Client/Resident Handbook Materials

We'd like to create a client/resident handbook that could be for all Dawn Farm people. What do you think should be included? Topics might include:

• Medication info for people in recovery.
• Smoking and recovery.
• What to look for in a sponsor.
• Basic info on depression/anxiety/insomnia. What people in early recovery can expect and what to do about it.
• Relationships in early recovery.

Send your thoughts and content to Julie Boster.

Thoughts from the state conference

Here are some of my thoughts from attending the recent state substance abuse conference:

• We've wanted to increase follow-up with detox, outpatient and jail clients. Could we use alumni to do this? do Should we try to get an alumni association going that might involve organized volunteer activities like mentoring, monitoring calls, periodic pot luck dinners, awards to recognize service?
• What do we need to do to extend formal monitoring/follow-up to 5 years.
• To improve follow-up support, should we officially green-light staff for email contact with clients and families.
• How can we provide meaningful aftercare for non-completers from residential?
• How can we eliminate administrative discharges from residential? Not to mean that we keep people no matter what. Rather, how can we more meaningfully facilitate a transfer when things don't work out? How can we make sure we provide continuous recovery support?

Are these good ideas/goals? What would you like to see us do? How can we make these things happen? How can you help?

2007/2008 Dawn Farm Education Series

Our 2007/2008 Dawn Farm Education Series will kick-off on October 16, 2007. This year's series will include exciting NEW workshops in addition to revisiting previous favorites, and will have both veteran and new presenters! The presentations have broad appeal and are geared toward a diverse audience. All are welcome to attend, including staff, other professionals, clients, clients' families, and others in the community. All programs are FREE . No registration is required. Each workshop is approved by the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals (MCBAP) to provide 1.5 free CE hours .

Programs will be presented on the last 2 or 3 Tuesday evenings of each month, in the auditorium at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center, 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

The following programs will be presented in October 2007:

- "Addiction 101" will be presented on October 16, 2007; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm, by Jim Balmer. Jim will examine the dynamics of drinking and drug use, including addiction as a brain disease, and the basic recovery process. You'll hear something new each time from this perennial favorite!

- "The Physiology of Addiction" will be presented on October 23, 2007; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm, by Carl Christensen, MD, Ph.D.; Addictionologist. Dr. Christensen will explore the difference between addiction and dependence, the mechanisms of physical dependency, brain neurochemistry, and the effects of treatment. Learn about the physiological changes that occur from detox through recovery; and from the first drink/drug to the last.

- "The Doctor's Opinion on Alcoholism" will be presented on October 30, 2007; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm, by Herbert Malinoff, MD; Addictionologist. Dr. Malinoff will describe a physician's view of alcoholism, as presented in the literature of Alcoholics Anonymous.

All staff are invited to attend, and we will be grateful for your help in informing others about these workshops! The full Education Series schedule along with details, directions and a flier can be accessed from Dawn Farm's Web site at http://www.dawnfarm.org/edseries.html.

Also: "Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" will be presented on October 2 (part 1, What To Know) and October 9 (part two, "What To Do.") This free, ongoing series is presented by our friend Ron Harrison, and is co-sponsored by Dawn Farm, the Livingston/Washtenaw Safe and Drug Free Schools Consortium, and St. Joe's Mission Services. For information about the "Teens Using Drugs" series, please see http://www.teensusingdrugs.org. (Please note: MCBAP CE is not provided for this program.)

Thank you,

Matt Statman

Team Leader, Dawn Farm Detox; and Education Series Coordinator

734/669-8265 (at Detox)

mstatman@dawnfarm.org

Passwords Needed for Web-Based Training Service

We're in the process of setting up our new internet training service, and we need to send in a password for all of our employees. Please check your email and reply to the message from Andrew asking for a password. If you don't reply by Thursday, 9/28/07, a password will be assigned for you. Thanks!

Training update

Our Addiction 101 training has been rescheduled for October 3rd from 1pm to 4pm in the barn.

This training will offer CAC and Social Work continuing education credit. (Keep in mind that the state is planning on requiring that all of our counselors be Certified Addiction Counselors.)

This will be our first training with Catholic Social Services and the Delonis Center. See you there!

Google Presentations

Your Dawn Farm Google account now has a presentation application.

To use it, click on "documents" at the top left corner of your email:


Then click on "new":


You'll then get the new presentation application:


You can also upload any existing Powerpoint presentations.

State conference

Exciting news! Our own Charles Coleman will be presenting on recovery coaching at the state conference. Congratulations Charles!

Tech updates

Two updates.

First, we asked you a while ago for Word and PDF files for a file library. Our initial plan ended up looking like a poor solution, but we have another idea in the works. We'll keep you posted.

Second, we are going to start a web-based training application. It will cover almost all of our training requirements and allow you to complete them at your convenience. If you work midnights, no problem. Get your training done at 4am! This application also has a library of trainings that can be used for CE credit for social work licensure and CAC certification. You can take an unlimited number of courses without any cost to you and without any additional cost to Dawn Farm.