Sometimes, it’s the little things that mean the most. Like the time you comforted your child when he

The fact of the matter is, preventing substance abuse and promoting mental health in our communities starts with each and every one of us. The choices we make and the things we say can make a difference. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) second annual National Prevention Week is a great time to discover how we can help each other live healthier lives.

From May 12-18, 2013, SAMHSA encourages each of us to come together with our fellow community members and focus on substance abuse prevention and mental health promotion.

Each day of National Prevention Week 2013 will focus on a different behavioral health topic.  Communities and individuals are encouraged to host and get involved in events that highlight these themes throughout the week.
•  Sunday, May 12 – Prevention and Cessation of Tobacco Use
•  Monday, May 13 – Prevention of Underage Drinking
•  Tuesday, May 14 – Prevention of Prescription Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Use
•  Wednesday, May 15 – Prevention of Alcohol Abuse
•  Thursday, May 16 – Suicide Prevention
•  Friday, May 17 – Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-Being

What Can I Do To Make a Difference?
You can play an important role in preventing substance abuse and promoting mental health in your
community. Here are a few ways you can help make a difference:

•  Prevention and Cessation of Tobacco Use: Most people start using tobacco when they’re young. That’s why it’s important to talk to young people about the dangers of tobacco. If you’re a smoker, take steps to stop using tobacco. Have you tried to quit before? Don’t give up! Successfully quitting can take more than one try. Visit www.smokefree.gov for a step-by-step guide to help you quit smoking.

•  Prevention of Underage Drinking: Find out about underage drinking issues where you live. Learn what your community is already doing to address the problem, how you can get involved, and what actions are still needed to make a difference. The Stop Underage Drinking website, www.stopalcoholabuse.gov, provides data and resources to address this issue.

•  Prevention of Prescription Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Use: If you’re a parent, get involved in your child’s day-to-day activities and talk about the risks of using illicit and prescription drugs.If you think someone you know is using drugs, look for signs of use and offer assistance in finding treatment using SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, available at www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

•  Prevention of Alcohol Abuse: Join a community coalition or volunteer with a local organization that’s working to prevent alcohol abuse and underage drinking. Communities can implement prevention strategies that focus on changing the environmental conditions that encourage excessive alcohol use.

•  Suicide Prevention: Learn and recognize the warning signs of suicide and offer support to anyone who is considering it. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can help – call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) (English) or 1-888-628-9454 (Español).

•  Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-Being: Well-being starts with you and your loved ones. Encourage fun, safe activities, and offer support to others in times of stress.

Visit the National Prevention Week website to learn more about this national observance and how you can make a difference or contact Amber Tisue, Regional ATOD Prevention Coordinator, Southwest Minnesota (Region 5) at 1-800-862-1453 or atisue@projectturnabout.org.  

April is Alcohol Awareness Month:  Celebrating 27 Years of Improving and Saving Lives through Prevention, Treatment and Recovery!

Alcohol Awareness Month, held every April, was founded and has been sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) since 1987.  NCADD encourages its National Network of Affiliates, health care organizations and communities to reach out to the American public with information about alcohol and alcoholism as a chronic, progressive disease, fatal if untreated, and genetically predisposed. The disease of alcoholism is a family disease that is treatable, not a moral weakness, and people can and do recover. In fact, NCADD estimates that millions of Americans and their families are living lives in recovery from alcoholism.

For the 2013 NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month, NCADD chose a theme designed to highlight the pervasive impact that alcohol, alcohol-related problems and alcoholism have on individuals, on families and children, in the workplace and in our communities: Help for Today. Hope For Tomorrow.  The theme allows NCADD’s National Network of Affiliates and other NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month supporting organizations across the country to use the theme as a way of tying in with the priority programs and issues in their local communities. Although the victims of alcohol-related problems number in the tens of millions, it ultimately comes down to one thing and one thing only…Alcohol Awareness – The Key to Community Change, Personal and Family Recovery.

If you or a loved one needs help with an alcohol addiction, please contact us today at 1-800-862-1453 or info@projectturnabout.org.  Phone calls are free and confidential.  Help for today, hope for tomorrow.

