30 Winter Street, 3rd Floor Boston, MA 02108 617-423-6627

News Flash /  Calendar / Click & Pledge

HomeRecovery MonthAbout UsCalendarNewslettersJoin MOARMeet Our BoardPublic Policy UpdatesResources for RecoveryRelated LinksContact Us

 

About Us

Our Concerns     Our Objectives      Our Approach

Our Concerns

 

  • Alcoholism and other drug abuse/dependencies effect over 406,000 men and women in Massachusetts.

 

  • Most families that receive services from the Commonwealth have one or more parents with alcohol or drug abuse problems.

 

  • Close to thirty percent of work absenteeism is related to substance abuse.

 

  • The general public hears and sees only the devastating effects of addiction but des not hear about the many POSITIVE effects of recovery. Participating in MOAR allows recovering persons, their family members and friends, to have a voice about addiction recovery.

 

Massachusetts Estimates of Illicit Drug Use, 2005–2006

 

 State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2005–2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health[i] reports that Massachusetts -

National comparison

  • 5th  in highest rates of past month use and drug dependence on an illicit drug among those aged 12 or older.   

  • 5th of all states for both past month use of an illicit drug other than marijuana and past year use of cocaine (aged 12 or older).   

3265 Opioid Overdose Deaths  2002-2007

      2 Opioid Deaths Every Day

  •  7 percent per year from 2000-2007 in Massachusetts.  
  •  67% of all poisonings were the result of opioid overdoses,
  •  637 people died from opioid poisoning in 2007, 
  •  637 in 2006,
  •  544 in 2005.

 

[i]     State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2005–2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office Of Applied Studies, 2008

 

  • 5 adolescent recovery homes do not meet the demand. We are concerned about the void of services for children, adolescent, and family services across the continuum.

 

  • Approximately 34% of the Massachusetts residents who need and are seeking treatment for substance abuse lack access to appropriate services. (SAMHSA 2003)

 

  • Data from Massachusetts' hospitals indicate that emergency and inpatient admissions involving drugs or alcohol are increasing.

 

  • Data from Massachusetts' hospitals indicate that emergency and inpatient admissions involving drugs or alcohol are increasing.

 

  • More than 25% of the people using Massachusetts' emergency shelters attribute their homelessness to their addiction, and up to 70% report significant involvement with alcohol and/or other drugs.

 

  • Of the almost 24,800 people incarcerated in the Commonwealth's correctional facilities, 80% report having a substance abuse problem, 20% have a governing offense that is drug related, and 21% are incarcerated for offenses committed to support their drug use.

 

  • HealthCare Professionals lack sufficient expertise in alcohol and other drug addiction.

Objectives

 

  • Open access to treatment

 

  • Removal of administrative obstacles to treatment

 

  • Insurance coverage:      

    • For Long Term Medical and Recovery Skill Building

    • For Appropriate Length of Inpatient and Outpatient Level of care

    • Reimbursement Mandated for Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors I

    • Parity – equal standards of coverage when compared to other health care

       

  • Advocating for treatment in prison and society re-entry support

 

  • Alternative sentencing programs

 

  • Improved physical facilities/buildings for treatment and rehabilitation services

 

  • Student assistance programming

 

  • Peer education in school

 

  • Improved and INCREASED treatment services for incarcerated addicts

 

  • Expansion of the recovery home network

 

  • Sober housing

 

  • Recovery programs with work experience components

 

  • Expansion of academic education for health care workers and other professionals

 

  • Peer to Peer Recovery Support Services

 

  • Recovery High Schools

 

  • Adolescent Recovery Homes in every county

 

  • Increased Family and Youth Services

 

Our Approach

The members of MOAR promote public awareness of alcoholism, drug dependency and substance abuse by:

 

  • Recruiting recovering persons, their family members and friends, to join MOAR. Helping them to speak out regarding the benefits of recovery, and the social costs of addiction in our communities and the workplace.

 

  • Celebrating "Recovery Day" at the State House every year by inviting recovering persons, policy makers, legislators, treatment providers, and others to meet together. We discuss our accomplishments, as well as the continued need for public education and awareness about addiction.

 

  • Offering community education about the need for Insurance Reimbursement for Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor I to protect the public, and acknowledge the SPECIAL SKILLS and methods needed to successfully intervene with persons suffering from addiction.

 

  • Educating insurers, HMOs and other third party payors regarding the need for equal access to an adequate treatment benefit.

 

  • Partnering with treatment providers to assure access and quality care for addicts and their families.

 

  • Educating health care providers and the public to reduce the stigma of addiction, while promoting the recognition of addictive disorders as a public health problem.

 

 
 

Home       About Us       Contact Us       Privacy Statement