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Assisting Grieving Families to Find Closure While Maintaining Compliance with HIPAA
The most fundamental goals of Harm Reduction and Buprenorphine Programs are to keep people alive and safe. Despite the best efforts of a very dedicated SUD workforce, over 107,000 people died of overdose deaths in 2023. Behind every overdose death is a family or friends in mourning. Often, they are...
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Dutchess County’s Stabilization Center Among New York’s First Licensed Supportive Crisis Stabilization Centers
Dutchess County’s first-of-its-kind Stabilization Center, a partnership between the Dutchess County Department of Mental Health (DCDMH) and People USA, recently became one of the first Supportive Crisis Stabilization Centers licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYS OMH) and the...
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Saving Lives At Work: How Employers Can Lead in Suicide Postvention As Prevention
It’s OK to talk about suicide. The more we do so, the more we break down barriers that stop people from feeling safe enough to seek help. Vital strides have been made to open the dialogue on suicide. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) Suicide Prevention Day theme for 2024-2026 is...
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The Ripple Effect: Impact of Suicide on Family and Friends
The loss of a person to suicide touches friends, family, and other loved ones who must grapple with a host of emotions in the wake of tragic loss. The pain of suicide bereavement can ripple through personal relationships and affect the emotional health of the community of the individual who was...
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The Overlap of Substance Use Disorders and Suicide: Key Insights and Intervention Strategies
Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) coupled with suicide are a critical dual concern that has severe implications for the public health of the entire world. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) also reports that people with SUDs are more prone to suicide, with statistics showing that their risk...
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Confronting Seasonal Depression: The Critical Role of the 988 Lifeline, Community, and Support Systems During the Winter Months
The holiday season, typically marked by joy and togetherness, can also be a challenging period for many individuals coping with loss, trauma, or loneliness. Seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), often intensifies as the days get shorter and the weather becomes...
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Collaborative Care in Primary Care: Using Data to Prevent Suicide
Suicide remains one of the most pressing public health challenges in the United States. Over the past decade, suicide rates have risen alarmingly, leaving families and communities grappling with the devastating consequences of loss. Even more troubling is the evidence showing that nearly half of...
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Breaking Down Barriers: The STAR Program’s “Stop Mental Health Stigma” Campaign
In an era where mental health discussions are often shrouded in misunderstandings and misconceptions, the “Stop Mental Health Stigma” campaign emerges as a beacon of hope and enlightenment. Spearheaded by the STAR Program at SUNY Downstate Health and Sciences University and...
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Peer Support Workforce Shortages Anticipated: What You Can Do
Imagine this: You are the manager in a behavioral health agency that has decided to hire peer support providers in your workforce. This position can give the agency a boost in revenue, additional help in needed areas with personnel shortages, and hope and practical help to service participants. You...
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Recovery: An Ongoing Process, Not a Destination
At its core, the idea of “Recovery” expresses an amalgam of aspiration and hope. From practice, I learned that each patient has highly individual ideas of recovery. Examples: A man was pleased when a change from a traditional antipsychotic to clozapine, a more potent medication, meant a...
