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Addressing Nicotine Dependence in Patients with Mental Health Concerns and/or Substance Use Disorders
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for approximately one in five deaths. An estimated 11.5% of U.S. adults are current cigarette smokers. That translates to 28.3 million adults in our country who are currently smoking. More than...
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Quality Integrated Care is Critical for the Recovery of Individuals with Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges
Integrated care works with the whole person in the world they are experiencing including their physical and behavioral health, as well as past trauma and other social determinants impacting their lives. Individuals with co-occurring disorders, when treated holistically, develop a trusting...
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Lessons Learned in Effectively Advancing Co-Occurring Competent Care
Recently, there has been great emphasis on enhancing organizational co-occurring competency and for good reason. Climbing overdose and suicide rates, with bi-directional contribution from mental health (MH) and substance use disorders (SUD), reflect our need to do better serving those with multiple...
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Jorge R. Petit, MD, Appointed to SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment National Advisory Council
We are thrilled to announce that Jorge R. Petit, MD, was recently appointed to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) National Advisory Council. Dr. Petit will be joining the SAMHSA CSAT National Advisory Council...
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Substance Use Disorders: Frequency and Treatment for People with Serious Mental Illness
Throughout its history, America has attempted to punish substance users as a means to encourage their abstinence. These attempts have included imprisonment, fines, and forced rehabilitation programs, often sentenced at a higher rate to people of color (Volkow, 2023). Punishments like these often...
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Reducing Stigma Through Harm Reduction Interventions
Services for the UnderServed (S:US) is one the largest community-based health and human services organizations in New York State that works intentionally daily to right societal imbalances by providing comprehensive and culturally responsive services. The pandemic has deepened many of the...
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The NYSPA Report – Insurance Circular Letter No. 1 (2023): A New Tool in the Fight Against Stigma
In 2022, the United States Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services issued a joint report entitled “2022 MHPAEA Report to Congress - Realizing Parity, Reducing Stigma, and Raising Awareness: Increasing Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Coverage.” The Report...
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Consumer Perspectives: Regaining Hope in Our Future
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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The Evolution of the Behavioral Health Model: 24/7, Walk-Ins, and Crisis and Stabilization Centers
Our communities are in crisis. Mental health and substance use disorders are affecting communities nationwide from all levels of society, without regard for political affiliation, economic status, age, cultural origin, or educational level. Furthermore, the impact of the crisis is particularly...
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NY State Department of Health Warns the Public in Central New York About Alarming Increase In Opioid Overdoses
Providers and Public Encouraged to Take Advantage of New Standing Order, Allowing New Yorkers to Get Naloxone Without a Prescription On August 26, 2022, The New York State Department of Health has been made aware of a rapid increase in opioid-related overdoses in the Central New York region....
