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Increasing the Addiction Workforce: Fellowship Training in Addiction Medicine
Substance use is one of the most significant public health issues in the United States. Annual costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care due to use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs exceeds $700 million annually (http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics)....
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Workforce Development Needs of Addiction Professionals in New Jersey
A unique structure has been created to support the training and workforce development needs of addiction professionals in New Jersey. Through the NJ Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, a statewide Addiction Training & Workforce Development (ATWD)...
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Training Increases Substance Abuse and Mental Health Interventions
Two to three brief training sessions can significantly increase pediatricians’ use of techniques for identifying and treating young people with potential alcohol, substance use, and mental health problems, according to a new study in a large pediatric primary care clinic. Collectively known as...
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Coming to Grips with Substance Use Issues Among Employees’ Young Adult Dependents
The impact of substance use and mental illness on the workplace has been well documented. But how well do employers grasp what’s at stake when faced with employees whose adult dependents are grappling with a mental health or substance use issue? These employers are confronted with two...
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10 Percent of US Adults Have Drug Use Disorder at Some Point
A survey of American adults revealed that drug use disorder is common, co-occurs with a range of mental health disorders and often goes untreated. The study, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that about 4...
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Getting Help: What Are Your Rights in the Workplace if You Are Battling Addiction
According to a 2012 survey by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS), 10 percent of all-American adults, ages 18 and older, consider themselves to be in recovery from drug or alcohol problems. That means many of the...
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Merger Fears
A young man came to marriage counseling and reported that he had two panic attacks in his life. One occurred years ago, and the other happened on his way to our session. He knew he needed to more effectively merge with his wife, but he did not know how that was possible; and moreover, he feared...
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Workplace Wellness: Taking Care of Our Most Precious Resource – Our Employees
The majority of workplace wellness programs are focused on enhancing physical wellness, such as stress management, promoting weight, and smoking cessation. While physical wellness continues to be a hot topic, there are other important issues in the workplace that are less often part of the...
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Building an Integrated Healthcare System: Blending Public Health and Prevention Models
The very first time I ever thought about physical and behavioral healthcare together was when I heard of a psychiatrist who wanted to do complete blood chemistry before prescribing medication to new patients within a mental health clinic, a unique situation some 20 years ago. Clearly, this...
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Opportunities for Improved Services with Integrated Care
The key component of integrated care – coordination of primary and behavioral health services in a way that is accessible from one place – is not a new concept for many substance abuse treatment organizations, such as Odyssey House in New York City, that operate Article 28 licensed medical and...
