The White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have declared a national epidemic in opioid abuse, overdose, and deaths. The CDC has estimated that over 48,000 individuals died in 2014 from heroin and prescription opioid overdoses. Workforce expansion and education have been identified as key priorities in any long-term solution.
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Pew Charitable Trusts Highlights Shortage of Substance Abuse Specialists
In its April 2015 issue of Stateline, an online newsletter, The Pew Charitable Trusts drew attention to the severe shortage of substance abuse specialists. The article discusses the prevalence of substance use disorders in the U.S. population, the impact of the Affordable Care Act on access to substance use treatment, and data on the workforce
Continue Reading.Pathways of long-term addiction recovery
In a recent issue of the journal Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, Annapolis Coalition Board Member Michael Flaherty and colleagues examine six diverse pathways of long- term addiction recovery. Using qualitative research methods they examine the common and distinct features of each pathway and identify the implications for addiction treatment design and recovery services. The authors conclude
Continue Reading.Is it time for a revolution in addiction care services?
David Mee-Lee, MD, a highly respected clinician and leader in the design and development of the world’s single most used criteria for substance use patient care matching-American Society on Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Patient Placement Criteria-has written an article for Addiction Professional about the urgent need for changes, or in his words “revolution,” in the design
Continue Reading.California’s substance use disorder workforce is preparing for healthcare reform
The California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives, in consultation with the County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrators Association of California, recently released a report that addressed the challenges and opportunities that will be faced by the substance use disorder (SUD) workforce as a result of upcoming healthcare reform. According to the report, the
Continue Reading.ATTC Report
The Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) report from a five-year study of its workforce, which was heavily utilized in the above SAMHSA report, calls attention to many needed changes in the substance use disorders (SUD) workforce, including improved technology capabilities, greater recruitment of a diverse workforce, and an overall increase in the number of SUD
Continue Reading.Substance Use Disorders in the U.S. Armed Forces
According to a new report from the Institute of Medicine, outdated approaches to preventing and treating substance abuse, barriers to care and other problems hinder the U.S. Defense Department’s ability to curb substance use disorders among military service members and their families. Service members’ rising rate of prescription drug addiction and their difficulty in accessing
Continue Reading.SAMHSA Releases Report on Workforce Issues
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently released its Report to Congress on the Nation’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Workforce Issues. The report contains demographic data as well as a discussion of key issues and challenges facing the behavioral health workforce. It also
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