-
Expand Harm Reduction Services to Address Impact of Overdose Crisis on Older Adults
The devastating impact of the overdose crisis in the United States has been well-documented, affecting people from all backgrounds, demographics, and geographic regions. The data tells us that one age group in particular has been overlooked in the overdose crisis – older adults. The rate...
-
Behavioral Health News Spotlight on Excellence: An Interview with Jihoon Kim, CEO of InUnity Alliance
Overview In this interview, Jorge R. Petit, Founder/CEO of Quality Healthcare Solutions, LLC, speaks with Jihoon Kim, CEO of InUnity Alliance (asapnys.org / coalitionny.org). Jihoon discusses his strategic vision and priorities for addressing the growing mental health and addiction crisis in New...
-
Creating Sustainable Homes for Prevention Services
The addiction and overdose crisis in the U.S. continues unabated, with more than 46 million people having a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2021 and more than 100,000 people dying from drug overdose annually. The crisis is increasingly hitting adolescents. Fentanyl, the main driver of overdose...
-
Five Areas Where “More Research” Isn’t Needed to Curb the Overdose Crisis
“…but more research is needed.” That’s often the refrain in science, and it includes addiction research. As the addiction epidemic and overdose crisis continue to claim an unprecedented number of lives and to fray communities, science is an essential part of the solution. In the...
-
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $36.9 Million in Behavioral Health Funding Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced on February 26 $36.9 million in notices of funding opportunities for grant programs supporting behavioral health services across the U.S. These grant...
-
Expanding Affordable Housing and Jobs Programs as Strategies for Addressing the Mental Health and Overdose Crises
Our society is grappling with mental health and overdose crises. In the United States in 2021, 22.8% of adults experienced mental illness,1 and more than 106,000 Americans died from drug-involved overdose.2 As the leader of a New York City nonprofit provider of shelter, housing, health, and...
-
When Happy Hour Isn’t Always So Happy: One Clinician’s Point of View
I’m sure many of us reading the words “Happy Hour” get a little excited: as a time to socialize, network, and let loose. For some, it’s a chance to be an extrovert - while an invisible cloak helps suppress insecurities, fears, and worries. For many, in fact, happy hour is not really very...
-
Harm Reduction: A Bridge Back to Life
Harm reduction is a decades-long, well-established, effective tool in reducing illnesses, deaths, and other negative consequences of problematic substance use (Jones et al., 2022). This approach has never been more important as in the current overdose crisis (Perera et al., 2022). Harm reduction...
