Substance Use Services Education
As a client of OMNI seeking support and treatment for struggles related to substance use, the Department of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery require that the below client education be provided as a part of your treatment. By signing this consent form, you attest that you have read and understood the information below. If you would like further clarification or information on any of the topics below, please let your counselor know.
Medication Assisted Recovery
The FDA approved several medications to treat alcohol use disorders (AUD) and opioid use disorders (OUD). These medications relieve the withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings that cause chemical imbalances in the body. Medications used are evidence-based treatment options and do not just substitute one drug for another.
OMNI does not provide any medication assisted recovery but will screen you for this treatment option through our assessment process. If it is determined that medication assisted recovery might be a treatment option for you, we will refer you to a provider.
Toxicology Testing Protocol
As a part of treatment at OMNI, toxicology testing (drug tests) are not required. In the event that you or someone associated with your care wants you to have toxicology testing, OMNI will collect a urine sample from you. We will send the sample to Drug Scan, the toxicology testing company with whom we have contracted. With your authorization, Drug Scan will test for substances in your urine and bill your insurance. All fees associated with this testing will be your responsibility. If you have questions about this, please let your counselor know.
OMNI’s Treatment and Recovery Philosophy
OMNI is focused on treating the whole person, not just the identified substance use disorder. We believe that there are reasons individuals choose to use substances. As a part of our treatment and recovery, we explore these reasons without judgment. It is our belief that individuals are trying to meet needs through their substance use. As we identify what these needs are, we work to identify possible replacements so there is a decreased reliance in the substance use.
We also believe setbacks happen. It is not a character flaw or moral issue when a person has a setback and decides to use after deciding to quit. We approach this with curiosity and exploration. We empower our clients to make choices regarding the next steps in both their treatment and recovery.
We offer ongoing weekly individual sessions, group sessions, and SMART Recovery meetings as parts of our recovery support services. We work on individual plans with our clients to support their recovery both in the short term and long term.
Treatment Protocol
All clients are initially screened for immediate safety concerns. At the first assessment appointment, we ask for a list of all medications and substances currently being used. This information is reviewed by our medical director. If there are any immediate concerns, our counselor will reach out to you before your next session and explain the concerns.
Assessment appointments typically occur in 2-3 sessions. During this time, a comprehensive treatment plan is created.
Treatment is centered around the Seven Challenges model, empowering individuals to make thoughtful decisions regarding their lives and their substance use. Seven Challenges can be provided in an individual and group format. Identifying the combination of group, individual, and family therapy services will be outlined on each client’s treatment plan.
For all rules and consequences related to patient conduct throughout treatment, please refer to clients’ rights and responsibilities in this document.
Infectious Diseases
HIV
Etiology:
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It damages your immune system, making it easier for you to get sick. HIV stands for "human immunodeficiency virus." It's a virus that can only infect humans and leads to the weakening of the immune system. The immune system is the body's system for fighting disease. When it's compromised or weakened, a person becomes vulnerable to all kinds of bacteria, viruses, or other agents that cause disease.
Transmission:
HIV is transmitted through having vaginal or anal sex, sharing needles or syringes for shooting drugs, piercings, tattoos, etc., getting stuck with a needle that has HIV-infected blood on it, getting HIV-infected blood into open cuts or sores on your body. HIV is not transmitted through saliva (spit) or sweat. HIV is also not spread through hugging, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing. And you can't get HIV from a toilet seat.
Symptomatology:
It can be years before symptoms of HIV make you feel sick, so many people may not know that they have it. That's why routine HIV testing is so important. At first, you might feel achy, feverish, or like you have the flu. These symptoms are your body's first reaction to the HIV infection. Common early symptoms include: chills, fatigue, fever, mouth sores, muscle aches, night sweats, rash, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. During this time, there's a lot of the virus in your system, so it's really easy to spread HIV to other people. The symptoms only last for a few weeks, and then you usually don't have symptoms again for years. But HIV can be spread to other people -- whether or not you have symptoms or feel sick.
HIV and Substance Use:
Substance use can lead to risky behaviors that increase the chance of getting HIV or passing it onto others. Risky behaviors include having sex without a condom and sharing needles. For example, a person using drugs or alcohol may have sex without a condom or share needles when injecting drugs. Substance use can harm the health of a person with HIV. Specifically, drug and alcohol use can weaken the immune system and damage the liver. People with HIV take a combination of HIV medicines (called an HIV treatment regimen) every day to stay healthy. Substance use can make it hard to focus and stick to a daily HIV treatment regimen. Skipping HIV medicines allows HIV to multiply and damage the immune system.
Prevention:
Get tested for HIV. Choose less risky sexual behaviors. HIV is mainly spread by having anal or vaginal sex without a condom or without taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV. Use condoms every time you have sex. Limit your number of sexual partners. The more partners you have, the more likely you are to have a partner with poorly controlled HIV or to have a partner with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Both of these factors can increase the risk of HIV. Get tested and treated for STDs. Having an STD can increase your risk of getting HIV or spreading it to others. Do not inject drugs. But if you do, use only sterile drug injection equipment and water, and never share your equipment with others.
Counseling and Testing Services:
If you have HIV or would like to be tested for HIV, please let me know and I'll be sure to provide you with resources so that you can receive ongoing counseling and/or testing services.
Confidentiality:
You have the right to keep your HIV status confidential. It will not be recorded in your records here at OMNI and you have the right to designate who is allowed to know your HIV status. If you have any further questions about this, you have the ability to speak to our Clinical Director or OMNI President regarding how these records are kept confidential.
