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The Department of Health and Human Services Announces Funding for Substance Use Treatment and Prevention Programs
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing two grant programs totaling $25.6 million that will expand access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder and prevent the misuse of...
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New York State Expands Services to Combat Addiction and Address the Opioid Epidemic
In September, we marked Recovery Month, the annual observance dedicated to increasing awareness of substance use and mental health disorders. We also celebrate people in recovery, and their successes. And thanks to all the great work we are doing in New York State, we are seeing more and more of...
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Taking a Holistic Approach to Treating Opioid Addiction
Opioid overdoses led to more than 33,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2015—an average of 91 per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That national death toll is the “equivalent to America enduring another 9/11 attack every two-and-a-half weeks,” says New Jersey governor Chris...
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Pain and Its Impact on the Opioid Epidemic
In several past articles on the opioid epidemic in America, I have complained that the problem of severe, chronic pain has been overlooked as a contributing factor. It appears that that is no longer true. For example, a very recent report by the National Academies of Science to the Food and Drug...
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Opioid Addiction Wears Many Different Faces
Opioid addiction wears many different faces. It is time to open the door to stop the epidemic of people addicted to opioids. Some people going into surgery come out needing medication for pain. In a book by Arwen Podesta, MD, called Hooked: a Concise Guide to the Underlying Mechanics of Addiction...
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Medication-Assisted Treatment: An Effective Yet Underused Intervention for Treating Opioid Use Disorder
The United States is in the midst of a public health crisis. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic medical condition of epidemic proportions, yet one of the most promising, evidence-based treatments for OUD is underused. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration...
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Leveraging Technology in Enhancing Opioid Care: How NYC Well is Providing Vital Connections and Support
In 2016, New York City lost, on average, between three to four people per day to drug overdoses, with approximately 80% of these overdose deaths involving an opioid. The number of deaths resulting from opioid overdoses in 2016 exceeded the number of deaths from car accidents and homicides combined...
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Finding a Public Health Vision to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
I am grateful to Behavioral Health News for focusing attention and showcasing efforts and innovation to tackle the opioid epidemic. In behavioral health, we talk a lot about addressing silos and integrating across providers, community members, and peers. Behavioral Health News is therefore an...
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Confronting the Opioid Epidemic: A Comprehensive Treatment Approach at Odyssey House
With more than 60,000 opioid overdose deaths nationally in 2016, a multi-pronged treatment approach is necessary to address the worst drug crisis in American history. Odyssey House is on the front line in treating those diagnosed with the most severe opioid use disorders. Since 2014, individuals...
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The Opioid Epidemic: Expanding Access to Medicated Assisted Treatment
The Researched Abuse, Diversion, and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS) System describe the diversion and abuse of prescription opioid analgesics, using data from January 2002 through December 2013. Because drug abuse is an illegal activity that is often concealed from authorities, the RADARS...
