In May 2023, the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended – reflecting a long-awaited return to normalcy across the United States. However, this has not been the case for millions of Americans who continue to struggle with the economic and social effects of the pandemic, including disruptions to daily life, loss, and grief. For some, physical and mental health effects from the virus continue to persist long after the period of initial infection.
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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.
Together We Can: International Overdose Awareness Day 2024
In 2023, our nation witnessed the first annual decline in overdose deaths since 2018. In 2022, there were over 111,000 deaths. In 2023, that number fell to 107,543. Though modest, this suggests that nationwide efforts to reduce overdoses are making a positive impact. However, the work is not finished.
Lessons Learned from SAMHSA’s First LGBTQI+ Behavioral Health Summit
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI+) community faces unique challenges related to mental health conditions and substance use disorders yet is often underrepresented in discussions about behavioral health. The LGBTQI+ Behavioral Health Summit held on June 24-25, 2024, in Rockville, MD, was a ground-breaking event for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).