Touro College, a New York-based college hosted a special event that discussed the US opioid crisis and explored possible solutions to the problem. Students and alumni attended to hear experts speak about opioids and addiction.
The event was “Opioid Addiction – An International and Local Crisis and Epidemic: New Models of Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery”. It featured speakers who addressed the issue from their unique perspectives and experiences.
“In New York State, an average of 9 people a day die from opioid overdose,” said Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, commissioner of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. Gonzalez-Sanchez was one of the speakers for the event held at Touro College’s Upper West Side campus. Around 200 students and alumni showed up to listen to the speeches and presentations.
Gonzales-Sanchez addressed the effects of substance abuse on New York State residents, and what her office has done to help change that. “Opioids are the leading cause of unintentional death in New York State,” she said.
In 2017, there were 3,264 opioid overdose deaths in the state. The opioid crisis has had a greater impact on some areas of New York City than others. Overdose rates in East Harlem, for example, were more than twice the citywide average in 2018, according to the city health department.
Recently, Touro College received two financial awards to support its efforts in combating the on-going epidemic. The first one was for $1.3 million, and is shared by the graduate school of social work and school of health sciences’ clinical mental health counselling program.
The financial award was also part of the “Federal Opioid Workforce Expansion Program” that will help support 24 students in Touro.
The second grant was for $60,000. It is designated for a new program called “Social Workers on the Front Line of the Opioid Epidemic Learning Collaborative”. The goal is to provide living expenses and training for up to eight students.
Marcia, one of the Touro graduate students in the grant program, said: “I recognize that there’s a problem in my community. Things are happening around the kids and to them, and we’re not treating it as what it is.”
She worked for 15 years in child welfare, but was inspired to focus her experience and skills on addiction after seeing the impact of adult substance abuse on the children in their lives.
Students selected for the grant programs are required to take special courses related to substance abuse. The funds will support them in their field placements as social workers and clinical mental health professionals. They will work in teams with physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in the communities affected by the opioid epidemic.
Touro has been sponsoring events like opioid lectures for over a decade, said Allison Bobick, the program coordinator. “We always want to choose something that’s relevant, something that our social workers need to know, what’s going on in our community.”
“We’re consolidating everything we’ve been doing up until now, and building upon it with these new grant opportunities,” said Touro’s director of social work alumni engagement and financial resource development, Dr. Eric Levine.
If someone in the family is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, it is important to seek help. A combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy can go a long way in the fight against drug abuse. But because every individual is affected by addiction differently, a comprehensive program tailored to their specific needs is necessary. Look for a nearby addiction treatment facility today and find out how drug treatment programs work.
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