(Podcast) Nashville’s Overdose Co-Response Unit Brings Harm Reduction to Law Enforcement

Click here to listen on Spotify As the drug overdose deaths continue to climb, we have heard more and more Sheriffs and law enforcement officers across the state say “we can’t arrest ourselves out of this problem.” That the criminal justice system plays an important role, but not the only

(Podcast) The Buprenorphine Waiver is Gone…Now What?

Click here to listen on Spotify There have been huge changes at the federal level regarding the prescribing of medications for opioid use disorder, particularly regarding buprenorphine. For two decades since the DATA 2000 law, addiction clinicians had to get a specialized waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine, and

(Podcast) How Peer Recovery Patches Treatment Gaps

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you know that there is strong evidence for the effectiveness of addiction treatment, and that the biggest obstacle we face in combating the overdose crisis is an overall lack of access to that treatment. Health insurance is of course a

Guest Column: How mental health and substance abuse treatment help incarcerated Tennesseans

A woman in prison with her arms resting against the cell bars.

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

New Podcast Episode: Criminal Justice Reform

SMART Policy Podcast graphic.

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

Guest Column: Telehealth can help thousands of recovering Tennesseans by adding more online medical providers

A doctor in a white coat holds a cell phone.

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

New Policy Brief: Opioid Overdose Deaths in Tennessee

Chart depicting overdose deaths involving multiple drugs.

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

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