating ...
What We Can All Learn From Demi Lovato’s Relapse
Pop singer Demi Lovato’s story is common. She was six years sober before she overdosed in her home on July 24. She was revived with naloxone and transported to the hospital. Relapse is often part of the lifelong recovery journey and should not be viewed as a failure. In fact, ...
Inside Look: Peer Recovery Support
You may have noticed that a lot of our treatment programs revolve around group meetings, group therapy and group activities. Peer recovery support best exemplifies the power of groups to not only help people strive for and maintain recovery, but build a foundation for the rest of their lives. Our ...
Facebook Live Recap: Naloxone – What It Is, Where to Get It, How to Use It
In case you missed it, we teamed up with Walgreens for an informational Facebook Live in response to the U.S. Surgeon General’s call for all Americans to begin carrying naloxone. It’s an effective and timely idea, as the Department of Public Health (DPH) estimates that there are four to six ...
Get To Know Lorna Doane: A Spectrum Health Systems Nurse
As we all know, the nation is suffering a staggering opioid epidemic. What some may not know is that the U.S. is also facing a shortage of registered nurses (RNs). A sharp rise in the need for health care services compounded by the retirements of Baby Boomers, struggling nursing schools ...
Road to Recovery: David Crawley’s Story
Fifty-four-year-old David Crawley grew up in a big family – two brothers, two sisters and two parents. The Crawley family was supportive and loving, but his hometown of Roxbury, Massachusetts was filled with drugs, violence and crime which were hard to avoid. “My parents were instrumental in teaching me how ...
How Spectrum Helps Clients and Staff Cope with Death
“We didn’t need news articles to tell us how bad the opioid epidemic is,” claims Heidi DiRoberto, MA, LMHC, program director at Spectrum Health Systems. Before news of the opioid epidemic was being reported in almost every media outlet across the nation, our medical and clinical staff were already into ...
Remembering Alcohol Use Disorder Amidst the Opioid Epidemic
As we come to a close on Alcohol Awareness Month 2018, we want to stress that raising awareness of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) should continue to be a priority. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 88,000 people die every year from AUD and other alcohol-related ...
Get to Know Romas Buivydas, Ph.D, Our Vice President of Clinical Development and Host of Airing Addiction
Spectrum Health Systems and the New England Recovery Center provide preeminent evidence-based addiction treatment throughout Massachusetts. The quality of our services is a true testament to Spectrum’s dedicated and experienced staff, including a talented team of leaders, clinicians, social workers, admissions counselors and beyond who contribute to our superior continuum ...
An Inside Look: The Family Education Forum
If you’ve been involved in the Spectrum Health Systems or New England Recovery Center communities for any amount of time, you’ve seen or heard us stress the importance of involving family and loved ones in the recovery process. For many years, we’ve offered the Family Education Forum at each of ...
For Spectrum Health Systems, Treating Addiction Often Means Treating Trauma Too
For many of our clients, addiction is usually not an isolated problem. Many also experience mental health issues and the after-effects of physical and mental trauma. The Trauma-Informed Care Program, which we introduced last year, is designed to build understanding amongst our staff and enhance their ability to effectively interact ...
