Adolescent Substance Use, Mental Health Challenges Elevated Among Homeless Population

Tom Valentino, Addiction Professional

Homeless adolescents in the US were found to be more likely to have used cocaine, methamphetamine, or heroin than nonhomeless adolescents, and were also more likely to have seriously considered or attempted suicide, according to a study led by researchers from the Smith Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

National Addiction Treatment Locator has Outdated Data and Other Critical Flaws

Aneri Pattani, Kaiser Health News

The FindTreatment.gov website, launched by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2019 to help Americans affected by addiction, was welcomed as a critical first step to overcoming the fragmented addiction treatment landscape and centralizing information for patients. However, the same proponents say FindTreatment.gov and SAMHSA’s other treatment locators have critical flaws—inaccurate and outdated information, a lack of filtering options, and little guidance on how to identify high-quality treatment—that are long overdue for attention.

Workforce Drug Test Positivity Reaches 20-Year High

Tom Valentino, Addiction Professional

The rate of positive drug test results among American workers in 2021 reached its highest level since 2001, according to data recently published by Quest Diagnostics. Findings were based on 11 million deidentified urine, hair, and oral fluid drug tests collected between January and December of 2021.

Opinion | Opioid Settlement Money is Coming. How We Spend It is Critical.

Regina LaBelle, Governing

State, local, and tribal governments will soon begin receiving a massive influx of funds as legal actions brought against the manufacturers and distributors of opioids reach a resolution. Given this, governance structures must be in place so that the litigation funds are spent on evidence-based practices that reflect the needs of local communities and include accountability for any expenditures.

Read more: HMP Global