In many cases, substance use disorder is a disease suffered in isolation, as people often avoid treatment or health care due to stigma and other barriers. Preventing overdoses and providing paths to recovery requires resources – but perhaps the most important resource is human connection. This year, the Minnesota Legislature authorized the creation of Safe …
Category: Treatment
Bridging Tech & Humanity: Amplifying Human Touch in Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Recovery
Kyros and an affiliated non-profit, Refocus Recovery have recently been investigated by KARE 11. To read more about this report. With the Biden Administration’s recent $1.6B investment to tackle the SUD and opioid overdose crisis, SUD recovery is at an inflection point. Technology has revolutionized numerous sectors, but SUD recovery demands this innovation now more …
How Do You Turn Troubled Teens Around?
Imagine you are 14 years old. Your parents blast you with venomous comments when they are in a drug stupor, or they disappear for days. Or maybe they push you to go to school when you are so depressed and scared that you wish you could die. You only go because the fentanyl is there …
Ask the Expert: Rebecca Bjorklund of Meridian Behavioral Health
We feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions. This issue we talk to Rebecca “Becky” Bjorklund of Meridian Behavioral Health about the process of entering treatment. Q: Would you be able to provide some insights into your professional background, your present role, and the aspects of your …
Ask the Expert: Sadie Broekemeier of Recovering Hope
We feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions. This issue we talk to Sadie Broekemeier of Recovering Hope about attending school for addiction studies. Q: Could you please share a little bit about your background and what led you to pursue a career in alcohol and drug …
Never Too Old to Get Sober
Older people can find plenty of reasons to drink alcohol or use other addictive drugs to excess. Pain relief. Isolation and loneliness. Feelings of boredom and uselessness after retirement. Loss after loss after loss. For some, it’s simply a decades-old habit. What’s hard to do is to stop using addictive substances when they are ruining …
Q & A With Treatment Providers in the Twin Cities
We reached out to several providers in the Twin Cities to check in about their successes and challenges. All of them are seeing an increase in utilization of their services. What types of substance use (SUD) / mental health (MH) disorders are you seeing more of? Jeremiah Gardner Hazelden Betty Ford We are seeing more …
Ask the Expert: Yussuf Shafie of Alliance Wellness Center
We feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions. This issue we talk to Yussuf Shafie of Alliance Wellness Center in Bloomington, Minnesota about providing treatment to the East African population. Q: Please share with our readers a bit about yourself. I’m Yussuf Shafie, owner and director of Alliance …
Changes to Allow More Choice for Those Getting Treatment
Drug and alcohol addictions are life-altering conditions with severe ramifications. With over half a million Minnesotans battling a substance use disorder, timely access to effective treatment remains crucial. In 2021, less than half the people in the state with a substance use disorder received treatment. Reasons for not getting treatment vary from person to person, …
Our New Virtual World of Care
This past spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, people in need of behavioral health services were blindsided. While in-person treatment programs were considered essential services and continued, many people, especially those at higher risk, stayed away. Even more, outpatient services and other supportive services were unable to offer people the help that they needed. This …