Smoke Free
CONTACT: Director
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Mental Health Services
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Mark , PD
Director of Community Relations
Crossroads Hospital
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AREA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AGENCIES ADOPT
TOBACCO-FREE ENVIRONMENT POLICY BEGINNING JULY 1
ALEXANDRIA, LA – oct 24, 2008 – Christian Mental Health
Services and Crossroads Hospital, with the support of Network 180 and Kent County
Health Department, will be jointly adopting a “tobacco-free patient and work
environment” at each organization’s respective inpatient and outpatient locations. This
policy will apply to patients, visitors and staff.
“Tobacco use is a major public health challenge. Each year, cigarette smoking
accounts for nearly one of every five deaths in the United States,” said Cathy Raevsky,
administrative health officer for Kent County Health Department. “The Kent County
Health Department applauds the voluntary steps that Pine Rest and Crossroads are
taking to implement a tobacco-free work and patient-care environment. These measures
ultimately support healthy lifestyles in the broader community.”
Research indicates that 70 percent to 90 percent of persons with chronic
schizophrenia and 40 percent to 50 percent of persons diagnosed with depression or
anxiety are smokers. In addition, 80 percent of persons with alcohol dependence are
smokers.1
“We are glad to cooperate with the community efforts of the seriousness of this
addiction, and the need to understand its impact on mental health,” said Alex Masterson,
MD, medical director of child and adolescent services at Crossroads Hospital.
“Historically, patients at behavioral health and substance use treatment facilities
have allowed smoking because it was not viewed as a “crisis” illness, so this will be quite
a change,” said Jim Bottenhorn, MA, LLP, director of hospital admissions for Pine Rest.
“Our role as providers is to help our patients begin the recovery process by helping them
develop more effective ways of coping with stress and uncomfortable emotions.”
Crossroads will be providing nicotine replacement therapies to
help alleviate the discomfort of withdrawal for patients receiving care on the adult
inpatient units, as well as information on community tobacco cessation and recovery
programs. Visitors will be asked to leave all tobacco products and smoking materials in
the car while visiting.
According to research completed by Doug Davis, MD, assistant professor of
psychiatry at Florida State University and the University of Florida, one-third of all
smokers have a co-occurring mental health disorder. Further, among persons diagnosed
with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder, 80 percent to 90 percent
smoke.2
“Pine Rest and Crossroads are committed to compassionate care, to the recovery
of our patients and their families, and view their health and wellness as a key component
of that recovery. Therefore, we cannot ignore the issue of tobacco use on our campuses,”
said Denise Gribbin, MD, chief medical officer for Pine Rest. “Research tells us that
tobacco use affects treatment outcomes and medication efficacy. Medicines are more
effective when people do not smoke and do observe healthier lifestyle choices.”
“As an addictionist and psychiatrist, I am very glad that Pine Rest and Forest
View are going to be tobacco-free on July 1,” said Stan Gunadi, MD, medical director for
Crossroads Hospital. “We cannot continue to contribute, to feed an addiction that is
even worse in its medical and financial consequences than even alcohol. It has been
proven that public health measures like this have been effective in reducing the smoking
rate of the population. Congratulations to the management of both agencies.”
Mark Witte, populations service manager for Network 180 agreed. “Our goal is
to deal with a special problem for people with mental illnesses and/or addictive disorders,
and that is the unbelievably high rate of smoking in this population - which seriously
complicates both treatment and recovery, and, ultimately, leads to other chronic illnesses
and premature death. We applaud and support Crossroads’s and Pine Rest’s efforts to
provide a healthier environment for our patients, for their families and for the people who
serve them.”
For more information about Crossroads Hospital, visit
www.xroadshospital.com. For more information about Pine Rest Christian Mental
Depression Assessment Sheet
weeks, |
Never | Rarely | Sometimes | Frequently | Always |
Things have been getting on my nerves. | |||||
I feel down in the dumps. | |||||
People can’t get me out of my bad mood. | |||||
I feel worthless. | |||||
It’s hard to get anything done. | |||||
I feel like crying for no reason. | |||||
I have a hard time sleeping. | |||||
Its difficult to get out of bed in the morning. | |||||
I don’t feel like being around other people. | |||||
I have lost my appetite | |||||
I feel all alone. | |||||
I have trouble concentrating. | |||||
I feel my life is a failure. | |||||
I feel depressed. | |||||
I’m afraid of what is going to happen to me. | |||||
I’ve lost hope things will get better. | |||||
I no longer enjoy doing the things I used to. |
General Warning Signs of an Addiction
Problem
- Do you ever feel guilty after drinking too much?
- Do you ever end up drinking more than you planned?
- Do you take a drink or two before going to a party where you know drinks will be served?
- Do you ever avoid a party because drinks will not be served?
- Do you find yourself sneaking extra drinks at parties?
- Do your family or friends ever argue with you about your drinking, or the money it costs?
- Do you feel a need to drink to calm down or relax?
- Have you ever been unable to remember events that happened while you were drinking?
- Do you take a drink first thing in the morning to get yourself together?
- Do you look for excuses to celebrate and does celebrating always mean drinking?
- Do you drink alone?
- Do you drink more than four days out of the week?
- Do you ever drink for several days in a row or over a weekend without ever sobering up?
- Do you lie about your drinking or minimize the amount you drink?
- Have you ever been late for work or missed appointments because you were drunk or hungover?
- Have you ever fallen or had accidents related to drinking?
- Do you look forward to a drink at a particular time of day?
- Are you drinking more than you did a year ago?
- Does it take less alcohol to get you drunk than it did a year ago?
Call Crossroads Counseling Center today for a free, confidential alcohol assessment at 1-800-X-ROADS-1
ADHD Signs/Symptoms
Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
Often does not seem to listen to what is being said
Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to defiant behavior or failure to understand instructions)
Often has difficulties organizing tasks and activities
Often avoids or strongly dislikes tasks (such as schoolwork or homework) that require sustained mental effort
Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (school assignments, pencils, books, tools, or toys)
Often is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
Often forgetful in daily activities
Symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsive behavior:
Hyperactivity evidenced by fidgeting with hands or feet, squirming in seatHyperactivity evidenced by leaving seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
Hyperactivity evidenced by running about or climbing excessively in situations where this behavior is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, this may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
Hyperactivity evidenced by difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
Impulsivity evidenced by blurting out answers to questions before the questions have been completed
Impulsivity evidenced by showing difficulty waiting in lines or awaiting turn in games or group situations
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