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Washington Update - By Art Terrazas, Guila Todd & Dillon Harp
Advocating for increased access to addiction treatment
As counselors know, addictions are a lifelong struggle that can cause serious harm. Addictions
do not recognize ethnic, religious or geographical lines. Many people in
this country fall prey to debilitating addictions to controlled substances
or unhealthy actions that jeopardize
not only their health but also their relationships with friends, colleagues and loved ones.
Addiction is not just limited to illegal drugs. In recent years, we have witnessed more Americans becoming addicted to prescription drugs that were supposed
to be used to supplement medical care. That is why it is important that we work toward increasing access to treatment for these addictions, which means pursuing public policy initiatives that increase access to licensed professional counselors (LPCs).
Many times when we discuss our efforts to allow LPCs to receive reimbursements from Medicare, we talk about the need to treat depression that is common among older adult populations. But one area
that we tend not to discuss as much is the serious need for the care and treatment
of older adults who are struggling with addiction. This may be especially true
for those in recovery in rural areas who are far removed from their families or a support system that could prevent them from having a relapse. An LPC may be these individuals’ only support toward living a healthy lifestyle.
As our nation finally begins to put the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan behind us, we are also sadly seeing an uptick in the number of returning veterans who have become addicted to controlled substances as a coping mechanism for the visible and invisible wounds they suffered in service to our country. Abuse of drugs and alcohol can be compounded when veterans seek mental health treatment and are given prescription drugs to help them transition back into civilian life. In some instances, this has led to veterans committing suicide or harming others. We cannot allow our veterans to return home only to lose them. That is why we will continue to press the Department
of Veterans Affairs and legislators in Congress to do all they can to increase employment opportunities for LPCs. While these measures would provide LPCs with additional job opportunities, they would also ensure that the treatment of veterans’ mental health is a top priority.
It is a national disgrace that we lose veterans to suicide every day. Many of those same veterans could have been helped if only they had ready access to mental health providers. We should do all that we can to ensure that veterans have access to qualified mental health providers whenever they need them.
Professional school counselors can also help by identifying problems that students are facing and thus preventing addictions from taking hold early on in a young person’s life. In some cases,
the warning signs of an addiction or problems that could lead to an addiction are on display in school and may be recognized by school counselors even before they are recognized by a student’s family members. That is why it is so important to have professional school counselors available to look out for
those signs and steer students toward pathways that lead to healthier choices for them and their families. Professional school counselors are often the ones most equipped to recognize the warning signs of substance use and addiction and deal with these challenges early on.
The work that counselors do to treat addictions is extremely important, and lawmakers need to know that. Please take the time to visit with your respective elected officials and tell them about the important work you do. Many times, this work is overlooked. In a lot of cases, decision-makers are totally unaware of the positive impact counselors can have related to combating addictions in this country.
Visit house.gov, senate.gov or your respective state legislature’s website to find out who your elected representatives are and how to contact them. They need to know about the vital work you do as well as the importance of opening up access for all Americans to receive proper treatment for addictions. u
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