Dentists Concerned for Dentists
SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE: We’re as close as your phone. 651-275-0313
Dentists Concerned for Dentists (DCD) was formed in the late 1970s by a small group of Minnesota dentists to provide help and support for dentists suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. This group not only functions as a support group and resource, but also serves to provide interventions for dentists in need of help. The primary goal of DCD is to assist dentists in getting the help they need to continue practicing dentistry without receiving sanctions from the State Board of Dentistry.
For more information please contact DJ Enga at 651-275-0313.
MEETINGS
Where: MDA Office, 1335 Industrial Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55413 & Virtually
Dates: 3rd Wednesday of each month
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Meetings are held both in-person and virtually for convenience and to accommodate dentists who live outside the Twin Cities.
Background
Dentists Concerned for Dentists (DCD) is a group of recovering alcoholic and/or chemically dependent dentists concerned about other dentists who might have problems in their relationships with alcohol and/or other mood-altering drugs.
This free and confidential health peer support group receives funding from the Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) but operates independently. Our business and clinical processes are supported by Sand Creek Employee Assistance Program, a local provider of employee assistance services, and is facilitated by an EAP Consultant that serves, supports, and leads the confidential monthly meetings.
Sand Creek EAP and DCD partner to provide clinical support and chemical health specialists to guide any dentists that might be struggling with a chemical health concern. We adhere to a strict code of confidentiality. No information regarding the cases we become involved with is shared with the Minnesota Dental Association or the State Board of Dentistry.
There are some cases that come to the attention of the Health Professionals Services Program (HPSP) before we are ever involved, and in those cases, and only with the written consent of the dentist concerned, we will provide limited “progress reports” when requested to do so by HPSP as part of their on-going monitoring program. Our primary purpose is to be available to afflicted dentists, helping them effectively address their alcohol and/or other drug problems, while protecting their anonymity and helping them continue in the practice of professional dentistry. To that end we provide supportive services and educational resources to them, their families, and their colleagues.
DCD CAN HELP WITH THE FOLLOWING:
- Free and confidential monthly dentist support meetings
- Assist with any monitoring requests from the Health Professional Services Program (HPSP)
- Collaborate with dentists, dental practices, and higher education to promote DCD support and chemical health awareness through orientations and trainings.
- Support for partners, spouses and family members
- Chemical health interventions
For confidential help to address alcohol and/or other drug concerns, please contact Dentists Concerned for Dentists (DCD) at 651-275-0313 or 800-632-7643.
DCD Coordinator – DJ Enga, Sand Creek EAP direct contact information: Work – 651-383-8464 / Cell Phone – 651-329-0806 / Email – dj@sandcreekeap.com
STORIES
Periodically, a story appears in the Northwest Dentistry Journal from one of our DCD members. These stories describe the tremendous fear, sadness, and hopelessness individuals faced in their chemical dependency and how they overcame them. In reading some of these stories, you will learn how, with the help of DCD, lives were dramatically improved in recovery.