Posted by James Childers, MS, LPC
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention and unfortunately this is true in all areas of life, including the field of substance abuse. As we begin to gain ground in one area of treatment, if seems that another area begins to gain momentum in the opposite direction. The landscape in this field is constantly shifting, making it difficult for non-substance abuse professionals to stay current with warning signs for each of the various areas of potential concern; because of this, New Directions is actively involved in celebrating recovery and informing the public on the dangers of addiction and substance abuse.
October is National Substance Abuse Awareness Month and a great opportunity to help spread awareness about substance abuse. New Directions will be participating in the Downtown Joplin’s Third Thursday festivities alongside Freeman Health System. Our booth will have plenty of information on the services we provide at New Directions and passersby will be able to participate in a “skittles party” and get educated on this dangerous activity that is prevalent in the lives of teens as a form of “partying”. We will be providing warning signs for parents and friends to look for. We will also provide information for attendees to share with loved ones battling substance abuse to help support and encourage them to consider treatment as an option. In addition to Third Thursday, we are supporting Red Ribbon Week from October 23 to October 30 in conjunction with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). During that week, we’ll be handing out red ribbons so people can display them to show their support for staying clean and sober as well as saying NO to drinking and driving.
New Directions has been providing substance abuse treatment for more 40 years and we are proud to have highly qualified staff that can offer a variety of treatment services to meet our clients’ needs. Services we offer include:
- Substance abuse screenings and assessments
- SATOP (Substance Abuse Traffic Offenders Program) screenings and initial assessments
- SATOP treatment services – Offender Education Program (OEP), Adolescent Drug Education Program (ADEP), Clinical Intervention Program (CIP), Weekend Intervention Program (WIP), Serious Repeat Offender Program (SROP)
- Inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment
- Modified medical detoxification
- Alternatives to Violence program
- Anger management program
- Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder counseling
- Drug court services in Jasper, Barton, Newton and McDonald counties
- DWI court services in Jasper, Newton and McDonald counties
- PTSD treatments including prolonged exposure and virtual reality therapy
- Bio-Feedback therapy
- Gambling addiction treatment
- Smoking cessation services
If you or someone you know would like additional information regarding any of our services, please feel free to contact our main office in Joplin at 417.347.7730, Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. On evenings and weekends you may contact us at 417.347.7700.