Area Substance Abuse Council

Asac prevention delivers Substance use and problem gambling preventions strategies and training in five counties in eastern Iowa including linn, jones, benton, jackson, and clinton. In the fiscal year ending june 30, 2022, certified prevention specialists implemented strategies designed to strengthen perception of the harm of Substance use and problem gambling behaviors with youth. New projects were launched with focused on opioid and psychostimulant use in the community working with law enforcement, first responders, nurse practitioneres and physician's assistants. Carrying on with new ways to reach youth and adults due to covid-19, asac continues to use virtual meetings and social media. Asac completed research on the community capacity and need for additional prevention services and developed strategic plans, logic models, and action plans to address Substance use and problem gambling in the five counties using the strategic prevention framework. These documents that were submitted to Iowa department of public health will serve as a tool to guide prevention services in each county.

Asac provides a comprehensive continuum of Substance use treatment including early intervention, assessment, outpatient, residential, halfway house, partial hospitalization, care navigation and transitional housing for those in treatment and recovery services. Programs are designed to meet the unique needs of adolescents, men, women, pregnant women, women with children and families. In fiscal year 2022, asac served more than 3,000 patients with 52% successfully completing treatment, exceeding the benchmark set by the Iowa department of public health (idph). Upon successfully completing treatment, 94% of patients report being satisfied with their overall quality of life compared to 82% at the time of admission. At 6-months following treatment, 82% report remaining abstinent (ipdh benchmark is 40%). Asac expanded recovery services supporting individuals with housing and care support services.