Cary, North Carolina, Sept. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today 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 North Carolina.
“CDC’s newly released data estimates that 72,000 Americans died in 2017 from an overdose,” says Jessica Hulsey Nickel CEO and president of the Addiction Policy Forum. “2,053 of those people were North Carolina residents. The expansion of the Addiction Resource Center database helps North Carolina families in crisis find local treatment for their loved ones.”
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 an 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. North Carolina residents can call the line at 1-833-301-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6 PM EST.
“Substance use disorder is a devastating disease,” says Danielle Tarino, Addiction Policy Forum Vice President of Health. “Expanding the Addiction Resource Center database to North Carolina will assist those impacted by substance use and help save lives by providing resources mapped by county.”
Addiction Policy Forum, which has chapters in 37 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.