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NYS Office of Mental Health Announces Funding to Strengthen Suicide Prevention Efforts for Veterans and Uniformed Personnel
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) recently announced funding for a new initiative to strengthen resiliency and suicide prevention efforts among military Veterans and uniformed personnel, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical service members, and...
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NY State Governor Hochul Appoints Debbie Pantin, MHNE Chair, and Anne Constantino to NYS Opioid Settlement Board
On March 19th, 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, after signing legislation expanding the Opioid Settlement Board from 19 members to 21 members, announced her two appointments to the Board. "As we make our comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must commit to also mitigating the impact...
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Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra Kicks Off National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health
Following President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address on Tuesday, February 2, 2022, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra kicked off the National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health in an effort to hear directly from Americans across the country about the behavioral health...
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Making Prevention a Priority During National Drugs and Alcohol Facts Week
Recent research tells us that how youth and young adults perceive harm from drugs and alcohol is often wrong. SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2020 shows that 57 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 did not think there was great harm in having five or more drinks once or...
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NYS Governor Hochul Announces $9.5 Million in Federal Funding to Support the Delivery of Addiction Prevention Services
Governor Hochul recently announced the availability of $9.5 million to expand evidence-based practices for substance use disorder prevention services to youth, families, and communities in New York State. This federal funding will help support providers who had delivery of their services impacted...
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Buprenorphine Misuse Decreased Among U.S. Adults with Opioid Use Disorder From 2015-2019
Data from a nationally representative survey indicate that in 2019, nearly three-fourths of U.S. adults reporting buprenorphine use did not misuse the medication in the past 12 months. In addition, buprenorphine misuse among people with opioid use disorder trended downward between 2015-2019,...
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NYS Governor Hochul Appoints Dr. Mary T. Bassett as Commissioner of the Department of Health
Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that Mary T. Bassett, MD, MPH, has been appointed Commissioner of the Department of Health. With more than 30 years of experience devoted to promoting health equity and social justice, both in the United States and abroad, Dr. Bassett’s career has spanned...
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SAMHSA Announces Unprecedented $30 Million Harm Reduction Grant Funding Opportunity to Help Address the Nation’s Substance Use and Overdose Epidemic
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is now accepting applications for the first-ever SAMHSA Harm Reduction grant program and expects to issue $30 million in grant awards. This funding, authorized by the American Rescue Plan, will help increase access to a range of...
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Announcing Services for the Underserved’s New CEO
Services for the UnderServed (S:US) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jorge R. Petit as the CEO of S:US effective February 14, 2022. Dr. Petit will replace Donna Colonna, who retires after 25 years of service to S:US. Dr. Petit is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 25...
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Honoring Donna Colonna’s Contribution to the Field of Human Services
After 25 years of passionate and dedicated service as the CEO of Services for the UnderServed (S:US), Donna Colonna recently announced her plan to retire in February 2022. Donna has spent her nearly 50-year career working to promote self-determination for people who have been disadvantaged by the...
