Treatment, Recovery & Prevention
WYMT: New study shows national spike in alcohol-related deaths during pandemic
WBKO: RECON KY opens nominations for 2022 Recovery Hall of Fame Awards
Paintsville Herald: Central Elementary STLP builds website to battle drug addiction
Cincinnati Enquirer: Roger Zellars, who created sobriety recovery groups for Black men, veterans, dies at 80
NPR: Oregon has funding for addiction recovery programs, but not enough employees
The Guardian: Number of fentanyl-filled pills seized by US law enforcement up 4,850%
WCPO (Cincinnati): Bar in Over-the-Rhine offers Narcan, fentanyl test strips as lawmakers, organizations push for wider access
Chronicle of Higher Education: Addiction-Recovery Programs Work to Reach the Students Who Need Them Most
Cincinnati Enquirer: Hamilton County overdose-prevention efforts expand work, face-to-face strategies in 2021
Medical Xpress: Fewer than 6% of criminal justice cases get opioid use disorder treatment
The Hill: Fentanyl in pills drives spike in drug overdoses
Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting: Advocates say family drug courts could save Kentucky children, but state support is still limited
Spectrum News: How a Kentucky coalition is working to reduce fentanyl overdoses
Axios: American teens’ health behaviors suffered a lot during pandemic
Public Policy & Legislation
Federal Legislation
- S.2796 – Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act
- H.R.2379 – State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act of 2021
- H.R.4897 – Support Recovery from Addiction Act of 2021
- H.R.7255 – Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Reauthorization Act
- H.R.7238 – Timely Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Act
- H.R.7235 – Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant Act of 2022
Kentucky Legislation
- House Joint Resolution 5 (increases mental health workforce)
- Senate Bill 90 (establishes behavioral health dismissal pilot program)
- House Bill 514 (establishes pilot program for harm reduction centers)
- Senate Bill 10 (addressing statewide nursing shortage)
- House Bill 174 (extends Medicaid coverage for postpartum women)
- House Bill 215 (increases the penalty for importing or trafficking carfentanil, fentanyl, or fentanyl derivatives)
- House Bill 127 – Tim’s Law (expands outpatient treatment program for Kentuckians with severe mental illness)
- Senate Bill 178 (certification for clinical supervisors of alcohol and drug counselors)
- House Bill 349 (enforces regions for Community Mental Health Centers)
- House Bill 751 (creates a training center for health care workers)
- House Bill 362 (strengthens Casey’s Law)
White House: President Biden Calls for Increased Funding to Address Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic
American Pharmacists Association: DEA commits to expand access to MAT
WSAZ: West Virginia reaches multi-million dollar settlement with opioid manufacturer
Healthcare Innovation: HHS Announces $300 Million in Funding for Mental Health
Behavioral Health Business: ‘Time Has Run Out’: Senate Committee Sends Strong Message About Mental Health Parity Enforcement
Upcoming Events
ASAM Annual Conference – March 31-April 1, 2022 – Hollywood, FL
Rx Summit – April 18-21, 2022 – Atlanta, GA
Kentucky Chamber Recovery in the Workplace Conference – June 21, 2022 – Lexington, KY