For most people, March Madness is a fun activity. But for some who like to gamble, it is a riskier activity, especially if gambling has begun to interfere with other aspects of their life. It could be the event that pushes them from social gambling into problem gambling. For those who are already experiencing problems, it can push them deeper into that financial, spiritual, moral and emotional hole.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ offers some questions that gamblers can ask themselves, before or while participating in March Madness, to see if they might be at risk:

• Has fan fever been replaced by gambling fever?

• Is betting on the game more interesting to you than enjoying the game?

• Are you hoping for that one shot that will bail you out from your losses?

• Are you controlling gambling, or is gambling controlling you?

• Are you one of the 6-8 million Americans whose relationships, well being and finances are damaged by out of control gambling?

Project Turnabout and The NJ Council reminds gamblers, as well as their families and friends, that help is available to anyone who has concerns or is looking for more information.

According to Executive Director Donald Weinbaum, “The Council’s helpline can direct callers to counseling, self-help meetings, and other resources that can help them overcome this addiction. It’s as simple as calling their states helpline and it’s free and confidential.”

Weinbaum adds, “Now may be the time to pick up that phone and talk to someone who cares. With that first step, you can begin to stop the ‘Madness’ of March and perhaps find some gladness in your life again.”

To find help in your state please click here.

Minnesota’s Problem Gambling Hotline – 1-800-333-4673 (HOPE)

Article Credit:  Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ, Inc.

Project Turnabout’s Development Staff hears, many times throughout the year, from our friends and supporters, “I want to support the patients and families attending treatment at Project Turnabout – what can I do to help?”

There are many ways in which you can help, all of which make a significant impact on our patients’ quality of life.  One of these ways would be to buy and donate new undergarments, socks, clothing and toiletries.  Unopened toiletries such as shampoos/soaps from a hotel stay are also accepted.  These are items that most of us take for granted every day but contribute to our patients’ dignity and confidence and provide much to those who may have very little.

Please click here to download a printable “Wish List” of items needed by Project Turnabout’s patients.  Donations can be dropped off at or mailed to our Granite Falls campus at 660 – 18^th Street, Granite Falls, MN 56241.  The best time to drop off donations is Monday-Friday between 8:00am-5:00pm but there is staff available at other times if arrangements need to be made for after-hours drop off.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mark Sannerud or Stefanie Ryan at 1-800-862-1453 or msannerud@projectturnabout.org or sryan@projectturnabout.org. 

Thank you, in advance, for your generous support and contributions.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17^th in honor of the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.  St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland and is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history.  Although St. Patrick’s Day is notorious for green beverages, there are many ways to celebrate responsibly and have fun, while also safeguarding your recovery.  

Here are five tips to help you out: 

1. Avoid the bar scene:  Of course this seems obvious, but it is really a great plan to avoid getting caught up in something you don’t want to do. 
2. Cook at home:  Corned beef and cabbage are really easy to make in the crock pot.  Anyone can do it! When you get up in the morning, toss the corned beef into the slow cooker, as well as the cabbage and anything else you want in there, some spices, a little water and cook it on low all day.  It will be amazing and rewarding; you cooked your own awesome holiday meal and avoided the alcohol that will be everywhere if you eat out!  A great way to celebrate a sober Saint Patrick’s Day.
3. Go to a meeting:  Especially if you feel the urge to drink or feel lonely or bored.
4. Host a “Green Eggs and Ham” Brunch:  Invite a group of friends over to enjoy a hearty brunch of Dr. Seuss’ famous “Green Eggs and Ham.”  You can even bring the kiddos along and have story time during breakfast; a fun, family activity for all.  
5. Hang out with sober friends: Get together and play board games.  Serve snacks and nonalcoholic drinks.  Make it an annual gathering and begin your own tradition of having a sober Saint Patrick’s Day!

You can break the tradition of drinking on Saint Patrick’s Day and reframe it into something more positive; a good time with friends and family, sober.  Wouldn’t this be an honor to Saint Patrick?  

How are you spending your sober Saint Patrick’s Day?

