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ElderCare Services Address “Hidden Epidemic” of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Older Americans
As baby boomers, many of whom experimented with drugs in the 1960s and 1970s, head towards their senior years, the number of older Americans with substance use disorders is growing dramatically and with it the need for specialized treatment. Odyssey House’s ElderCare program has focused on the...
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One Runner at a Time: We Are Slowly Eroding the Stigma of Addiction
Recovery from substance use disorders often resembles training for a marathon. It’s a long process that requires discipline, focus, and ongoing effort. As addiction experts and mental health professionals gain greater insight into the behavioral-physical health connection, fitness programs are...
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Treatment and Housing: A Seamless Service Model for High Need Populations
A report published by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2013 found that: “Supportive housing has been demonstrated to end homelessness for persons with complex needs and to reduce overall public systems’ involvement and costs.” These “complex needs” include an array...
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Preparing for Managed Care: Staff Credentialing, Evidence-Based Practices, and Fiscal Systems
For decades, behavioral health (BH) professionals have fought for the right to have mental health (MH) and substance use disorders (SUD) regulated in a similar manner as medical/surgical conditions. First the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and more recently the 2012...
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Total Wellness: The Key to Behavioral Health
The term “behavioral health” is often used to describe the connection between behavior and the health and well-being of the body, mind, and spirit. Substance use disorders, mental illness, homelessness – these are all behavioral health problems that need a multi-faceted treatment approach....
