This report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Behavioral Equity aims to convey the devestating impact the opioid crisis in having on African Americans....
This fact sheet reviews COVID-19’s impact on American drug policy and how individuals with SUD were able to receive treatment and services in light of social distancing....
The HOPE Initiative provides a daylong training program on substance use disorders, treatment, and recovery for state and local law enforcement officers, enabling them to help people obtain and sustain long-term recovery. All 39 Rhode Island law enforcement agencies have completed the training...
Incorporating a trauma-informed approach to the treatment of substance use disorder (SUD) results in treating patients with more respect instead of blaming or shaming then for using. SUD treatment programs that use a trauma-informed approach and focus on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), allow patients to gain a better understanding of the relationship between ACEs and SUD....
Incarcerated individuals have been fighting back against state prison policies that ban medication for addiction for addiction treatment (MAT) in correctional facilities by arguing in court cases that these policies violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution. As courts rule in favor of the incarcerated, states will need to reconsider their policies on MAT in correctional settings to avoid future lawsuits. ...
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)’s Rural Community Action Guide helps communities address the problem of drug and opioid use in rural communities. ...
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has released this year's National Drug Control Strategy, which outlines efforts to reduce illicit drug use and its consequences in the United States....
Medical legal partnerships (MLPs) integrate lawyers into the health care setting to assist physicians, case managers, and social workers in addressing the factors that influence a patient’s social determinates of health and reducing the treatment disparity within communities. A total of 333 health entities, including hospitals and health systems, children’s hospitals, Health Resources and Services Administration -funded health centers, and Veterans Affairs medical centers, have developed MLPs in 46 states. When legal services are combined with medical care to address the social needs of patients, studies show that patients: (1) are admitted to the hospital less frequently; (2) are more likely to take their medications as prescribed; (3) report lower levels of stress and experience improvements in mental health; and (4) spend less money on health care services because they are going to the hospital less and investing more in preventative care. Additionally, with MLPs, clinical services are more frequently reimbursed by public or private payers due to MLPs’ assistance with health insurance access....
Opened on Oct. 1, 2018, the mission of the Austin (Travis County, Texas) Sobering Center is “to enhance public health and public safety by providing an alternative to the emergency room and jail for publicly intoxicated individuals to sober up and, when appropriate, provide a safe environment to initiative recovery.” Only Austin’s first responders (e.g., law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians) are permitted to bring people under the influence of any substance except PCP to withdraw at the Center....
The NJOTF was created by Resolutions of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) during their annual meeting in 2017. The Conferences recognized the need to respond to the mounting stress on criminal and family court dockets impacting state court systems across the country. Through collaboration with multiple sources inside and outside government, including experts on treatment, prevention and data, the members of the Task Force approved a comprehensive set of policy and best practice recommendations. This report is centered around these findings and recommendations. ...