“Problem Gambling: A New Understanding of a Community Concern” is the theme of the National Problem Gambling Awareness Week (NPGAW) campaign, held March 3-9, 2013.  The goal of this grassroots public awareness and outreach campaign is to educate the general public and health care professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and raise awareness about the help and treatment options available both locally and nationally.

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is the national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families. Americans spend more on gambling than all other recreation combined.  Approximately 2%-3% of the US population has a gambling problem – that’s 6 million to 9 million Americans who may not know that their disorder has a name and that help is available.  It can affect men or women of any age, race or religion, regardless of social status.

Resources can be downloaded from the NPGAW website at www.npgaw.org and include: fact-sheets, screening tools, press releases and other information to help individuals and organizations spread a positive message that help and hope is available for anyone affected by a gambling problem.

Project Turnabout’s Vanguard Center for Compulsive Gambling has been offering help, hope, and positive change for life to individuals and families affected by problem gambling since 1991.  Vanguard is a nationally recognized, inpatient/residential compulsive gambling treatment facility and the only one of its kind in the state of Minnesota.

Gambling can be considered problematic, and no longer recreational, when it causes a disruption in any major area of a person’s life. 

One of the first steps is to recognize the signs of problem gambling, which include:
• Gambling for more time and/or more money than intended.
• Gambling more to try to win back what you’ve lost.
• Lying to loved ones about the amount of time or money spent gambling.

People with a gambling problem can find help— regardless of how long they have been gambling or how many financial or legal problems their addiction has caused.  They can recover and go on to live happy, productive lives.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please contact Project Turnabout’s Vanguard Center for Compulsive Gambling at 1-800-862-1453 or log onto www.projectturnabout.org.  Funding may be available for Minnesota residents, and scholarships are available for those who qualify.  Treatment works.  There is hope.

What are you doing to promote National Problem Gambling Awareness Week? 

We’d love to hear how you are helping spread the word that there is hope for recovery from gambling addiction!  Comment on this blog or email Stefanie at sryan@projectturnabout.org.  

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers take the field on Sunday, but the Lombardi Trophy is not the only thing on the line. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year for gamblers. For some, betting on the game is a desperate effort to get ahead or get even.

Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, says “Many gambling addicts report substantial financial losses. The problem gambler may feel the only way to quickly get back that money is to gamble more and more, desperately chasing their losses. This can lead to a downward spiral of increasingly negative consequences. The longer you gamble the more likely you are to lose.”  Although most who gamble do so without harm, approximately 6 million American adults are addicted to gambling.

Signs of a gambling problem include:
- Using income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid
- Repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling
- Chasing losses
- Losing sleep over thoughts of gambling
- Arguing with friends or family about gambling behavior
- Feeling depressed or suicidal because of gambling losses

Problem gambling is not just an individual concern; it often leads to negative consequences for the entire community. Nationwide, gambling addiction costs society at least $6 billion per year.  If betting on a game means too much to you or someone you know, hope and help is available anytime. The Vanguard Center for Compulsive Gambling is accessible 24/7 by calling 1-800-862-1453.  Calls are free and confidential.

The Vanguard Center for Compulsive Gambling was founded in 1992. For more information, please visit www.projectturnabout.org/programs/gambling/.

Source:  Press Release from the National Council on Problem Gambling

Please join us for “The Wake Up” on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 from 8:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Hennepin County Library in Meeting Room 172 at 12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka. 

 What is “The Wake Up”? 
“The Wake Up” is a collaborative effort between Project Turnabout and CRC Health held every other month for one hour. The goal is to provide you with a fun and free way to connect with other addiction counselors and mental health professionals, while learning more about interesting and educational topics related to your practice.  Networking is encouraged and attendees are welcome to bring business or program information to share.

February’s Wake Up will focus on “Helping Gamblers Together.”  Gambling is one of the fastest growing addictions in the United States today. Often referred to as a ‘silent addiction,’ gambling addictions most often go unrecognized and untreated. It is likely that you come into contact with someone affected by a gambling addiction daily, whether you know it or not.

