Arizona’s Naloxone Leave Behind program allows emergency responders to provide lifesaving naloxone to administer and leave behind when responding to opioid overdoses. The program was administered in 2019 by the Arizona Department of Human Services (ADHS). State law allows Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies to leave behind prepackaged, intranasal naloxone, or Narcan, if an EMT … Read more
Over the last year, there have been over 4,000 reported fatal substance overdoses in Florida, while current data indicates that Gulf County is among the top ten counties in the state with the greatest fatal overdose rates. On December 7th, Department of Health Secretary, Dr. Kenneth Scheppke, alongside Secretary Shevaun Harris of the Department … Read more
Governor Gavin Newsom announced this week that $480.5 million in grants will go towards mental and behavioral health for youth. The grants will support 54 projects across the state of California to improve the mental and behavioral health infrastructure, including expanding the capacity of treatment facilities that serve young Californians. The Department of Health Care … Read more
A new apprenticeship program aims to help address the behavioral health workforce crisis in Washington. The SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Multi-Employer Training Fund has developed the statewide Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium. The program will begin offering 3 new behavioral health apprenticeship programs this fall. More than 22% of Washington adults reported having some kind of mental … Read more
On Monday, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced a $23.2 million public awareness campaign aimed at preventing substance use disorders and helping Texans access necessary treatment and services. The campaign is expected to reach about 2.5 million people across the state while focusing on reducing stigma, building community connection and resilience, and … Read more
On Jan. 10, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), in collaboration with its stakeholders, published an updated statewide behavioral health assessment for 2022, titled “Assessing the Continuum of Care for Behavioral Health Services in California.” The assessment presents an analysis of data gathered from surveys and focus groups conducted by DHCS … Read more
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we will be in person at our 2022 Hawaii State of Reform Health Policy Conference this year. I think things are moving in the right direction and once kiddos can get vaccinated, I know a number of folks will be even more comfortable. Vaccinations will be required. On a … Read more
The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) brought together some of Virginia’s top leaders and drivers during its 2021 Virginia Behavioral Health Summit. Behavioral health has been a key issue across the state, particularly due to ongoing workforce shortages at state hospitals and community services boards. One solution to the ongoing behavioral health … Read more
The latest round of funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will distribute approximately $4.3 million across eight organizations in Florida. SAMHSA awarded a total of $123 million nationally, divided into six types of grant programs to provide communities and health providers with “multifaceted support.” A majority of these … Read more
Discussions on substance use disorder in Hawaii have become more prevalent, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates are focusing particularly on opioid use, and ways to reduce stigma and overdose among Hawaii residents. However, one Oahu doctor says the same focus should be spent on Hawaii’s methamphetamine epidemic. What the data says Dr. … Read more