Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Peer Support work serves as an innovative and vital part of mental health recovery

    Agencies like the SHARE Center are beginning to hire peer support specialists, who are individuals who have lived experience of recovery from mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Peer support specialists provide non-clinical, strengths-based support and build trusting relationships with those in need of care. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for peer support specialists has grown exponentially and reports show that working with a peer support specialist can improve health outcomes and quality of life among other benefits.

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  • Once-Resistant Rural Court Officials Begin to Embrace Medications to Treat Addiction

    Amidst the ever-present opioid crisis, there has been a shift among judges, prosecutors and law enforcement agencies beginning to let go of the stigma associated with medication for opioid use disorder. As of 2022, more than 90% of drug courts in communities with high opioid mortality rates have reported that they allow medications to be used to treat addiction. Some areas have also seen the emergence of drug recovery courts that specialize in helping people facing addiction get treatment, rather than jail time.

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  • In Texas, a rare program offers hope for some of the most vulnerable women and babies

    Casa Mía provides housing and support services for pregnant women and new mothers struggling with addiction. The program is run out of an old house and is currently home to nine women. Staff at Casa Mía provide mental health care, recovery resources and work to destigmatize substance abuse to prevent mothers from losing their children to the foster care system.

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  • Here's Effort That is Helping Students of Mass Education Overcome Substance Abuse

    The MYENJAY Hope and Healing Foundation provides mental health awareness and sensitization efforts regarding substance use among young students. Volunteers from the program visit schools to talk to students, providing interventions and educational resources to help them understand the dangers of drug use. School officials say that since the program began talking with students, they have seen a significant increase in good behavior and a reduction in substance use.

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  • Making It Easier For Kids To Get Help For Addiction, And Prevent Overdoses

    Students at Arlington Public Schools are being trained to carry and administer Narcan to help reduce the rising number of opioid overdose deaths, specifically among young people. Programs like this and access to treatment like Suboxone help make it easier for youth to find recovery and prevent drug overdoses.

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  • Richland County Drug Court provides an alternative to incarceration

    The Richland County Drug Court allows low-level, non-violent offenders to participate in an intensive treatment program in lieu of incarceration. To graduate from the program, participants must complete treatment, pay all court fees and fines, avoid new charges and, if possible, get a job. The program has had 21 graduating classes since forming in 1997 and research shows it reduces recidivism rates and saves taxpayer dollars.

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  • "Stable Recovery" Trains People in Rehab to Work with Horses

    The Stable Recovery program provides housing and recovery support for people suffering from addiction, as well as job training to prepare participants to work in the equine industry. The program offers a sense of therapeutic community to those in recovery, as well as newly trained workers to address the labor shortage in the equine industry.

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  • Pounding the pavement: How running is a way to combat substance abuse and mental health issues

    Back on My Feet helps people experiencing homelessness and substance use through the power of exercise, specifically running. Participants have ran more than 950,000 miles and 70% of them have found employment and housing. Moreover, participating in the group helps people in need find a sense of community and build a support system.

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  • When Seattle social services fall short, libraries and transit lend a hand

    The Seattle Public Library system partners with local organizations like the Downtown Emergency Service Center to provide library patrons with clothes and food and referrals to services like domestic violence help and housing or shelter recommendations. The library also has four “social service librarians” who are equipped to help patrons and are allowed to carry and administer Narcan. Over the last five months, the downtown branch has provided emergency supplies (like hand warmers, food, and water) to 420 people and has made 280 referrals to other resources.

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  • A downtown Flint vending machine is helping combat opioid overdose deaths, stigma

    Vending machines provided with the help of organizations like the Genesee Health System and Harm Reduction Michigan dispense fentanyl testing strips and Narcan kits as a form of harm reduction to combat the opioid epidemic and destigmatize safe drug use. When it debuted earlier this year, the machine distributed more than 2,100 test strips and 904 Narcan kits in six weeks. There are currently 52 machines placed across the state.

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