substance use

Letter From The Editor

Letter From The Editor

“Welcome back to our second installment of Topic of the Quarter! Two years ago, for February 2020’s Topic of the Month, we took a more “big picture” approach to highlighting the ways in which behavioral health stigma impacted families. Something that stood out to me from those articles were the conversations being had around pregnancy and substance use.”

A Recovery Conversation In The Community by Nina Ovian

A Recovery Conversation In The Community by Nina Ovian

I feel honored to share this particular recovery story with you. Recovery often isn’t linear and isn’t tied to specific measurements or success or achievement. Sometimes recovery is just an ongoing commitment to positive change. This story highlights someone working through a crisis who is also a close friend of mine, which is referenced during the conversation. During the pandemic I moved to an entirely new town where I didn’t know anyone. I met Antonio while he was doing yard work for some of my neighbors. We became close friends quickly over shared life experiences, and his kindness and compassion made me feel at home in a new place.

Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to our new format - Topic of the Quarter, for our first theme we will be exploring the link between homelessness and behavioral health. The reason I started here was two fold. Homelessness is on the rise, with the decline in affordable housing options and the economic upheaval brought on by COVID 19, and the stigma surrounding it in both personal attitudes and public policy is rampant and unchallenged in our day to day lives. It is also deeply personal in both my past experiences with housing insecurity and my professional career working in housing services.

Dual Services Needed for Domestic Violence and Opioid Use, Researchers Say

Dual Services Needed for Domestic Violence and Opioid Use, Researchers Say


“There’s already so much stigma around opioid use and partner violence and when you pair that with living in a rural area where everyone knows everyone, women describe not wanting to go to the clinics,” Campbell says....

As IPV and OUD loom on rural communities, Stone suggests people educate themselves about stigma. “If you want to learn more, victim advocacy organizations are amazing. Find one in your community to see if they’re running an education event,” she recommends. “If you don’t feel like it’s a personal issue for you, it’s an issue for your community. We need all the resources in our community to be strong and healthy.”

How American Muslims are tackling substance abuse among the faithful

How American Muslims are tackling substance abuse among the faithful

“The Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood is using the Islami Mitali program to address the problem of substance abuse in the Muslim community — an issue often ignored by members of the Muslim community since any use of drugs or alcohol is forbidden in Islam.

To combat the stigma and normalize the conversation about addiction, the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood makes an announcement after Friday prayer about the program (provided Friday prayer is not canceled due to COVID-19).”