Substance abuse the topic of Tuesday health lecture

Substance abuse comes in many forms. It can be the abuse of legal substances, such as alcohol or prescription drugs, or it can be illegal, such as the abuse of marijuana, cocaine, or methamphetamine. And it affects more than just the person using the drugs. Substance abuse can break apart families, ruin personal relationships, and make it difficult to keep a job.

Learn more about substance abuse when Methodist Medical Center partners with Ridgeview Behavioral Health to discuss this important topic during Health Night on the Town on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center, located at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Staff from Ridgeview will discuss substance abuse and its co-occurring mental health issues as well as an innovative treatment for expectant mother’s who have used or are at risk of using drugs.

The program will be led by a panel of presenters. Melody Morris, licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor, is the program coordinator at Ridgeview. She has worked in the co-occurring field for 25 years and obtained her licensure from the State of Tennessee in 2006. Michelle Jones, licensed clinical social worker, is the MIST program ganager at Ridgeview. She has 12 years of experience in the mental health and substance abuse fields, with much of that time working with women and children with behavioral issues and complex trauma history. Michael Yates, director of development at Ridgeview, has more than 24 years of combined experience in public child welfare and in public mental health services.

Health Night on the Town is an ongoing medical lecture series presented by Methodist Medical Center. It is free and open to the public. For more information, call (865) 835-4662.