Key Points Harm reduction is a policy philosophy aimed at minimizing negative health outcomes by embracing compassion and rejecting stigma. It is often described as “meeting people where they are.” The core of harm reduction is acknowledging the lethality of modern drugs such as fentanyl. If you keep the person
Harm reduction does not mean drug use is condoned. It simply means withholding condemnation of the behavior while the consequences of behavior are first addressed. For opioids, this basically means keeping people alive so that you can treat them. Jeremy speaks with Genoa Clark, Director of Harm Reduction at Choice
Read the full article at The Tennessean. Changes to telehealth policy enable mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. This is crucial, as the rate of incarceration is increasing the most in rural areas. About two-thirds of all incarcerated Tennesseans meet the criteria for a diagnosable substance use disorder. This
The Rocky Top Recovery Ambassadors put on a free concert on UT’s campus to raise awareness of mental health and recovery from substance use disorder. Participants were given free pizza and soda, and local sober bar Frog Juice had a table, distributing alcohol-free kombucha. Other organizations had tables at the
If there’s one thing Tennesseans can agree on, it’s that the criminal justice system needs some improvements. In the summer of 2021, the Reentry Success Act and Alternatives to Incarceration Act passed; at the same time telehealth permissions expanded. Jeremy talks with Judge Duane Slone and Dr. Stephen Loyd about
The Student Recovery Ambassador is a pilot program funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to increase awareness and decrease stigma related to substance use and mental health disorders on college campuses. The Rocky Top Recovery Ambassadors will host sober events, recruit students to attend
Read the full article at The Tennessean. In 2020, there were only 1,007 providers in Tennessee capable of prescribing buprenorphine, a safe and effective medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). However, in that same year it was estimated that at least 70,000 Tennesseans had OUD. While this
Read the full policy brief here. Key Points Opioid overdose deaths (ODD) are best understood as three phases: first due to prescription opioid misuse, followed by a rise in heroin use, and currently due to contamination by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Each phase has posed unique policy challenges. Numerous
