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Strengthening the Addiction Workforce and Beyond
Over 20,000 professionals make up the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Workforce in NYS. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the SUD workforce will grow at a much faster rate than other occupations in the country and in NYS. The Credentialed Alcoholism and...
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Seniors and Substance Use
After her husband died, Sandra began having trouble sleeping. She tried many over- the-counter remedies to help her sleep, but nothing worked. Sandra was hesitant to speak with her doctor about it as she knew that many prescription sleep aides were addictive, and she was concerned about becoming...
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A Geriatric Substance Abuse Recovery Program
Substance abuse among the geriatric population is often overlooked or ignored, despite the finding that almost a fifth of older adults misuse drugs and/or alcohol (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2012), and evidence showing the detrimental impact of substance abuse on elders’ quality of...
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Substance Misuse in Older Adults
In recognition of the State’s commitment to healthy aging, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) designated New York as the first Age-Friendly State in the nation. The Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) recognizes that a key component of healthy aging is...
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The Changing Landscape of Children’s Behavioral Health in New York: Opportunities for Addiction Services
New York State has been engaged in an effort to re-design its Medicaid program to better meet the needs of the people it covers while managing costs more effectively. The goals have been to increase access, develop new services, improve outcomes and reduce use of expensive hospitalizations. As the...
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System Transformation: What Does the Future Hold?
We know that the mind and body are inseparable, so it’s no surprise that the evolution of behavioral health services will continue to be a story of convergence and consolidation, increasingly informed by science, financed by investments intentionally calibrated to drive progress, and guided by...
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Substance Use Disorder Measures and Preparing for Value-Based Purchasing
In a previous column, I wrote about the measures for value-based purchasing being developed together with the New York State Department of Health and the Center on Addictions, our partner on many projects. Our work to develop clear measures has set the foundation for insurance plans, providers and...
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A Performance Driven System of Care at NYS’s OASAS
The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) envisions a performance-driven system of care, one that is adaptable to the changing needs of individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and their families. A learning system that is integrated with healthcare,...
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Why Not Harm Reduction for Problem Gambling?
Harmful gambling is a public health issue. As types of gambling products and accessibility to gambling have increased, so too have concerns as to the harm associated with this behavior. While there is evidence of the harm cause by some forms of land-based gambling such as electronic gambling...
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Compassionate Care for Substance Users in Traditional Settings
Like many other mental health treatments, substance use treatment has struggled with high dropout rates and problems with engaging clients. Only 0.9 percent of people who have some substance use issues engage in treatment. While some of this may be the client’s internal reluctance to get care,...
