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Stress or ADHD? What Holiday Breaks Reveal About College Students’ Struggles
When college students return home for holiday breaks, families often notice changes that were easier to overlook during the semester. A student who once seemed capable may now appear overwhelmed, disorganized, emotionally reactive, or shut down. Parents begin to ask whether they are seeing typical...
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2025 Behavioral Health Trends Recap – Progress, Setbacks, and the Road to 2026
In early 2025, I called out 10 major trends shaping the behavioral health (BH) landscape: integration of behavioral and physical health, mental health parity, digital health and AI, federal policy shifts, prevention, vulnerable populations, workforce development, and overdose prevention. At...
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New York State Releases Landmark Maternal Mental Health Policy Roadmap
In a major step forward for maternal mental health policy, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has released a comprehensive 128-page report detailing actionable recommendations, systemic challenges, and aspirational goals to improve mental health outcomes for birthing persons across...
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The Silent Battlefield: Synthetic Opioids Hidden in THC Vapes
The overdose crisis has always been a war, but the battlefield keeps shifting. Today, the weapon isn’t a needle or a powder bag. It’s a vape pen—sleek, pocket-sized, sold at a gas station counter, and marketed as harmless cannabis. In reality, these cartridges are Trojan horses carrying...
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Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Breaks Ground on New Campus to Expand Music Therapy and Education
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BKCM), a 128-year-old nonprofit transforming lives and building community through music, has announced that it has broken ground today on a new 12,000-square-foot campus at One Prospect Park West. The state-of-the-art facility will double BKCM’s capacity to deliver...
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NY State Office of Mental Health Hosts Forums to Address Federal Policy Change
The New York State Office of Mental Health is hosting a series of forums to discuss recent federal actions and plan for potential impacts on New York’s mental health system. These forums – five virtual and one in-person – follow two town hall meetings that were hosted by the agency this...
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Most Mental Health Crisis Calls Still Go to 911, Not 988
Great Lakes Region Leads with New Training for 911 Dispatchers Handling Suicidal Callers As Suicide Prevention Month continues, the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAEDTM) is reminding everyone of the continuing role of 911 Emergency Dispatchers in suicide prevention and...
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Recognizing September as Suicide Prevention Month: Supporting Maternal Mental Health
September is recognized nationally as Suicide Prevention Month, an important time to raise awareness, share resources, and take action to save lives. While we all work diligently to prevent this tragic loss of life, it is critical to highlight the urgent issue of maternal mental health, including...
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Treating Opioid Addiction in Jails Improves Treatment Engagement, Reduces Overdose Deaths and Reincarceration
NIH-funded study demonstrates life-saving potential of providing medications for opioid use disorder in carceral settings. A study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finds that individuals who received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) while incarcerated were...
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Debating SSRIs While Millions with Mental Health Conditions Go Untreated
The FDA recently convened an expert panel which debated whether there should be stronger warnings about potential adverse effects of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) use during pregnancy. This comes after much previous debate around the current antidepressant black box warning related...