We welcome you to join us for this February’s ”Wake Up” to learn more about how to identify a problem gambler in your practice, what to do when your client/patient has a gambling problem, how gambling treatment professionals collaborate with mental health professionals and how an understanding of compulsive gambling can benefit your practice. Presented by Sandi Brustuen of Project Turnabout’s Vanguard Center for Compulsive Gambling. 

If you would like to join the mailing list to receive information on future “Wake Up” events and topics please email Caroline at cchan@projectturnabout.org .

RSVP TODAY

About the Presenter: Sandi Brustuen, LADC, NCGC II 

Sandi is a nationally recognized leader in the field of problem gambling treatment and co-author of the   book “Similarities and Unique Characteristics of Pathological Gambling and Chemical Dependency”. She has 32 years experience in the addictions field, working with compulsive gamblers exclusively since 1992. In 2012, Sandi was the recipient of the Dr. Robert Custer Lifetime Award for Direct Service.

She has been an integral part in forming residential problem gambling treatment in Minnesota and increasing public awareness and support for gambling treatment and has presented at numerous state and national conferences.

One contact hour will be awarded and a complimentary light breakfast will be available.

To RSVP or with questions please contact:

Cendee Palmer, CRC Health Group
cepalmer@crchealth.com
763.516.1016

Caroline Chan, Project Turnabout
cchan@projectturnabout.org
320.564.4911

We look forward to seeing you!

Michael J. Burke

We invite you to join Project Turnabout, Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance and Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers for a series of events featuring Michael J. Burke.  Burke is a national motivational speaker and lecturer in the field of cross-addiction and compulsive gambling who offers a lecture series on the devastation of trading addictions.

Burke has given presentations to various bar association continuing legal education sections on professional responsibility and ethics, focusing on compulsive gambling and trading addictions.  He also works with the Neighborhood Service Organization in Detroit, Mich., as a member of its speaker’s bureau, giving statewide presentations on gambling and cross-addiction. He has given presentations on behalf of the American Bar Association, the Michigan Bar Association, local bar chapters, MAPG (Michigan Association of Problem Gamblers) and the National Association of Social Workers.

Burke’s former work experience includes twenty-five years as a practicing attorney specializing in legal problems of individuals suffering from substance abuse, a position on the Brighton Hospital Board of Directors and leadership roles in many community organizations. He has had articles published in the Huffington Post, the Guardian, the Detroit Free Press and other state newspapers, the Legal News, and the MBA and ABA journals.  Burke authored a book entitled Never Enough which was released by the American Bar Association in May 2008.

Educational Workshop
An educational workshop will be held on Thursday, Feb. 21st from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Minneapolis West – 12201 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN.  This workshop will focus on the realities of compulsive gambling and is geared towards addiction treatment providers, mental health providers, state and legal officials and medical professionals.  Objectives include identifying an individual with a gambling problem, identifying the stages and phases of compulsive gambling, developing an understanding of the link between substance abuse and compulsive gambling and to better understand treatment and post-treatment care options based on the stage of compulsive gambling. 

A panel discussion featuring Burke, Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance and Project Turnabout Vanguard will follow.  Registrations are limited, and you are encouraged to register early.  Early birds registered before February 1^st will receive the $30.00 rate.  Regular registrations are due by February 15^th at the cost of $40.00.  Registration includes three contact hours, presentation materials and continental breakfast.  Please click here to register.

Fellowship Events
Burke will also share his personal reality of substance abuse and compulsive gambling and the devastation of trading addictions in two evening fellowship events geared towards the recovery community, professionals, faith community and general audiences.

The complimentary dessert receptions will be held on Thursday, February 21^st at the Sheraton Minneapolis West – 12201 Ridgedale Drive in Minnetonka, MN and on Saturday, February 23^rd at Project Turnabout – 660 18^th Street, Granite Falls, MN.  Both events are scheduled from6:30 to 9:00pm, with Burke’s presentation beginning at 7:00pm.  RSVPs are appreciated.  Please click here to RSVP.

Please contact Caroline at cchan@projectturnabout.org or 320-564-4911 with any questions.  We look forward to seeing you!