TEMECULA – Temecula Valley’s Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment teamed up with Center for Discovery of Whittier to provide addiction treatment updates and information to local school officials, law enforcement, probation, and clinicians at Wilson Creek Winery on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

Rocky Hill, Director of Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment, started the program with a presentation on the epidemic of opiate and prescription drug addiction that has enveloped our community. Mr. Hill shared with attendees that ten years ago his program provided treatment primarily to marijuana, alcohol and methamphetamine users.

Today, over 50 percent of admissions are for some form of prescription pain pill or heroin. The ramifications for emergency rooms and treatment facilities with this surge has raised the acuity level of patients presenting for care. Overdose deaths from drugs like xanax, alcohol and heroin in combination are at an all time high. Typically, these patients are coming from the families that a few years before were taking their kids to soccer or volleyball games.

Hill also talked about innovative new medications and treatment techniques that are increasing the successful outcomes for individuals caught up in this type of addictive disorder.

Mike Robertson, marketing outreach director for Center for Discovery, echoed Mr. Hill’s perceptions and detailed the different types of programs that CFD has created to address this growing problem. Center for Discovery treat adolescents only for substance abuse but Advertisement

[ Metalography ] have many other treatment tracks including eating disorders. Both programs emphasized the need for family involvement in the treatment process.

Later in the luncheon, Hill and Robertson opened the floor for questions and also gave each participant an opportunity to describe their contribution to the health of the Valley. Many of the school representatives and law enforcement personnel expressed frustration with a lack of resources for people without health insurance. Some hope was expressed that the new affordable care act may help create avenues for assistance that are lacking today.

Also, there was further discussion about accessibility of medications to assist in opiate addiction with confirmation that many people in need simply cannot afford the care that is available.

Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment will be providing educational workshops this summer in conjunction with the City of Temecula. Topics to be covered will be published by the city and in the Valley News when available.

 Participants attending were:

Amber Learn- Psychologist

Robert Wright- MFT

Sue Anderson- Breakthrough program, Murrieta Valley Unified School Distrist

Nancy Carey- MFT, MVUSD

Craig Shepherd- school counselor Great Oaks HS

Kathy Boulware- counselor, TVHS

Dean Lesicko- Breathrough-MVUSD

David Bailey- Temecula Police Dept./ SRO

Kathy Corey- Educational consultant

Juan Santos- Assistant principal Chapparral HS

Henry Harding- Riverside Probation

Susana Castanada- Riverside Probation

Alberto Lerna- Riverside Probation

Curtis Courty

Raymond Cameron- MFT

Erin Hill- Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment

Cody Wycliffe- Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment

Theresa Blackard- Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment

Mr. Mandragon- School Psychologist Chapprral HS