Author Archive: May 2016

“Of the almost 20 million individuals with a substance use disorder in 2017, more than 2 million qualified as having an opioid addiction,” according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Every day, 140 people...

“The crisis is that we don’t understand the crisis, and because of that, countless lives have been lost,” said Rocco Perla, co-founder of The Health Initiative. Every day, opioid overdoses take the lives of our neighbors, classmates and friends. And,...

“It was really sad. She was just gone, and we didn’t know what to do.” Kelly Whaley lived in Monroe County, Ind., and was well-known for her kind demeanor and country cooking. She worked in factory lines until her early...

Every day, 140 individuals in the United States die of a drug overdose, 91 of them specifically due to opioids. Most of us know someone who has faced an addiction, and maybe even lost their life to it. The death...

“I don’t want my colleagues to think that I don’t like or care about my job. It’s literally perfect. I don’t like how little I’ve been able to accomplish lately. How can I have an honest and frank discussion with...

“Routine stress, including job strain and long working hours, may contribute to serious health problems, including elevated risk for heart disease and stroke and experiencing depression for the first time,” according to research published by the American Heart Association. Constantly...

“One of my coworker’s students committed suicide last summer. When my coworker found out, she didn’t say anything. However, I was able to recognize that something was wrong and I asked about it. We came together as a team and...

“Employees who feel burnout at work often blame their workplace: Three in four employees say their jobs are very stressful and are considering or actively looking for a new job,” according to research published by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. We spend...

Mental health and substance use challenges can take many forms. There’s depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, addiction and the list goes on. Some of these challenges are more visible and you might recognize them immediately. Others can be harder to see when...

Peer pressure in schools. Stress in the workplace. Negative memories you can’t let go of. Everyone faces personal challenges and their own journey to recovery. One of the things that makes Mental Health First Aid unique is tailored courses that...

There are 1.5 million people trained to be the difference in their communities with Mental Health First Aid. This means that 1.5 million people know how to understand, recognize and respond to someone experiencing a mental health or substance use...