Rimrock is proud to be partnering with local law enforcement, and the DEA for this year’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, October 23rd. This year, there will be three locations in Billings for people to dispose of their unwanted and expired prescription medications — The Billings Elks Lodge, 934 Lewis Avenue, in Billings Heights at First Interstate Bank, 730 Main Street, and at the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office at 2323 2nd Ave N. Staff from Rimrock will be at the Heights location assisting with the event.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs. Too often, these unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to potential accidental poisoning, misuse, and overdose. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million Americans misused controlled prescription pain relievers. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. This April, 839,543 lbs. (420 Tons) of unwanted prescription drugs were brought to 5,060 collection sites across the U.S. In Montana, 1,380 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs were collected at 20 sites. Since National Drug Take Back Day launched, Montanans have turned in 45,875 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs.

Help us make Billings a little safer by cleaning out your medicine cabinets this October. Join us on Saturday, October 23rd, any time between 10:00am and 2:00pm at the First Interstate Bank in the Heights at 730 Main Street to safely and anonymously dispose of your unused or expired prescription medications.

“First Interstate champions healthy communities and supports efforts to provide a safe, regulated place to dispose of outdated and unused prescription drugs,” said Brian Brown, First Interstate’s Billings Market President. “We applaud Rimrock’s efforts in recognizing the need to preemptively collect these materials, significantly minimizing the odds that they fall into the wrong hands.”

Unwanted prescriptions can also be disposed of throughout the year at 50 permanent drop box locations across the state.

Help us make Billings a little safer by cleaning out your medicine cabinets this October. Join us on Saturday, October 24th any time between 10:00am and 2:00pm at the First Interstate Bank in the Heights at 730 Main Street or The Billings Elks Lodge at 934 Lewis Avenue to safely and anonymously dispose of your unused or expired prescription medications.

This is Rimrock’s third year sponsoring a drop off location for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and we couldn’t be more excited or proud to be helping our community in such an impactful way. We hope to see you there!

September is National Recovery Month during which new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices are highlighted. The strong and proud recovery community, including the dedicated service providers and community members across the nation who support the millions of individuals who are proudly living their lives in recovery, as well as their family members and loved ones, comes together to honor those working towards recovery for all.

The 2021 National Recovery Month theme “Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community” reminds people in recovery and those who support them, that recovery belongs to all of us. Everyone’s journey is different, but we are all in this together. This is true of everyone and, as in most cases, we cannot do it alone. Recovery Month will continue to educate others about substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders, the effectiveness of treatment and recovery services, and that recovery is possible.  All of us, from celebrities and sports figures to our co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family members, throughout our lives have experienced peaks and valleys, both big and small. But, with strength, support, and hope from the people we love, we are resilient.

National Addiction Professionals Day will be celebrated on September 20, 2021, as part of National Recovery Month. Started by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals in 1992, the day was established to commemorate the hard work that addiction professionals do on a daily basis. Addiction professionals provide people in need the support and tools necessary to address their addictions and move towards recovery. The need for addiction and mental health professionals has never been greater, and we can support their commitment to serving those in need by recognizing the vital role they play in the lives of our friends, our families and our community.

The Addiction professionals at Rimrock are committed to helping those struggling with addiction and meeting them where they are. This means meeting individuals where they are in their journey towards recovery and meeting where they can receive treatment. Rimrock has greatly expanded the treatment we are able to provide through telehealth with the introduction of Rimrock Connect, allowing us to connect those in need with addiction and mental health professionals online or by phone.

Faces & Voices of Recovery has created a new Recovery Month website that will host all Recovery Month events and assets that make this celebration possible. Faces & Voices of Recovery works to hard to support individuals in long-term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and their family members, friends and allies in a variety of ways, including, capacity building in support of the national recovery movement, fighting the stigma of addiction, creating groundbreaking recovery messaging trainings and more. Faces & Voices of Recovery is dedicated to organizing and mobilizing the over 23 million Americans in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs and families, friends and allies into recovery community organizations and networks. They work to promote the right and resources to recover through advocacy, education and demonstrate the power and proof of long-term recovery.

If your organization is interested in learning more about mental health and substance use issues facing our community, Rimrock staff provides education and outreach presentations at no charge. Please call us at 406-248-3175 to learn more.

And, if you need help  or know someone struggling with substance use or their mental health, we are here for you 24/7. Please call 800-227-3953 or complete our online request form to connect with our team of professionals. Rimrock Is Recovery.

