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The Opioid Epidemic: Helping Communities in Crisis
The opioid epidemic has impacted our families, friends, and communities. The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) estimates that 1 in 13 New York State residents suffer from a substance abuse disorder.1 Among NYS residents, the number of overdose deaths involving any...
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Behavioral Health News Spotlight on Excellence: An Interview with Mary Brewster, Associate Commissioner for Harm Reduction at the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS)
Overview David Minot, Executive Director of Mental Health News Education, the non-profit organization that publishes Behavioral Health News, interviewed Mary Brewster, Associate Commissioner for Harm Reduction at the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). The mission of...
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The Critical Role of Peer Support Programs to Sustained Substance Use Disorder Recovery
Many people who have used behavioral health services can attest to the profound benefits of connecting with someone with shared experience. Finding others with common lived experience - often referred to as peers - and learning about their challenges and resilience are particularly valuable for...
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The Long History and Bright Future of Harm Reduction in New York State
For the past year, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) has implemented a new division among its pillars of prevention, treatment, and recovery services. The newly formed Division of Harm Reduction seeks to bring both the harm reduction philosophy and its practical...
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Quality Integrated Care is Critical for the Recovery of Individuals with Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges
Integrated care works with the whole person in the world they are experiencing including their physical and behavioral health, as well as past trauma and other social determinants impacting their lives. Individuals with co-occurring disorders, when treated holistically, develop a trusting...
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An Overview of Family-Based Substance Use Therapy
Historically, individual therapy and group-based treatments have been the predominant modalities used in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs. However, there has been increased recognition among researchers, clinicians, and clients of the importance of family structure and how it plays a...
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Unlocking Success: 6 Ways Technology Enhances Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Access to Addiction Recovery Care
In today's competitive market, for-profit addiction recovery organizations can employ sophisticated IT solutions to engage clients more effectively while streamlining operations and reducing costs. The right technology can radically transform an individual’s path to recovery and ensure long-term...
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Focus on Addiction Psychiatry: An Interview with Petros Levounis, MD, President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)
The following are excerpts of an August 21, 2023, conversation with Petros Levounis, MD, current President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). This interview has been edited for clarity. Rachel Fernbach: First congratulations on your new position as President of the American...
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When Happy Hour Isn’t Always So Happy: One Clinician’s Point of View
I’m sure many of us reading the words “Happy Hour” get a little excited: as a time to socialize, network, and let loose. For some, it’s a chance to be an extrovert - while an invisible cloak helps suppress insecurities, fears, and worries. For many, in fact, happy hour is not really very...
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Opioid Settlement Funds an Opportunity to Strengthen Services
The tragic loss of life and the impact of addiction on families and communities has been escalating in New York State annually almost every year for well over a decade. New York State’s response has been inadequate and lives have been lost as a consequence. Because of a strong federal...
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New Tool Deployed to Help Veterans: Supported Recovery Training and Certification
The prevalence of suicide, addiction to alcohol and other drugs, homelessness, unemployment, incarceration, physical and mental health challenges, and the need for health and social services is disproportionate among Veterans compared to the general population. Among Veterans, one in six who served...
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Caring for Yourself: Learning to Live with a Substance Use Disorder
Substance use and misuse have reached epidemic proportions across the United States. In a 2020 survey, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated that more than 40 million individuals across the country over the age of 12 have a substance use disorder, with...
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Consequences of Blissful Ignorance: Marijuana’s Health Risks
Marijuana use has increased recently as it gains the reputation for being a natural, risk-free drug. But it might not be as safe as you think. Marijuana does offer a variety of medicinal health benefits to those managing chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and...
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Addressing Nicotine Dependence in Patients with Mental Health Concerns and/or Substance Use Disorders
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for approximately one in five deaths. An estimated 11.5% of U.S. adults are current cigarette smokers. That translates to 28.3 million adults in our country who are currently smoking. More than...
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Enhancing Recovery and Pioneering Hope: Integrating Outpatient and Residential Treatment Amid the Opioid Crisis
The battle against addiction is a pressing concern, as communities across the United States grapple with the devastating impact of the opioid crisis. In response, the New York State (NYS) government has taken a pioneering step forward by introducing Comprehensive Integrated Outpatient Treatment...
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Lessons Learned in Effectively Advancing Co-Occurring Competent Care
Recently, there has been great emphasis on enhancing organizational co-occurring competency and for good reason. Climbing overdose and suicide rates, with bi-directional contribution from mental health (MH) and substance use disorders (SUD), reflect our need to do better serving those with multiple...
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Older Adults and Substance Misuse: Hiding in Plain Sight
Last winter “Lucy,” an 87-year-old woman, was referred to Service Program for Older People (SPOP) by her primary care doctor. Lucy’s husband had died during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was struggling with unresolved grief, depression, and panic attacks. A retired teacher, she had enjoyed a...
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Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Services: A Social Justice and Health Equity Perspective
Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) present a complex and multifaceted public health challenge that disproportionately affects marginalized communities, exacerbating existing health disparities and social inequities. These marginalized populations encompass groups facing social, economic, and structural...
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The Hidden Impacts of Overdose: Four More Reasons We Must Stop the Epidemic
The recent overdose epidemic has brought the issue of substance use front and center as a mainstream problem. That means now is the time to harness our collective efforts to devise mainstream solutions. As we celebrate International Overdose Awareness Day, it’s essential that we recognize the...
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Understanding Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Pornography Viewing as Addictions
Addiction can occur in many forms. Often, it is assumed that physical dependence, characterized by withdrawal symptoms, is required for someone to be diagnosed with an addiction disorder, but the fact is that behavioral addiction can occur with all the negative consequences in a person’s life...
