ADAPT can help

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  People are often a product of their environment. With this in mind, an assignment to Alaska can be challenging for service members.

Mixing the lack of sunlight throughout the winter months with the possible isolation that some first-term service members experience, the literal darkness can metaphorically send an individual spiraling down a dark path toward depression.

Adding to this the widespread availability of alcohol and recreational drugs makes for a recipe for addiction.

So the question arises - to whom do service members on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson turn if they have succumbed to the temptations so readily available?

The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program helps service members suffering from alcohol and drug addiction as well as provide prevention services.

ADAPT offers assistance to Air Force, Navy, Marine and Coast Guard members; Soldiers have the Army Substance Abuse Program, which parallels ADAPT in services offered.

"It can be seen as a stigma to go to mental health or go to ADAPT," said Air Force Master Sgt. Schneewoak Upshaw, 673d Medical Operations Squadron, noncommissioned officer in charge of ADAPT. "Individuals [think they] can get in trouble at work and so they don't seek [help]. We would rather they come in before anything happens. We are here to offer prevention and education, and connect them with the resources we have available."

There's a perception if service members mess up, they stand to lose their whole career and possibly other things in life. But it's a false perception, ADAPT officials said.

There are no repercussions for seeking information.

"Those who self-refer - if they don't meet criteria for diagnosis, [receive] education. The purpose of that is to prevent anything from happening in the future," said Senior Airman Christopher Durkin, 673d Medical Operations Squadron ADAPT technician.

If an individual does meet the criteria for a diagnosis, their command is notified of their diagnosis and treatment plan, Durkin said.

Once diagnosed, all medical information provided to command is based on a need-to-know basis regardless how the referral was made, said Air Force Capt. Rachel Satter, 673d Medical Operations Squadron ADAPT program manager.

ADAPT uses a manual, which outlines the guidelines and criteria for different diagnoses; different patients will naturally need different types of treatment.

The care provided ranges from education on the dangers of substance abuse to a 28-day stay at an off-base inpatient facility, Durkin said.

There are three other ways someone can be referred to receive treatment.

"A command-directed referral is given when there is suspected alcohol or drug use," Durkin said. "That 100-percent evidence that the person was intoxicated or was on drugs isn't there, but - just to be safe - they are referred."

Random testing may also lead to ADAPT.

"If somebody tests positive during a urinalysis, they get a referral," he said.

Lastly there are medical referrals.

"If someone informs their doctor they've been drinking a lot - or maybe the doctor has certain concerns [regarding] liver function, or something that suggests alcohol or drug use, they will issue a medical referral," Durkin said.

"What [we are] trying to get an individual to do during treatment is to look at how they got here," Durkin said. "How they got to this situation, how they can prevent it from [occurring] again, and how they can live a healthy life from now on. It may sound almost too simple, but people who are going through addiction or a tough time in their life, don't always have that insight to suddenly realize they have been doing things all wrong."

While it's important to offer assistance to those suffering from substance abuse, ADAPT personnel would rather educate service members before an issue arises, Upshaw said.

"If there are ever any questions, people should call us and ask, instead of waiting until it's too late and there is a problem that gets out of hand," Upshaw said. "If we don't have the information or offer the help you deserve, we will guide you to the right place. Some people might like to meet with the chaplain, or [maybe they're experiencing a] financial issue. We work hand in hand with the helping agencies on base and throughout the community."

Self-referral is not likely to get service members separated from the service, which makes it one of the ideal methods of getting help.

Self-medication is not the answer.

For further information, or to schedule an ADAPT appointment, call 580-2181.

To schedule an ASAP appointment, call 384-3834 or 384-2038