Unfortunately, the chances that someone you know and love may experience a drug overdose are growing as the pandemic has made an already serious crisis even worse. The past several months have been an incredibly uncertain and stressful time for many people, and we are seeing an increase in drug consumption, difficulty in accessing life-saving treatments for substance use disorders, and a tragic rise in overdose deaths — both in the United States as a whole, and right here in Yellowstone County.

Drug overdose deaths rose by close to 30% in the United States in 2020, the highest number ever recorded according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 93,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2020, according to provisional data released by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. That’s a 29.4% increase from the 72,151 deaths projected for 2019. Overdose deaths from cocaine, synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl), natural and semi-synthetic opioids (such as prescription pain medication), and psychostimulants all increased in 2020.

“This is the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, and the largest increase since at least 1999,” Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, said in a statement.

What does overdose look like?

People experiencing overdose will present with varying symptoms depending on the substance(s) they have overdosed on.

Opioid Overdose. Opioids attach to receptors in the central nervous system, reducing pain signals to the brain. Commonly used opioids include oxycodone, morphine, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, methadone and opium. A person who has overdosed from opioids may exhibit:

• No response to stimuli
• Shallow or stopped breathing
• Inability to be woken up
• Unusual snoring / gurgling sounds
• Blue or grey lips or fingertips
• Floppy arms and legs

Crystal Methamphetamine & Stimulant Overdose. Crystal methamphetamine is generally available as speed (powder), base (damp, oily substance), pills/tablets or ice, the purest form which has a white, crystalline appearance. Meth can be snorted, smoked or injected. Stimulants such as amphetamines, cocaine and Ecstasy increase alertness and heart rate, producing an effect of increased confidence and energy. A person who has overdosed from crystal methamphetamine or a stimulant may exhibit:

• Hot, flushed or sweaty skin
• Unsteadiness
• Uncontrolled movements
• Difficulty breathing
• Severe headache
• Chest pain
• Severe agitation or panic
• Confusion or disorientation

Alcohol and Depressants Overdose. Depressants such as alcohol, benzodiazepines and barbiturates slow the central nervous system to produce a calming effect. A person who has overdosed from depressants may exhibit:

• Confusion
• Loss of coordination
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Irregular or slow breathing
• Unresponsive but awake
• Limp body
• Pale or clammy face
• Pale of blue fingernails, lips or skin
• Low body temperature
• Slow or erratic pulse
• Choking / gurgling sounds
• Loss of consciousness / passing out

New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) Overdose. NPSs’ are also known as ‘synthetic drugs’ or ‘legal highs’ – chemicals that are made to act in a similar way to drugs such as cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine or methamphetamine. A person who has overdosed from NPS may exhibit:

• Shaking / shivering
• Fever / overheating
• Nausea or vomiting
• Uncontrolled movements
• Difficulty or stopped breathing
• Inability to be woken up
• Seizures or rigid muscles / spasms
• Paranoia, fear and panic
• Confusion or distress
• Agitation and aggression

What should I do if I think someone has overdosed?

If you witness someone you think may have overdosed, first call 911 for help if possible. Provide rescue response with as much information as possible, including what and how much substance was taken, any pre-existing medical conditions, etc. While waiting for help you can take the following steps:

· Check for dangers, such as needles
· Try and get a response by calling their name
· Try and help them cool down or warm up as needed
· Provide a calm, reassuring presence if they seem panicked

· Remove items from their immediate environment that might cause injury if they are
having a seizure or spasms
· Ensure the person has adequate air and be prepared to give CPR if they stop breathing

If you cannot get a response or the person is unconscious, place them in the recovery position:

· Support their face by placing the person’s arm nearest you at a right angle to their body. Place their other hand against their cheek nearest you.
· Lift their far leg above the knee and pull it up, keeping the foot flat on the ground
· Keeping their hand pressed against their cheek, pull the bent leg towards you and roll them onto their side.

If your loved one is addicted to opioids, you may want to work with a treatment provider to receive a prescription and learn how to administer narcan/naloxone in case of overdose.

What should I avoid doing in case of an overdose?

In case of overdose, you can help keep the person as safe as possible by taking the following precautions:

· Do NOT leave the person alone
· Do NOT give the person anything to eat or drink
· Do NOT try to induce vomiting

How can I support family and friends affected by overdose?

