Despite overall rates of suicidality among young people trending downward for the past 30 years, Black young people have experienced an increase in suicide attempts (Lindsey et al., 2019), with suicide rates among Black young people increasing 37% between 2018 and 2021 (Stone & Mack, 2023). Due to the already existing higher rates of suicide […]
POPULATION(S) OF FOCUS
Moving Beyond Change Efforts: Evidence and Action to Support and Affirm LGBTQI+ Youth
Like all youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex youth and other sexual- and gender-diverse children and adolescents (LGBTQI+ youth) deserve to grow up in supportive environments absent stigma and discrimination that allow them to thrive and achieve their human potential.When seeking behavioral health treatment (both mental health and substance use interventions), these […]
STAIR (Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation) for Veterans
According to the Veteran Affairs Office of Rural Health, 4.7 million veterans live in the rural United States. Of these rural veterans, 8% are women. According to a 2014 Journal of Rural Health article, rural women veterans were less likely than their urban counterparts to seek mental healthcare from Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. The VA […]
Self-Care Toolkit for Mental Health Professionals
Although self-care is considered necessary for improving the well-being of our clients, it is often times forgotten as an equally important tool for mental health professionals. Given the nature of the services we provide, burnout and compassion fatigue are not uncommon consequences in our helping profession. However, when we engage in self-care, we are better […]
The Community-Based Medication-First Program for Opioid Use Disorder
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a serious health condition that is effectively treated with buprenorphine. However, only a minority of people with OUD are able to access buprenorphine. Many access points for buprenorphine have high barriers for initiation and retention. Health care and drug treatment systems have not been able to provide services to all […]
It Takes a Village: Addressing Behavioral Health Disparities in the Black Community
In honor of Black History Month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hosted a virtual roundtable featuring speakers with lived experience, community leaders, and practitioners to discuss behavioral health challenges in Black communities. Through personal stories and innovative programs, speakers highlighted the often untapped cultural resources that lessen the burden of disease […]