In the 2003 holiday movie classic, “Elf,” the main character, Buddy, shares a particular fondness for the holiday season, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” No matter what traditions you celebrate this winter, not everyone shares Buddy’s enthusiasm for this season. While the holidays can be a time of celebration and joy for many, it also can be a period of stress, sadness, and loneliness for others—and sometimes can be particularly difficult for people living with mental health and substance use conditions.
Related Posts
Pathways to Recovery – Highlighting Tribal Recovery Efforts
In August of this year, the Office of Recovery and the Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy jointly hosted a Tribal Recovery Summit in Dallas, TX, partnering with SAMHSA’s Region 6 Office. The focus of this Summit was to showcase pathways to recovery and highlights multiple ways to support American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes on the frontlines of the opioid/fentanyl crisis. Nearly 300 participants attended the Summit either virtually or in person, including Tribal leaders, federal agency staff and leaders, service providers, and practitioners.
Taking Action: Become a Health Equity Leader
In a 1955 speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously declared that of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most “shocking and inhumane.” Yet racial and ethnic health inequities remain pervasive across all state health systems* (PDF | 3.5 MB). Fortunately, with hard work and the passage of time, health equity progress does take root and grow. Indeed, there are significant advances to achieving health equity for African Americans and other marginalized populations.
SAMHSA Commits to Sustaining and Accelerating HIV Progress
World AIDS Day, established in 1988 and observed annually on December 1, is a day to commemorate the 42 million people globally who have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic, and honor the more than 39 million people including 1.2 million Americans, living with HIV around the world.