On
February 8th, Treatment Centers of America hosted a briefing on
substance abuse treatment which included the following panelists: Dr.
Katheryn Icenhower, founder of Shields for Families, Imani Walker
co-founder of The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, and Dr. David Mineta
Deputy Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive
Office of the President. The briefing was also attended by
Representatives Karen Bass (CA-33), Lynn Woolsey (CA-6), John Sullivan
(OK-1), Tim Ryan (OH-17), Mary Bono Mack (CA-45). The briefing focused
on family centered treatment and highlighted two programs--Shields for
Families and The Rebecca Project for Human Rights.
Shields
for Families, is a family centered long-term substance abuse treatment
and recovery center in California. Shields provides wrap around services
for families experiencing substance abuse. The goal of providing these
wrap around services is to create a place where mothers can seek
treatment for addiction without being torn away from their families. The
Rebecca Project for Human Rights is a policy focused organization that
advocates for justice and dignity of women and families affected by
trauma and substance abuse. Imani Walker, the group's co-founder and
executive director, shared her personal history of substance abuse
following separating from an abusive spouse. Walker discussed her
repeated attempts to end her substance abuse through conventional
treatment programs, however it was not until she was referred to a
family centered treatment program that she was able to end her
dependence and later go on to co-found The Rebecca Project. Dr. Mineta
discussed the importance of the addressing the drug epidemic in the
United States through supporting health care reform initiatives that
expand access to substance abuse treatment centers. He also discussed
the White House's commitment to maintaining funding for family centered
treatment programs through protecting funding streams and providing
policy guidance to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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