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Five Areas Where “More Research” Isn’t Needed to Curb the Overdose Crisis
“…but more research is needed.” That’s often the refrain in science, and it includes addiction research. As the addiction epidemic and overdose crisis continue to claim an unprecedented number of lives and to fray communities, science is an essential part of the solution. In the...
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NY State Governor Hochul Expands Access to Mental Health Care for 200,000 SUNY Students
$10 Million to Support Expanded Mental Health Care Services at 28 SUNY Campuses Funding Allocated to SUNY’s State-Operated Campuses Through This Year’s Historic $163 Million Operating Increase Fact Sheet Outlining Campus Initiatives Available Here On February 14th, Governor Kathy...
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Game-Changers: Expanding Access to Substance Use Disorder Treatment in 2024
Substance use disorders (SUD) and overdose deaths remain a serious public health concern: prevalence rates, particularly opioids and fentanyl, and the provisional data on drug overdose deaths continue to climb. These statistics underscore the importance of prevention and access to treatment for...
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Opioid Settlement Funds an Opportunity to Strengthen Services
The tragic loss of life and the impact of addiction on families and communities has been escalating in New York State annually almost every year for well over a decade. New York State’s response has been inadequate and lives have been lost as a consequence. Because of a strong federal...
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The Hidden Impacts of Overdose: Four More Reasons We Must Stop the Epidemic
The recent overdose epidemic has brought the issue of substance use front and center as a mainstream problem. That means now is the time to harness our collective efforts to devise mainstream solutions. As we celebrate International Overdose Awareness Day, it’s essential that we recognize the...
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The Long History and Bright Future of Harm Reduction in New York State
For the past year, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) has implemented a new division among its pillars of prevention, treatment, and recovery services. The newly formed Division of Harm Reduction seeks to bring both the harm reduction philosophy and its practical...
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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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Basic Research Has Had a Major Impact on Developing New Treatments for Serious Mental Illnesses
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with an estimated $2 trillion annual economic impact. The cost in terms of human suffering is, of course, incalculable. Each year about 8% of adults—nearly 20 million Americans—experience major depression; 8% of adolescents experience at...
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Severe, Long-Term Mental Illness: What Does it Take to Live Well?
Typical images of people with severe, long-term mental illnesses are misleading. We think not of people who, despite mental illness, have lives that they find satisfying and meaningful but of homeless people dressed in rags pushing shopping carts with all their belongings and sleeping on heating...
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Destigmatizing Mental Illness: Music Therapy in the Clinical Outpatient Realm
Destigmatizing mental illness through the power of music in clinical mental health treatment therapy combined with peer support can be beneficial to achieving transformation within the current paradigm in mental health. The effects of stigma are felt most by disregarded communities who tend to be...
