4 a’s of Community Resources, Term Paper Example

An example of a referral source in my local community is the addiction treatment center. Anyone that has been diagnosed by a doctor or a physician as an addict is welcome to use the facility, which provides its patients with methadone to treat narcotic dependence. It is important to emphasize that a recommendation for treatment must be met in order to obtain pharmacological treatment rather than counseling services alone, as the treatments provided are under strict government regulation.

Although the methadone clinic serves only a small portion of the population, it is important to make individuals aware that such as service is available. By being aware of the existence of methadone clinics, the individuals that require the help of these institutions will be more likely to visit their doctor in order to obtain a prescription for treatment. Furthermore, some areas have few methadone clinics, while others have many due to state regulations. Therefore, increasing accessibility to these facilities would involve political action as well as the funds necessary to open up additional locations. Doing so would also enhance the availability of this resource.

To increase the acceptability of methadone clinics, it is important to implement education programs that emphasize drug use as a disorder that should be taken seriously. It is essential to emphasize that drug use is not always the fault of the user and that these individuals are worth saving. Rather than marking them as outcasts, they should be presented as people who need help. Next, the affordability of these treatments can be increased by petitioning health insurance companies to cover this care. It would be helpful for politicians to back up this effort by defining addiction more clearly as a mental health issue.