Don Carson LADC, LCSW Outpatient TherapistConsultant

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Don Carson LADC, LCSWOutpatient
Therapist/Consultant

• Aroostook County
• Caribou, Maine

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How I got involved?

• From The County
• My family lives, works, and goes to school here
• AMHC, OSA have encouraged dual competencies in MH
  and SA
• Case Study of adult with chronic huffing
  disorder-gasoline

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• 1996 data revealed Aroostook County 6-8th graders
  had highest level of inhalant use in the state
  (Lifetime 18)
• Grants became available in 1998 for Primary
  Prevention and Coalition Building
• Organized gatekeepers who wanted to make a
  difference
• Decision made to attempt to knock inhalant use
  down across Aroostook County

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• Hawkins Catalanos Communities that Care
  Prevention technology
• Primary Prevention
• Project Prevention
• Coalition Building
• Aroostook Cares Best Practice Forum
• Free National Inhalant and Poison Awareness Week
  kits
• Parent, teacher, Business Fact Sheets,
  distribution of data

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What have we accomplished?

• It is on the Radar for
• Helping Hands
• Houlton Police Department
• Aroostook County Boy Scout leaders
• TAMC Nurses Inhalants 101, Medical aspects
• Job Corps Staff Inhalants 101
• The Christopher Home Inhalants
• Presque Isle Rotary Presentations
• Union 122 Parents/teachers/concerned others
• MH and SA Clinicians Treatment of Inhalant Abuse
• Radio WEGP Medical Monday
• WAGM TV interviews
• Aroostook Republican Public Service messages

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• We learned to recognize and seize teachable
  moments
• Can I talk to you?
• Huffing Gas, paint, whiteout, whipped cream
• Abuse of poisons and toxins in group homes
• Ether use at Job Corps
• Interrupting huffing incidents
• blind spots for professionals
• effective assessment and intervention

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• To fulfill our mission to promote the health and
  well-being of our community
• Inhalant use for 6-8th graders in Aroostook
  County was 18 in 1996, average in 2000, and
  were at 12.3 in 2004 (MYDAUS 2004)
• We share what we have learned with others, we
  believe we are making a difference

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How do we sustain our efforts?

• NIPAW for 8 years and counting
• Continued commitment of
• Office of Substance Abuse
• Maine Inhalant Prevention Coalition
• New England Inhalant Prevention Coalition
• ADCARE
• National Inhalant Prevention Web Site
• Free Inhalant Prevention Kits

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What needs to be done?

• Promote expectation of core competencies in
  mental health and substance abuse assessment and
  treatment via licensing
• No door is the wrong door for inhalant
  users/families
• Knit together ongoing initiatives
• Develop more local experts in inhalant and poison
  abuse prevention

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Why do this?

• Theyre our children, we take it personally
• Provide children with a chance to live up to
  their potential unhindered by neurological or
  physical impairments associated with use of
  inhalants
• To improve adults awareness of the risks of
  inhalant use and to teach effective intervention
  skills

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Thank you