Updates

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Senior Policy Analyst Peter Gaumond and General Counsel Robert Kent laid out a series of programs in the Biden-Harris Administration National Drug Control Strategy that are intended to build recovery ecosystems in communities nationwide.

Sam Quinones and Beth Macy have spent much of their careers as journalists and authors covering this nation’s overdose crisis. At the Taking Action Summit, they both stressed that community engagement—and the sense of purpose and belonging it gives rise to—is capable of turning the tide.

Dr. John Blosnich discussed how LGBTQ people with substance use disorder contend not just with stigma related to SUD but with stigma related to sexual orientation and gender identity, which can be unintentionally yet overtly part of the health care experience in rural areas.

Tony Hoffman, co-founder of pH Wellness, reflected on how his substance use disorder eventually led to homelessness and how that experience gave him perspective on the stigma faced by people in similar circumstances. Instead of blaming people, he feels a sense of compassion and empathy. Rather than judging them, he wonders about the source of the pain that led to SUD.

Dr. Uché Blackstock broke down the causes of health care inequity—describing the “4 I’s of Oppression,” a framework through which an organization can advance change.

Yara Castro, Martin Felix, and Kassandra Figueroa discussed how utilizing peer support is critical both for individuals in recovery and to strengthen coordination of care across systems.

How do Indigenous knowledge and evidence-based practices work together to help people with substance use disorder in Tribal communities on their path to recovery? Dr. Danica Love Brown outlined various ways at the Taking Action Summit.

Video with Dr. Cheryl McClain and David A. Gross, MPA.

This project by St. Claire HealthCare, a member of the Northeast Kentucky Substance Use Response Coalition, strives to give those with substance use disorder a true “First Day Forward” as they re-enter the community.

Phillip Aaron Hudson is a father, a farmer, and a community member of Hickory Hill in Knott County.

Melissa Handshoe is an artist, a mother, and an active community member in Knott County.