You can support your family, friends and neighbors by learning more about the causes, signs & symptoms and effects of overdose on your community. More information and fact sheets can be found at www.overdoseday.com.

International Overdose Awareness Day has been held annually on August 31 since 2001, and this year Billings will host the city’s second annual event in coordination with the national effort. Kim Edinger and Carol Keenan have very personal reasons for bringing Overdose Awareness Day to Billings. Carol lost her 22-year-old daughter Mary Kate in November of 2016 and Kim lost her 20-year-old son Kaden in July of 2017; both died of an accidental Fentanyl overdose.

Please join us at Overdose Awareness MT to honor International Overdose Awareness Day Tuesday, August 31, at 6:30pm at the Rose Park Shelter (21st W & Ave C). The event will help bring awareness and end the stigma surrounding overdose while honoring those we have lost. Food trucks will be on site and t-shirts will be for sale. For more information, contact Carol Keenan at cjkeenan@bresnan.net. For more information on the event, please check-out their Facebook page.

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use disorder, please reach out for help. At Rimrock, our staff is available 24/7 to talk with you by calling 800-227-3953 or by completing our online form.

“There’s something wrong with you.”

“Just snap out of it!”

“It’s your own fault.”

If you’ve had one or more of these connotations directed at you (or maybe you’ve even directed them at yourself), then you already know that the topic of mental health is one that’s surrounded by stigma. Seeking therapy is often viewed in a negative light by many people. They may interpret the need to speak with a professional as a sign of personal weakness, or that you should be able to control your thoughts, feelings, and emotions on your own. Think about it though— we have health professionals to help us care for our eyes, our teeth, our reproductive systems, etc. The list goes on. Why shouldn’t taking care of your brain be just as important?

The truth is, we all need someone to talk to. Someone to share our feelings with, someone to vent to when we’re upset, and someone who is able to listen to us and help us through whatever challenges we may be facing. Whether this is your spouse, a trusted friend, or another family member, it’s important to have a reliable person in your corner. So, how do you know when to seek therapy or find a counselor? If you find yourself excessively worrying, struggling with feelings of depression or loneliness, or you begin skipping work, losing sleep, or avoiding plans with friends, it may be time to reach out for help.

In addition to offering an unbiased view on your thoughts and feelings, counselors are responsible for making you feel comfortable and safe while sharing those feelings. It’s also important to know that everyone’s mental health journey is different— while some find that weekly sessions are important for them to feel in control of their thoughts, others may only need to schedule sessions on an as-needed basis. Speaking with a counselor can help you resolve any current challenges you’re facing, learn different coping methods, and allow you to make any necessary personal changes that help you return to a healthier version of yourself.

On that note though, keep in mind that counselors specialize in different areas of mental health and have different personalities. Think of them as pairs of pants— not all pants fit you the same way, but that doesn’t mean that they’re “bad” pairs of pants. It just means you haven’t found your perfect pair yet. Similarly, it’s important to “try on” on different counselors until you find one that’s a great fit for you and your mental health needs.

Rimrock’s Mental Health Services team is comprised of dually-licensed counselors that hold a LAC (License in Addiction Counseling) as well as a mental health license (LCSW or LCPC). If you are interested in learning more about Rimrock’s mental health services or would like to schedule a session with one of our counselors, please call us at (406) 248-3175.

While the underlying causes of addiction are as unique as the people who suffer from them, studies have found that women, on average, tend to progress more quickly from using a substance to addiction than men, and are also more likely to suffer a relapse.

Today’s societal pressures suggest that “the perfect mother” is one who is able to seamlessly balance a career, parenthood, and a marriage or partnership. This can end up leaving many women feeling burnt out, stressed and unhappy, resulting in some to turn to substance use to cope with the pressure. Some mothers may also be facing challenges related to domestic violence, as the trauma can often lead to depression, anxiety and/or PTSD. As a result, many women who are victims of domestic violence may turn to drug or alcohol use as a means to escape their trauma. If you are a victim of domestic violence, hotline advocates at the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-799-SAFE.

For mothers struggling with substance abuse, the desire to provide proper care for their children (and in some instances, maintain or recover custody of their children) offers significant motivation to seek tre

atment and begin the journey to recovery, though the path to sobriety is not often an easy one. However, Rimrock offers two programs to help mothers regain control of their lives. If you are a mother who is struggling with substance abuse, you are not alone.

