Why aren’t slots for opioid treatment filled? City tries to turn the tide

Philadelphia Inquirer    March 8, 2019 The opioid crisis continues to shock with its persistence and casualties. Last year, about 1,100 people died of overdose in the city. One fact that should bring people to a standstill — if only for a minute — is this: The Department of Public Health recently estimated that between 50,000 and […]

Ad campaign promotes medically assisted treatment for addiction

KYW Newsradio    March 6, 2019 PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Advertising has proven effective at getting people to consume things. But will it work to get people to stop consuming drugs? Philadelphia health officials are hoping the answer is yes. Officials have launched an ad campaign proclaiming “BUPE works.” BUPE, or buprenorphine, is medically assisted treatment for […]

Philly ad campaign promotes medication-assisted opioid treatment

Philly.com    March 6, 2019 Despite an opioid overdose epidemic that has killed thousands and stalled the lives of many more, Philadelphia still has plenty of treatment slots, both inpatient and outpatient, that are going unused. So on Tuesday, city officials announced an ad campaign to encourage more people to get started on what is considered the […]

Philly launches media campaign toutin medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction

Philly Voice    March 6, 2019 Philadelphia officials unveiled a new advertising campaign Tuesday that urges people battling opioid addiction to seek medication assisted treatment. There are some 12,000 medication-assisted treatment slots in Philly – and 24 percent of them are currently available. City officials want to get the word out that help is available. “This campaign […]

Philadelphia promotes buprenorphine for opioid addiction treatment

WHYY    March 6, 2019 When Ronald McAdams got out of prison at age 60, he didn’t want to go back to Philadelphia. He’d spent more than 30 years trying to kick his opioid addiction, in and out of rehabs and detoxes, and was afraid if he went back he’d get hooked again. He was always wary […]

From panhandling to a paycheck: How day labor can provide opportunity to Philly’s homeless

Philadelphia Inquirer    March 6, 2019 Six months ago, Duncan Gaskins was homeless, living on the street by the Camden waterfront, desperate for a reason not to backslide to the time when he had found comfort in drugs and security in a gang. Then, an outreach worker made him an offer: a day’s work, and $75 in […]

Mayor’s Office of Black Male Engagement’s Spotlight Guide

February 19, 2019 THE SPOTLIGHT GUIDE: Engaging Black Men & Boys Transforming the Narrative in the City of Philadelphia Click to view the guide

Philadelphia Offers Free Narcan Training

NBC10 Philadelphia    February 19, 2019 Philadelphia is offering free public overdose rescue training due to the opioid crisis. Deputy Behavioral Health Commissioner Roland Lamb and Ramon Cruz, a certified peer’s specialist at the Behavioral Health Department, discuss the training show show how people can help someone experiencing an overdose. Click to view report from NBC10: Philadelphia Offers […]

Nicotine addiction and substance use disorder treatment: The Philadelphia story

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly    February 8, 2019 AThe Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and its leadership have a well-deserved reputation for pioneering recovery-oriented systems of care. Effective Jan. 1, 2019, the agency initiated an aggressive policy to address the problem of nicotine addiction among those receiving substance use disorder (SUD) services in contracted facilities. The […]

Philly City Council members get Narcan training

KYW Newsradio    February 7, 2019 It’s a sign of the times: Philadelphia City Council members and their staffs received training Tuesday on how to administer the overdose-reducing drug Narcan. Councilwoman Cindy Bass organized the training after hearing about a fatal overdose in Dilworth Park, steps from City Hall’s entrance where employees pass many times daily. “You […]