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OnTrackNY: An Early Intervention Program to Interrupt Psychosis
A year ago, 21-year-old Christine* started hearing voices saying terrible things about her. She wondered “why doesn’t anyone around me admit to hearing them?” And now people have started to spy on her, through her phone. Her parents were upset that she wasn’t able to contribute to the...
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Making Addiction Treatment More Realistic and Pragmatic: The Perfect Should Not Be the Enemy of the Good
Last year saw drug overdose deaths in the U.S. surpass an unthinkable milestone: 100,000 deaths in a year. This is the highest number of drug overdoses in our country’s history, and the numbers are climbing every month. There is an urgent need for a nationwide, coordinated response that...
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The Respite and Recovery Peer-Run Crisis Service Model
Recently, Recovery Options Made Easy, in partnership with Spectrum Health and Human Services and Western New York Independent Living Center’s Mental Health Peer Connection, has developed a new model of crisis response and hospital diversion services. This center is the first of its kind in New...
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Consumer Perspectives: Volunteering Makes a Difference in Our Lives
This article is part of a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The authors are served by Services for the UnderServed (S:US), a New York City-based nonprofit that is committed to giving every New...
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Volunteers of CBC’s Consumer Advisory Board Contribute to Better Health Outcomes
Coordinated Behavioral Care (CBC) values the role of volunteers and cultivates opportunities to support active participation of volunteer members comprising its Consumer Advisory Board (CAB). CBC was launched in 2011 by innovative NYC not-for-profit behavioral health organizations to...
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Serious Mental Illness Recovery: The Basics
When managing serious mental illness (SMI), the recovery journey can be long and challenging. It often requires creative and prolonged efforts to build and maintain a full life, but many people do reach recovery. In fact, up to 65% of people living with SMI experience partial to full recovery...
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Technology Revives the Forgotten “Secret Weapon” Addiction Treatment Needs Now
What if I told you that one of the most powerful and evidence-based clinical interventions for substance use disorder was nearly abandoned and forgotten? It’s true. With the opioid epidemic raging, the stimulant epidemic on the rise, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating behavioral health...
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Preventing Suicide During the Pandemic
This article is part of a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The author is served by Services for the UnderServed (S:US), a New York City-based nonprofit that is committed to giving every New...
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Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services in the Era of Social Distancing
Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services (PROS) is a program which evolves around increased socialization, togetherness, and connections. Our group classes at The Guidance Center of Westchester (TGCW) are lively, and our participants thrive in an environment where they learn and gain support from...
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From the Publisher: A Personal Journey From a Survivor of Suicide: “From the Depths of Despair to a Mission of Advocacy”
I was drifting in and out of consciousness in the emergency room. “You have to drink this,” someone was saying as they held a tall plastic cup to my lips, filled with a tasteless ink-black liquid. I later learned that the charcoal drink was given to me to absorb the toxic soup that was in my...
