The respite house opening in Wake County signals North Carolina’s evolving approach to mental health, with the state increasing investment in peer-run programs and recognizing their ability to deliver a more compassionate and relatable experience for those in crisis.
Taylor Knopf
Posted inNews
NC Prosecutors Want Harsher Punishments for Drug Dealers. Advocates Say Their Proposal Will Cause More Overdoses.
Prosecutors support legislation to strengthen the state’s “death by distribution” law as overdoses increase, but advocates say this is the wrong approach to the public health crisis.
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Sheriffs Want to Turn Transport of Psych Patients Over to Mental Health Workers
Patients under involuntary commitment orders describe being traumatized by law enforcement involvement in mental health care, which often comes with handcuffs and added stigma.
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State Lawmakers’ Allocation of $11 Million to TROSA Is Raising Questions
The Durham-based addiction treatment facility has unpaid work requirements and restricts some medications. Funding TROSA foreshadows national discussion about the best approaches to addiction treatment as overdoses surge and opioid settlements abound
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In North Carolina and the Triangle, Therapists Use Art for Recovery and Healing
“Art-making is inherently therapeutic. [Art therapy] creates a space for people to have the benefits of just processing the meaning and content of whatever comes up in their artwork.”
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Fentanyl is Everywhere, Increasing Overdose Deaths in the South
Fentanyl, a strong synthetic opioid being mixed into the street drug supply, has caused more overdose deaths, emergency department visits and EMS calls during the pandemic.
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As Drug Overdose Deaths Soar, Addiction Experts Say Lawmakers Should Spend Money on Established Programs Offering Evidence-Based Treatment
Medication assisted treatment is well documented to reduce opioid overdose deaths and help people with opioid use disorder live normal lives. But many groups receiving state money rely on older abstinence-based approaches to addiction recovery.
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State Budget Funds Some Mental Health Crisis Response and Hospital Diversion Efforts
Pandemic-related stressors caused more demand for mental health services and an increase in substance use and overdoses. The state budget provides some funding to relieve some of the pressure the surge of mental health patients have put on hospitals.
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Behind Needle Exchange Bill, A Spat Between Asheville Site and Its New Neighbors
Senate Bill 607 seeks to ban mobile exchanges, require engraved needles, background checks, forced treatment, and more.
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Despite His Mental Illness, Devon Davis Spent 1,001 Days in Solitary at Central Prison.
Last spring, Devon Davis says, he was riding in the passenger seat of his early-2000s-model Lexus with a friend when Raleigh police pulled them over. There was a gun in the vehicle. Davis said it belonged to the driver. The driver said it belonged to Davis. It was a classic case of “he said, he […]