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NYSPA Report: New Federal Policy in Support of Suicide Prevention
Earlier this year, the Biden Administration launched a new national strategy on Suicide Prevention. According to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): In the United States, someone dies by suicide every 11 minutes; the rates of suicidal behaviors have...
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Leveraging Digital Tools: Innovative Technology for Suicide Prevention and Support in Healthcare
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with over 700,000 people taking their own lives each year (World Health Organization, 2021). Beyond the immense emotional toll it inflicts on families and friends, suicide places a heavy burden on healthcare systems. Over recent years,...
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Commentary: Break Down Walls Between Services for Mental Health, Addiction
One in four. That’s how many adults in the U.S. living with severe mental illness are also living with substance use disorders. In New York, 1.4 million people are living with both mental health and substance use challenges. Yet these issues are too often addressed as distinct and separate,...
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Black Women and Suicide: The Silent Crisis and Its Aftermath on Families
Suicide among Black women is a heartbreaking and complex issue that has often been overlooked in public health discussions. Despite the cultural narratives of strength and resilience surrounding Black women, they face mental health challenges that are deeply rooted in historical and social...
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The Heavy Burden of Suicide Survivor’s Guilt: Understanding, Coping and Moving Forward
Family, friends, and even mere acquaintances are left with a wide range of feelings after someone in their life commits suicide. Feelings of responsibility, regret, and helplessness manifest in a complex experience called Survivor’s Guilt. This painful guilt grows from a sense of intense remorse...
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Up, Up, and Aware: What Superman Can Teach Us About Mental Health
Chanukah came early for me this year with the release of James Gunn's Superman trailer. Superheroes have always soared through our imaginations, but lately, they’ve landed squarely in the world of mental wellness. As a rabbi, comic book aficionado (once called “New York’s Hippest Rabbi”...
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Meth is Still Ravaging the LGBTQ+ Community, We Must Address the Crisis
As the opioid epidemic continues to dominate national news, another urgent crisis is wreaking havoc in communities throughout the United States. Methamphetamine addiction is on the rise, and it’s hitting communities hard, especially the LGBTQ+ community. November 30th is National...
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Behavioral Health Equity: Responding to the Needs of Our Nation’s Veterans
On Veterans Day, we take time to honor former service members for their willingness to make sacrifices for our nation. Support for all our nation’s Veterans is a prominent component of the wide-ranging services provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). An...
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Gender Perspectives on Hazing: Understanding Mental Health Outcomes
The heartbreaking deaths of Tim Piazza and Kristin High underscore the deadly risks of fraternity and sorority hazing, revealing how gendered practices in hazing not only differ but also lead to distinct psychological and physical consequences. Nineteen-year-old Tim Piazza, a student at Penn State,...
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Beyond the Locker Room: Unmasking Hazing in the Military, Workplaces, and Sports Teams
Danny Chen's Story Danny Chen, a 19-year-old Army private from New York, died by suicide on October 3, 2011, while deployed in Afghanistan. His death followed hazing and racial bullying from fellow soldiers. Being of Chinese descent, Chen endured racial slurs like “gook" and “chink,” along...
