Holiday Food Drive
With the Holiday Season approaching, The Academy for Addiction Professionals is initiating an Annual Thanksgiving Day Food Drive Collection. This is an opportunity for us to share our gratitude and good fortune with individuals in the community who might need our help.
Addiction Counselors and Abstinence
The American Psychological Association released a recent study in their journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors showing that up to half of addiction counselors deem it acceptable to allow alcohol abusing clients to have an occasional drink. This is a significant increase from about twenty years ago when a similar survey showed only one quarter of counselors willing to allow some alcohol use. With drugs of abuse, a similar number of counselors believed it was acceptable to allow moderate drug use as a step toward their ultimate treatment goal.
Bath Salts Contributing to Thousands of ER Visits
Bath Salts have become a fast growing drug of abuse in the United States. The chilling effects have been seen in the media the country over with gruesome images of violent behavior. With the proliferation of the drug, has come a stinging reality – emergency health issues. A SAMHSA report, the first of its kind, estimates that almost 23,000 hospital visits have been linked to bath salts. Bath salts are responsible for many serous physical and psychological issues including high blood pressure, seizures, even death, as well as psychosis, suicidal thoughts and more. The data was extrapolated from ER visits in 2011. Interestingly, about two thirds of all ER visits linked to bath salts were associated with the use of other drugs as well.
Introducing Saturday Addiction Counselor Training Classes
As a result of the overwhelming interest in our training programs and core courses, we have added a Saturday course to our schedule. We believe that the addition of Saturday classes will offer unparalleled flexibility for students who want to accelerate their studies at The Academy for Addiction Professionals or who have to work around their career schedule.
The State of the US Mental Illness Epidemic
The degree of mental illness in the United States remains a serious issue of concern, as a significant number of US adults experience some sort of mental health issue each and every year. Mental illness is a broad term, however it can be very telling as to the state of our society as a whole.
Online CRSS Course Ready to Launch
The team here at The Academy for Addiction Professionals is very excited to announce that the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) 75 hour course is now available online. The course is split into five classes that follow the requirements set forth by the Florida Certification Board. Each of the five classes has a core component paired with an elective. Students completing these classes will have met the educational requirements to then take the final exam for certification. Students will need to ensure that they qualify for the designation by visiting our CRSS web page and reviewing the criteria.
Our August 2013 Lunch and Learn – A Great Success!
August 2013 marked a milestone in what has become a very popular monthly activity at The Academy – offsite Continuing Education trainings. Each month, The Academy for Addiction Professionals has partnered with one or more leaders in the field of substance abuse treatment to offer attendees dynamic and comprehensive perspective in the industry. The August 2013 Lunch and Learn was jointly hosted by the Academy and Infinity Behavioral Services, a leading end-to-end billing provider for addiction treatment facilities in Florida. Speakers included Ryan Collison, CEO of Infinity Behavioral Services and Cathy Claud, CEO of Archstone Recovery Center.
The Link between Marijuana and Psychosis
The dangers of marijuana use have been hotly debated and theories from both sides of the argument have been postured for decades. Today, the effects of marijuana are more topical than ever as certain states begin to legalize its use and possession. Studies such as the one we will be referencing today, help us resolve some of the questions we have about marijuana, its effects and why it is used.
The study, conducted using a survey of 2,120 Dutch teenagers ranging from 14 to 19 years of age, made two interesting links:
Delray Beach Classes Up and Running
After securing our second location in West Delray Beach, classes have begun with excellent attendance. The convenience of our new location is clear as many of our Palm Beach County based students, who had to commute to Fort Lauderdale for classes, now have a much shorter trip. The location, just minutes from Florida’s Turnpike, gives those in Palm Beach and Martin Counties the possibility of shaving at least 30 minutes off their drive and proximity to Florida’s Turnpike offers easy access with less rush hour traffic. This additional education track also offers certain students the ability to accelerate their education with the possibility of completing the entire CAP course in less than 14 months.
Our New Certified Recovery Support Specialist Course
As an approved education provider for the Florida Certification Board, we aim to offer the courses that will be most beneficial to a career in the addiction field. In that spirit we are very proud to have launched the Certified Recovery Support Specialist or CRSS class for those who assist clients during their treatment for substance abuse issues.