Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, NARA, offers inpatient and outpatient drug treatment and a 70-bed residential program in Portland, Oregon.
Research from across the nation shows that treating drug addiction reduces crime and medical expenses while boosting employment, meaning every dollar spent on treatment actually saves an average of $7.
This organization receives more than 40,000 calls a year to its crisis lines, which guide addicts through those dark moments by connecting them with the treatment they need.
Michael Donta, 24, tried to seek help for his prescription drug addiction but was never successful and he eventually took his own life in 2010.
Project: Recovery Kentucky centers use a supportive program in which the clients hold one another accountable
Recovery Kentucky centers opened across the state to help people break free of addiction and avoid chronic homelessness.
Experts say it’s nearly impossible to compare the effectiveness of one drug-addiction treatment against another because so much depends on the needs of the addict — and there is debate about how well medication-assisted therapy works.
In a state with one of the nation’s worst prescription-drug abuse problems, Kentucky's substance abuse programs often have long waiting lists, leaving those in need of help with nowhere to turn.
Prescription drug addictions in Kentucky are at an all time high. Laura Ungar reports on how this epidemic also leads to higher crime rates in concentrated areas.
This is part of Laura Ungar's fellowship project, where she looks at how the addiction surge affects the next generation — newborns suffering drug withdrawal because of their mothers’ drug abuse.
How will Kentucky find the money to care for babies born with drug withdrawal after being born to addicted mothers? Health officials say they can do only so much; a lot depends on the family.
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