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COMMITTEE ON IMPAIRED
RESPIRATORY CARE PROVIDERS
PROGRAM PURPOSE:
The
Committee on Impaired Respiratory Care
Providers (CIRCP) is a voluntary program
established by the Kansas Respiratory
Care Society (KRCS) for the purpose of
assisting any Respiratory Care
Practitioner whose health and/or other
physical or mental disabilities.
Services provided by CIRCP are intended
to be in the best interest of the
Respiratory Care Practitioner and the
public. Through CIRCP troubled or
impaired Respiratory Care Practitioners
are encouraged to seek treatment and
rehabilitation.
PROGRAM GOALS:
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Protect
the public by fulfilling ethical
obligation of the profession.
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Educate
Kansas Respiratory Care
Practitioners, families and
concerned others about the disease
of chemical dependency and/or other
physical or mental disabilities, and
the KRCS program of assistance.
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Encourage voluntary participation in
this or other programs of recovery
for Respiratory Care Practitioners.
-
Provide a mechanism of intervention,
referral and monitoring of
Respiratory Care Practitioners who
are actually or potentially impaired
by the use of alcohol or other drugs
and/or physical or mental
disabilities.
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WHAT IS CHEMICAL
DEPENDENCY:
The vast
majority of problems seen by CIRCP and
programs like it are related to a
chronic disease called Chemical
Dependency-an addiction to alcohol
and/or other drugs. Over 10% of the
total population suffers from Chemical
Dependency. Some estimate that the risk
of becoming chemically dependent is at
least this high for health care
professionals. Others believe this
estimate is too conservative, but it is
clear that no profession is immune.
Chemical Dependency is a primary disease
that follows a predictable and
progressive course. It is a permanent
yet treatable condition. Left
untreated, it is fatal and can threaten
the health and safety of self, family,
friends and in the case of health care
professionals, the public. The health
and safety factors can be limited by
effective treatment of Chemical
Dependency.
CONFIDENTIALITY:
CIRCP
assures all participants in its program
strict confidentiality. No one outside
of CIRCP, including the KRCS and the
Kansas Board of Healing Arts, will be
notified of the referred Respiratory
Care Practitioner’s condition unless he
or she fails to cooperate with CIRCP
program. Together, Respiratory Care
Practitioners and CIRCP can work toward
overcoming chemical dependence and
ensure the public and the profession
that this illness is being carefully and
competently addressed.
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KRCS INVOLVEMENT:
The KRCS
has recently formed CIRCP to oversee the
program for Impaired Providers, formerly
administered by the Board of Healing
Arts. KRCS has a contract with Heart of
America Professional Network (HAPN) to
assist with intake assessment and
development of individual recovery
programs. To contact this committee to
ask for assistance for yourself or a
co-worker for whom you may have a
concern, you can call any of the fours
members listed or call HAPN directly.
All calls are anonymous and confidential
and individual names will be given only
to HAPN.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS:
Bev
Urmey
316-962-2941
Aubrey
Pat Patterson
316-962-2995 or
316-945-2862
Mark
Brady
785-295-8950 or
785-267-1187
Jon
Finnegan
785-483-3131
HAPN
913-236-7575
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