Hepatitis C
Prevention:
Hepatitis C can be spread through sharing needles or the things used to prepare drugs, being born to a mother who has Hepatitis C, having contact with someone’s blood on razors or toothbrushes, having sex with an infected person, or getting a tattoo or body piercing with non-sterile instruments. Hepatitis C cannot be spread through sharing eating utensils or through food and water or hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing.
In order to prevent the spread of Hepatitis C, avoid behavior listed above that are known to spread Hepatitis C.
Symptomology:
A person can have Hepatitis C for years or even decades without showing any symptoms. If/when symptoms develop, they include tiredness, upset stomach, itchiness, and nausea. Also, once one’s liver has been severely damaged, one may experience yellowing skin (jaundice) or weight loss.
HIV and Hepatitis C Relation to Substance Use
HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) share significant links with Substance Use Disorder (SUD), primarily due to overlapping risk behaviors associated with drug use and sexual activities.
Sharing needles and injection equipment: This is the most efficient and common route for transmitting both HIV and HCV, according to the CDC. Reusing syringes increases risk of infection due to potential blood retention. Substance use can lower inhibitions and impair judgment, increasing the likelihood of engaging in sex without condoms and with multiple partners. Trading sex for drugs or money is particularly associated with opioid and methamphetamine use, increasing vulnerability to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Using drugs like methamphetamine and "club drugs" to enhance sexual experiences and often involving multiple partners, is also linked to higher HIV risk. Excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, is associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in behaviors that increase HIV and HCV risk, such as unprotected sex and needle sharing. Heavy alcohol use can make it difficult for individuals with HIV to adhere to their antiretroviral medication regimens, increasing viral load and potentially transmission risk, says HIV.gov.
SUD can lead to impaired judgment and reduced self-control, making individuals more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. The intense craving and pursuit of substances can overshadow health concerns and preventative measures. Drug use and addiction can accelerate HIV progression, potentially by increasing viral load or interfering with treatment adherence.
Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases
General Information:
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also known as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), are infections spread primarily through sexual contact, including anal, oral, and vaginal sex, as well as intimate sexual contact like genital rubbing. STDs are caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Some common examples include chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, HIV, and HPV. While some STDs are curable with antibiotics, others, like those caused by viruses, may be manageable but not curable.
Testing:
Regular testing is crucial, especially for asymptomatic infections, to prevent further spread and potential long-term health consequences.
Consequences of Untreated STDs:
Untreated STDs can lead to serious health problems, including damage to the reproductive tract, infertility, and increased risk of HIV transmission.
Prevention:
Safe sex practices, such as using condoms, reducing the number of sexual partners, and getting vaccinated for certain STDs (like HPV and Hepatitis B), can help prevent STDs.
Tuberculosis (TB)
General Information:
Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious and potentially life-threatening disease transmitted through the air. While it can affect any part of the body, TB usually affects the lungs.
Prevention:
People with TB infection have the TB germ in their bodies but are not sick because the germs are inactive and, therefore, cannot be spread to others. Because these people may develop the disease in the future, they often are given preventive treatment. People with TB disease are sick from the germs that are active in their bodies. They exhibit symptoms (cough, fatigue, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, etc.) of the disease and, if they have TB of the lungs or throat, can spread the disease to others. Physicians can prescribe drugs to cure TB.
Transmission:
TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with TB disease of the lungs or throat cough or sneeze, they can put TB germs into the air. Then other people who breathe in the air containing these germs can become infected. People with TB disease are most likely to spread it to people with whom they spend time with every day, such as family members or coworkers. If a person thinks they have been in close contact with someone with TB disease, it is important to go to a clinic or health department for a TB skin test.
Symptoms:
The general symptoms of TB disease include feeling sick or weak, weight loss, fever and night sweats. TB of the lungs causes the general symptoms plus coughing, sometimes producing blood, and chest pain.
Testing for TB:
The tuberculin skin test is used to find out whether a person is infected with the TB germ. It does not tell whether the person has TB disease. For the skin test, a small amount of fluid--called tuberculin--is injected under the skin in the lower part of the arm. Two or three days later, a health care worker checks the site of the injection to see if there has been a reaction. A positive reaction to the tuberculin skin test and TB blood test usually means that the person has been infected with the TB germ. It does not necessarily mean that the person has TB disease. Other tests, such as a chest X-ray, are needed to see whether the person has TB disease.
Treatment:
TB disease can be cured by taking several drugs for six to nine months. It is very important that people who have TB disease take the drugs exactly as prescribed. If a person stops taking the drugs too soon or if the drugs are not taken correctly, the germs that are still alive may become resistant to the drugs. This makes the disease much harder to treat. Generally, after the first several weeks of drug therapy, most TB patients become non-infectious.
Counseling Availability and Testing Services for Infectious Diseases including HIV
OMNI can refer clients to providers who can test for HIV and other infectious diseases. If it is found that an individual is positive for HIV or another infectious disease, ongoing counseling services are available at OMNI.
Overdose Prevention Training
OMNI provides opioid overdose prevention training twice a year, typically in May and October. These are free to the public. Individuals are trained to recognize the signs/symptoms of an overdose. They are also taught how to administer Naloxone/Narcan, the drug that reverses an opioid overdose. In addition, individuals are provided with their own supply of Naloxone/Narcan free of charge. For more information, ask your counselor.
Health and Safety when using Substances
The consumption of alcohol and other drugs can impair your overall health in addition to posing significant safety risks to your ability to operate a motorized vehicle. Alcohol and drug use can impair balance, coordination, judgment, memory, and decision-making, increasing injury risk. There are hundreds of medical diseases linked to the long-term use of alcohol and other drugs. Research has also shown increase risk for mental health symptoms and disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Due to the various impact alcohol and other drugs can have on perception, reaction time, decision-making, and coordination, there is significant risk in operating a motorized vehicle after consuming alcohol and other drugs.