The Michel’s House and Willow Way programs are designed to provide long-term therapy and parenting skill-building for mothers entering early recovery. These programs occur in a residential setting. Both Michel’s House and Willow Way are equipped to house six mothers each, with a maximum of three children per mother. The length of a mother’s stay ranges from 12-18 months, depending on her progress.

The population eligible for these programs:

• Clients must meet ASAM criteria for Level 2.5 Day Treatment services and 3.1 Community Housing/low-intensity residential services
• Clients can have a non-violent criminal history as described by Federal guidelines
• Clients must be 18 years and older
• Clients must qualify for SNAP, TANF, Best Beginnings, and Medicaid.
• Client must have custody of their children, or CPS approval to transition children within 3-4 weeks of admittance. (This is not to say we expect CPS to not be involved.)
• Children must be under the age of 9 years old and each mother can have up to 3 children in their care (This depends slightly on size of room/apartments available.)

Disqualifying factors include:

• Long-term sanctions for TANF or SNAP (Client must have 24 months of TANF eligibility left as you can only use 5 years in a lifetime of this benefit)
• Current romantic relationship of which the client is not willing to separate
• CPS unwilling to approve childto reside with mom.
• Sexual offenses

There are three phases that mothers must successfully complete during their time at Michel’s House/Willow Way in order to complete the program in its entirety.

Phase 1

Phase 1 is intended to provide intensive addiction treatment according to an individually tailored treatment plan for a minimum of six months. To achieve this goal, clients will engage in intensive residential treatment to achieve the skills needed to support initial abstinence.

• Group therapy
• Case management services
• Peer support services
• Thinking Errors group
• Life Skills group
• Budgeting and shopping skills
• Recreation options
• Seeking Safety/Domestic violence
• Parenting classes

To transition to phase 2, the client must:

• Have been enrolled in Michel’s House/Willow Way for a minimum of six months.
• Attended all treatment courses and completed assigned task work.
• Demonstrated consistent compliance with medication routines, and house expectations.
• Be able to demonstrate improvement in consistent parenting.

Phase 2

Phase 2 provides level 2.5, day treatment services and ongoing case management services as needed. During this phase, clients have the opportunity to seek part-time employment or enroll in part-time schooling.  Clients are expected to participate in treatment at the same level as Phase 1 until they have obtained employment or enrolled in schooling. Clients will continue to engage in identified ancillary programs, such as thinking errors and life skills training as determined by individual treatment plans for a minimum of twenty hours per week.

• Group therapy
• Case management services
• Thinking Errors group
• Budgeting and shopping skills
• Recreation options
• Parenting classes

To transition to phase 3, the client must:

• Maintain employment or schooling for a minimum of 3 months.
• Show consistency in all program areas while working or going to school part-time
• Continue to make treatment progress, complete all assigned task work and attend all scheduled programming.
• Be able to demonstrate improvement in consistent parenting.

Phase 3

Phase 3 provides level 1 treatment services and ongoing case management services as needed. During this phase, clients have the opportunity to continue employment full-time, attend school full-time or a combin

ation of employment and schooling. Clients will continue to engage in identified ancillary programs, such as thinking errors and life skills training as determined by individual treatment plans for a minimum of one day per week.

• Group therapy
• Case management services
• Thinking Errors group, parenting, or Seeking Safety according to client need
• Budgeting and shopping skills
• Recreation options

To complete the program, the client must:

• Maintain employment and/or schooling for a minimum of 2 months.
• Show consistency in all program areas while working and/or going to school
• Continue to make treatment progress, complete all assigned task work and attend all scheduled programming.
• Be able to demonstrate improvement in consistent parenting

If you are a mother who is struggling with substance abuse, or you know a mother who is, the referral process is simple:

• Submit an application to Rimrock via email or fax to admissions
• Applications are on our website, Rimrock.org, then Resources then Forms (We also require a release of information filled out and signed for CPS.)
• Our team will screen the individual upon receiving the application
• Referral source and client will be notified of a scheduled interview with the team
• Rimrock Admissions department will contact the referral source and client with the decision from the interview for denial or acceptance to the program

For more information about these programs, please contact our Admissions Coordinator Heather Tusberg at (406) 248-3175 ext. 435 or our Senior Director of Residential Services Jennifer Verhasselt, MS, LAC, at (406) 248-3175 ext. 447. Normal admission hours are between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Mountain Time, Monday through Friday. However, we are available to take your call 24/7.