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A Harm Reduction Approach to Informed and Compassionate Care
Harm Reduction allows us to consider and implement practices that help individuals make safe, viable choices in support of overall wellness. Harm Reduction is also “a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs”1 and is “a key pillar...
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The Overlapping Roots of Mental Health Disparities: Poverty, Racism, and Trauma as Social Determinants
Mental health cannot be fully understood — or effectively addressed — without considering the powerful forces that shape people’s everyday lives. Poverty, racism, and trauma are more than just challenges individuals face; they are deeply embedded social determinants of mental health that...
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From Research to Recovery: Transforming Anxiety and Depression Care in New York
Our state has a long history as an innovator when it comes to improving the mental well-being of New Yorkers. From establishing the first state-funded psychiatric center to creating the first research institute dedicated to exploring mental health, this spirit of innovation has influenced and...
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Cultivating a Trauma-Informed Behavioral Health Workforce
Creating a trauma-informed behavioral health workforce is both a moral imperative and a practical necessity in today’s demanding care landscape. Understanding the concept requires recognizing its foundation: a workforce committed to safety, trust, empowerment, collaboration, peer support, and...
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The Generational Transmission of Untreated or Unresolved Relational Trauma
She leaned in close to me, whispering as if we were girlfriends rather than therapist and client: “I’m trying to get pregnant because then I’ll have someone who will love me forever and never leave me.” How do I, as a compassionate therapist, gently explain to this 13-year-old girl that...
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Supporting Maternal Mental Health and Reducing Stigma: A Clinical Perspective
Becoming a mother is a beautiful and rewarding experience, but it comes with a set of challenges that often go unrecognized. Maternal mental health is a critical dimension of perinatal care that is often overlooked amid the focus on the physical aspect of pregnancy. During the perinatal period,...
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Reframing Residential Treatment: Preventing Family Separation and Supporting Women with Substance Use Disorders
According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 70.5 million people used illicit drugs in the past year, and 48.5 million of them met the criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD). In 2022, 32.6 million women reported illicit drug use, and while men have historically shown higher...
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From Silence to Support: Changing the Story on Maternal Mental Health
When I became a mother, I was prepared for a momentous life change. What I did not anticipate was the impact that pregnancy and postpartum could have on my mental health, in addition to my physical recovery. After giving birth to my first daughter, I dismissed my stress and sensitivity as the...
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Trusted, Trained, and Too Often Overlooked: The Role of Holistic Providers in Maternal Mental Health
The perinatal period is a critical window of vulnerability and opportunity. Research shows that up to 20% of women experience a mental health disorder during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Howard et al., 2014). Without...
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The Impact of Childhood Separation: Parallels Between Children of Parents with Mental Illness and Children of Incarcerated Parents
Family separation is a traumatic experience for children, regardless of the cause. When separation occurs due to parental mental illness or incarceration, children face unique psychological and systemic challenges that are often overlooked. Both groups experience disenfranchised grief, attachment...
