Another one bites the dust…….
Robyn Kathleen Gevas, 38, pleaded no contest on Jan. 21 to voluntary manslaughter and admitted using a knife to kill Callie Joshua Evans Jr., 62.
A no-contest plea has the same effect as a guilty plea at sentencing. In exchange for her plea, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office dropped a murder charge. Continue reading
The news is finally getting out that this country needs better options than Alcoholics Anonymous or other 12 step programs for drug and alcohol addiction. AA is losing control over preventing anything negative being printed about them in the media. Thanks Chelsea Carmona for writing this excellent piece! AA has been an abysmal failure and the cause of many rapes, deaths and suicides.
It’s no surprise that faith-based programs are particularly ill-suited to atheists and agnostics
Should atheists be forced to participate in faith-based recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)? The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently said no, unanimously siding with drug offender Barry A. Hazle Jr. after state officials mandated his participation in AA. Court documents state that Hazle’s requests for a secular alternative were repeatedly denied by both his parole officer and representatives from the state-contracted mental health service provider, West Care. For violating his parole, Hazle was arrested and incarcerated for over 100 additional days. NA Daytona Meetings in Daytona.
The appeals court ordered a Sacramento district judge to consider preventing state officials from requiring 12-step treatment as a part of the parole program. But it’s going to be difficult, because this one-size-fits-all prescription – 12-step meetings and 12-step-based group therapy for everyone – reigns supreme in treatment today. Nearly eight out of ten private programs use 12-step recovery, with two-thirds compelling patients to attend meetings, according to researchers working on the University of Georgia’s National Treatment Center Study and cited in Inside Rehab by Anne Fletcher. Public programs, frequently starved for funding, aren’t much better. In fact, West Care, California’s sole drug treatment provider, only contracts with religious-based treatment programs.
(MORE: Addiction Treatment in America: Not Based in Science, Not Truly Medical)
But even if they’re rarely acknowledged in today’s treatment community, there are many alternatives to 12-step fellowships such as SMART Recovery, Secular Organizations for Sobriety, and Specifically For Women. This is important because a national survey published in 2007 concluded that an addicted person was just as likely to stay sober whether they were involved in AA or another support group. In fact, it would behoove treatment providers to match people with a support system that’s suitable to their preferences, because group participation is associated with increased abstinence. Continue reading
SMART RECOVERY Meetings starting in St.Port Lucie in St Lucie County!
Wednesday 6:15 PM to 7:45 PM Weekly.
8433 S.US 1 (2nd floor) Port St.Lucie Florida
e-mail- slc.smart@gmail.com 772-812-2429
Call for additional information or just attend! SMART RECOVERY is the nations leading alternative to AA/NA meetings.No lifelong meetings, no sponsors, no labels or names.
SMART RECOVERY promotes empowerment-not powerlessness.
SMART RECOVERY offers education based on Science not 12 steps.
SMART Recovery meetings have started in St. Augustine Florida located in St. Johns County. www.smartrecovery.org
SMART is an alternative to AA or NA meetings.Smart Recovery is based on Science based research and encourages empowerment! They are non religious and not 12 based. People of any faith or atheists are welcomed as the SMART Recovery program is not centered on religion like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous is.
St. Johns Drug Court located in St.Augustine Fl is now accepting SMART Recovery meetings as an alternative to AA or NA meetings for their Drug Court requirements, as well as the entire 7th judicial district which includes Flagler, Volusia and Putnam counties. Please drop us a line at info@nadaytona.org if you are having problems with the 7th Judicial District Drug Court or your probation officer! They are supposed to allow you choices in treatment and not mandate AA or NA without a secular option.
www.smartrecovery.org also has court approved online meetings as well!
Call Mark Fitzpatrick at 904-797-5680 for more info on SMART Recovery meetings.
http://www.smartrecovery.org/meetings_db/view/showalpha_state.php?search=F