Tomorrow, 25 years ago, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision affirmed the rights of people with disabilities – including those with serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED) – to live in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. The case involved two Georgia women – Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson – living with intellectual disabilities and mental illness.
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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.
Creating Change and Acknowledging Failure
Tyler’s Journey Through the Criminal Legal System
“He’s dead, David. He’s dead. He’s dead.”
Those frantic, dreadful words echoed through my mind, on repeat.
‘David’—that is me. ‘He’—that’s my friend, Tyler. Or I should say ‘was,’ as of September 5, 2023.
Substance Use Prevention Month: Telling the Prevention Story
In October, SAMHSA celebrates Substance Use Prevention Month — an opportunity for the prevention field and prevention partners to highlight the importance and impact of prevention. And given the substance use and overdose challenges facing our country, prevention has never been more important. This month, each of us can inspire action by sharing how prevention is improving lives in communities across our nation.

