On June 2, 2010 Gov. Jay Nixon signed into law tougher penalties for people who drive while intoxicated (DWI).
The new law will require more time in jail for repeat offenders and those who drive with higher blood alcohol levels (BAC). In addition, DWI violations will no longer be handled by municipal courts, moving into criminal courts where penalties can be tougher. The law will also put into place a tracking system for repeat offenders, and offer substance abuse treatment instead of jail time. Read More.
Phoenix Programs offers a wide array of support …

Heather Harlan of Phoenix Programs, Inc. met  on May 11 with Sergeant Diane Bernhard of the Columbia Police Department to offer congratulations to the new graduates of the Mid-Missouri Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).  Bernhard and other CIT officers spoke at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Columbia about the CIT program; a NAMI signature program that trains law enforcement officers to de-escalate situations that involve citizens with mental illness or substance abuse disorders.  Pictured left to right:  Sergeant Diane Bernhard, Sergeant Barb Buck, Officers Andy Muscato, Benny Cook, and Heather Harlan of Phoenix …

On April 29th & 30th Phoenix Programs participated in SAMHSA’s Services in Supportive Housing Annual Grantee Conference. James Kimbro, David Helling, Eskil Hudson, and Steve Jones attended as participants of the Modified Therapeutic Community/Supportive Housing Program that is funded by the SAMHSA grant. Phoenix Programs is one of the first nine recipients of this grant, and as such was able to offer guidance to the now 77 total recipients of the grant that were in attendance at the conference.
Presentations attended included: Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Health Care Reform and …

Phoenix Programs, Inc. provides a continuum of substance abuse treatment services to rural populations in Missouri. Previous studies have indicated that the Modified Therapeutic Community (MTC) approach can improve the effectiveness of outpatient treatment. In 2009, Phoenix Programs integrated the MTC philosophy and approach, which uses the peer community as an agent of healing, with a partial-day outpatient substance abuse treatment program. Two treatment groups were compared retrospectively; a 2008 standard partial-day treatment (S-PDT) cohort (n=30) that enrolled in the outpatient program prior to its integration with the MTC approach, …

Today, President Obama released the Obama Administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy, which serves as a blueprint for the new, balanced, and collaborative approach to reducing drug use and its consequences.
Prepared by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Strategy establishes goals for reducing drug use and its consequences through a balanced policy of prevention, treatment, enforcement, and international cooperation.  The Strategy was developed after a nine-month listening tour, meeting with police and medical professionals, drug treatment providers and people in recovery, elected officials, corrections professionals, academics, parents groups, faith leaders, …