We know that well over 10% of all North Carolinians are involved in addictive behavior, creating widespread and devastating impairment to individuals, families, employees and communities. Within the business community, addiction creates and fuels absenteeism and inefficiency, thereby impacting corporate profitability. On an individual and family basis, addiction contributes mightily to poverty, dysfunction, abuse and neglect. The widespread costs of addiction in some way touch nearly every family in every county of North Carolina.
At the same time that the problem has been increasing in scope, our options to combat it have been decreasing. Managed care and operating inefficiencies have contributed to the decline in the number of private treatment providers in the state. Increased caseloads and cutbacks in government funding have strained a public delivery system beyond its ability to perform effectively. While the bulk of treatment within the state falls on the shoulders of public counselors, few have opportunities for quality training, or interaction with private sector professionals or for personal renewal.
Data from the state office of Substance Abuse Services indicates substantial attrition of providers each year due to low pay, poor working conditions, ineffective treatment methods and loss of the inspiration that initially brought them into the field. The North Carolina Addiction Fellows Program offers a unique quality learning experience for providers wishing to gain greater understanding and insight into addictive disease and the recovery process.