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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...
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Behavioral Health News and Autism Spectrum News: Supporting the Community During the COVID-19 Crisis
The current pandemic shows us how difficult social distancing and sheltering in place have been for the general public. It has been especially hard for people with mental illness, substance use disorders, and people on the autism spectrum. During my own 10-year battle with depression I...
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Points to Consider During the COVID-19 Pandemic That Are Impacting the SUD Community
As a health care professional with close to 40 years of experience I have seen the behavioral health field and particularly the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) field face many challenges, but none like the current COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to share the following 5 points of...
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Taking Care into the Streets to Reduce Harm and Save Lives: The Vital Role of Needle Exchange and Harm Reduction Services within the Healthcare Delivery System
Harm Reduction is rooted in acknowledging that a person who is an active drug user deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, including being offered safe access to clean syringes and naloxone. This work can be done while building trust and opening the door to recovery options. Harm reduction...
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Supported Housing Saved My Life
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 of this column facilitated a focus group of their peers to inform this writing. The authors are served by Services for...
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The Importance of Housing for People on the Road to Recovery
Housing is a critical factor in anyone’s overall health. Good-quality, affordable and safe housing is a vital component for individuals living with mental illness. Housing that enables individuals to live in fully integrated settings in their home communities is the cornerstone for successful...
