SAMHSA Issues Advisory on Low-Barrier Care for Substance Use Disorders
December 11, 2023
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) has released an advisory that outlines recommendations
for implementation of low-barrier models of care to significantly
expand access to lifesaving treatment for individuals with
substance use di...
NIH, ASPR, and CDC Expand Home Test to Treat Program Nationwide
December 7, 2023
The federal government has expanded the Home Test to
Treat program, an entirely virtual community health
program that offers free COVID-19 health services -
at-home rapid tests, telehealth sessions and at-home
...
Study Identifies Link between Chronic High Blood Pressure and Dementia/Dementia-Like Symptoms
December 5, 2023
A study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
suggests that the response of immune system cells inside the
protective covering surrounding the brain may contribute to
dementia/dementia-like symptoms and cognitive decline in those
with chronic high blood...
SAMHSA Shares New 988 Warning Signs Videos and Print Materials
December 4, 2023
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) has shared new videos about suicide warning signs and
safety plans, now available for download from the
988 Partner Toolkit.
Two new videos about warning signs focus on teaching people about
s...
NJDOL Hosts Sessions for Input on a Comprehensive Workforce Development Plan
November 30, 2023
Every four years, the State of New Jersey is required to develop
a Comprehensive State Plan for Workforce Development. The
document includes strategic, operational and compliance
components related to federally and state-funded efforts. A
significant part of the disc...
DCF Shares Update on Efforts to Support NJ’s Social Services Workforce
November 28, 2023
As workforce challenges continue to impact the New Jersey
Department of Children and Families' (DCF's) provider network,
DCF has share an update on its related work to address the issue.
Since June 2023:
The state's Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget allocated $5 mil...
President Biden Delivers Remarks on Progress to Counter the Flow of Fentanyl into the U.S.
November 27, 2023
On November 21, 2023, President Joe Biden held a meeting on the
progress made to counter the flow of fentanyl into the United
States. As shared by the White House Office of Political Strategy
and Outreach, "President Biden has made beating the overdose
epidemic a key...
Senate Finance Committee Advances the Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act
November 21, 2023
On November 8, 2023, the United States Senate Finance Committee
convened to deliberate on the Better Mental Health Care,
Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act.
The bipartisan legislation package, as reported in a
Hearing Summary by Thorn Run Partners, aims to
expa...
House Passes Stopgap Bill to Avert Government Shutdown; Senate Hopes to Pass Measure Quickly
November 17, 2023
On November 14, 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives, led by
recently elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA),
overwhelmingly passed a two-tiered Continuing Resolution (CR)
that would extend temporary funding at current levels for some
agencies until Janu...
Spending Plans Needed to Prevent Government Shutdown Beginning Nov. 18th
November 14, 2023
The United States Congress has until this Friday, November 17,
2023, to pass funding resolutions that would prevent a partial
government shutdown, which would go into effect beginning
Saturday, November 18, 2023.
As reported on Reuters.com, recently elected Speaker...
NJ DOH and DHS Host Budget Listening Sessions, Nov. 13th, 14th and 29th
November 9, 2023
The New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) and the New
Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) will host
public budget listening sessions on November 13 and 14,
and 29, 2023, respectively.
...
NJ’s ARRIVE Together Program Launches in 13th NJ County
November 7, 2023
In 2021, in consultation with the New Jersey Department
of Human Services (DHS) and community stakeholders, the
New Jersey Attorney General's Office and the New Jersey
State Police piloted the Alternative Responses...
Harvard Study Finds Higher Rates of Depression and Anxiety among Young Adults than among Teens
November 2, 2023
A study from Harvard's Graduate School of Education's Making
Caring Common Project has found that in December 2022, young
adults experienced depression and anxiety at nearly twice the
rate of teenagers.
The study, titled
On Edge: Understanding and Preventing Youn...
SAMHSA Shares Resources on Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth
October 30, 2023
To help professionals, families, and communities support the
mental well-being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,
Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and Two-Spirit + (LGBTQIA2S+)
youth, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA)-funded Sui...
New Jersey Joins 41 States in Suing Meta for Fueling the National Youth Mental Health Crisis
October 26, 2023
On October 23, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin,
along with Attorneys General from 31 other states, filed a
lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and
Instagram, alleging the company knowingly designed harmful
features that make children ad...
