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Under the Influence – How Hazing Drives Substance Use Among Students
Chase Roberts is a former student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After enduring severe hazing as a pledge in a fraternity, Roberts began using drugs as a coping mechanism. He described how the trauma from the hazing rituals led him to seek solace in substances like marijuana and...
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Time to Start Talking About Pre-Addiction
By the time someone reaches out for addiction care, they may have already suffered numerous painful losses in their lives. Addiction can steal a person’s happiness, job, friends and family, and can erode their freedom. Far too often, the expectation is that someone must hit “rock...
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Inclusivity in Recovery: How Federation Adapts Addiction Services to Diverse Communities
In the vital world of recovery services, there are many details to an individual’s history and health that should be considered in order to provide a comprehensive care plan. One detail in particular isn’t typically prioritized when it comes to environmental impact of an individual’s...
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The Behavioral Healthcare System’s Response to Families: A Legacy of Unfulfilled Promises
Family members of those with serious behavioral health conditions often encounter innumerable obstacles in the pursuit of effective treatment and other essential services for their loved ones. Navigating a byzantine network of resources, many of which entail restrictive eligibility criteria and...
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Integrating Trauma-Informed Care Into Organizations Serving Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
In recent years, there has been a large focus on understanding how trauma interacts with other factors to create unique vulnerabilities in people. Individuals who have experienced intense or frequent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) exhibit more health and behavioral difficulties throughout...
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988 Suicide Lifeline Expected in July 2022 Thanks to SAMHSA Grant
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced Vibrant Emotional Health (Vibrant) will be the administrators of the new 988 dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline). A pair of the agency’s grants, totaling $48 million and...
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A Safe Space: Digital Tools Supporting Mental Health
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe last year, collectively, mental health challenges were intensified. With the pandemic, a series of lockdowns, restrictions, and preventative measures were put in place, forcing many of us into isolation, primarily interacting in digital spaces. We’ve also...
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Why Healthcare Systems Should Address Housing Insecurity
She had seen it in the movies a long time ago. She was sure it wouldn’t work, but at this point, she didn’t have much else to hang her hopes on. She was tired, cold, and hungry. She looked down. They weren’t ruby red and they certainly couldn’t pass as elegant heels, but despite all of...
