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The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration - Health
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January is the Perfect Time to Pursue Treatment for a Substance Use Disorder | SAMHSA
“New year, new me!” This common phrase, echoed each year in January, embraces the air of change that comes with a new year. While it is not necessary to wait until a new year to make changes for our health, January is a time for fresh starts. Embracing the spirit of opportunity and change, January 2025 will mark SAMHSA’s first annual Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Month. Each week in January will feature a theme:
National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day | SAMHSA
December is a month of transition, as many communities across our country make the shift from cool, bright autumn days to longer, colder nights. As we busily prepare for upcoming meals and seasonal celebrations with friends and family, it is an apt time to reflect on what home means to us. Protection from the elements, a place to store our treasures and life’s necessities, a site of belonging and being with the people we love, somewhere soft to lay our head each night, and a place we can return to ourselves day after day – home can mean so much.
SAMHSA Commits to Sustaining and Accelerating HIV Progress | SAMHSA
World AIDS Day, established in 1988 and observed annually on December 1, is a day to commemorate the 42 million people globally who have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic, and honor the more than 39 million people including 1.2 million Americans, living with HIV around the world.
More than Winter Blues: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder | SAMHSA
Meet Analise. Analise has a fulfilling life: a loving family, supportive friends, a meaningful career, financial stability, and optimistic plans for the future. Yet this year, as cooler weather creeps in and days become shorter, Analise finds herself consumed by fatigue, craving sweets, and feeling a sense of dread.
Shining a Light on Bereavement and Grief: SAMHSA Recognizes National Grief Awareness Week | SAMHSA
Grief, in many ways, is a universal experience. In the United States alone, millions of people experience grief and bereavement each year due to a variety of reasons, including the loss of loved ones or experiencing a traumatic event, illness, disaster, or violence. The number of individuals reporting grief and bereavement has increased in recent years, especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic, overdose epidemic, and elevated rates of suicide.
National Family Caregivers Month | SAMHSA
National Family Caregivers Month is celebrated each November to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. President Biden’s 2024 Proclamation on National Family Caregivers Month states, “Family caregivers are the backbone of our Nation, making tremendous sacrifices to be there for the people who need and cherish them most. This month, we honor their selfless love and courage, and we recommit to getting them the support they deserve.
2024 National Rural Health Day: Empowering Rural Resilience | SAMHSA
For National Rural Health Day, SAMHSA celebrates the unique strengths of rural communities. SAMHSA empowers rural resilience by providing resources and tools that address behavioral health; supporting rural communities' ability to mitigate, adapt, and recover from stressors; promoting behavioral health equity; and building and retaining a diverse, robust, and resilient behavioral health workforce.
Behavioral Health Equity: Responding to the Needs of our Nation’s Veterans | SAMHSA
On Veterans Day, we take time to honor former service members for their willingness to make sacrifices for our nation. Support for all our nation’s Veterans is a prominent component of the wide-ranging services provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). An emphasis on Veteran behavioral health (mental health and substance use disorder) care is rooted in the agency’s recognition of the unique needs of this population and the collective national commitment to support those who served.
Celebrating 20 Years of the Strategic Prevention Framework | SAMHSA
Each October, we celebrate Substance Use Prevention Month — an opportunity to highlight the importance of prevention and the positive impact prevention is having on individuals, families, and communities across the country. Preventing substance use is a major priority for the Biden-Harris Administration, as evidenced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Overdose Prevention Strategy.
Collaborative Substance Use Prevention: Stronger Together | SAMHSA
During Substance Use Prevention Month and year-round, many opportunities exist for the prevention field to work collaboratively (across sectors and partners) to develop and implement comprehensive prevention approaches. Prevention seeks to prevent initiation of substance use, prevent progression of substance use (to a substance use disorder), and prevent harms associated with substance use.
Lessons Learned from SAMHSA’s First LGBTQI+ Behavioral Health Summit | SAMHSA
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI+) community faces unique challenges related to mental health conditions and substance use disorders yet is often underrepresented in discussions about behavioral health. The LGBTQI+ Behavioral Health Summit held on June 24-25, 2024, in Rockville, MD, was a ground-breaking event for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Substance Use Prevention Month: Telling the Prevention Story | SAMHSA
In October, SAMHSA celebrates Substance Use Prevention Month — an opportunity for the prevention field and prevention partners to highlight the importance and impact of prevention. And given the substance use and overdose challenges facing our country, prevention has never been more important. This month, each of us can inspire action by sharing how prevention is improving lives in communities across our nation.
Recovery Month – 35 Years of Celebration and Commitment | SAMHSA
As we close out another busy Recovery Month, I wanted to reflect upon this important observance and share about some of our accomplishments this year. Every September since 1989, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized National Recovery Month. These days, it can be harder and harder to find someone whose life is not touched in some way by the recovery community. That’s because the recovery community is vast and diverse.
Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Guide for Expecting Parents, Caregivers, and Families | SAMHSA
September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) Awareness Month, a meaningful time to raise awareness of FASD prevention and celebrate the strengths, skills, and successes of those living with FASDs. Did you know that approximately one in 20 school-aged children in the United States (or 5%) may have FASDs?
No Judgment. Just Help: What You Can Do to Support Suicide Prevention Month Efforts | SAMHSA
Ask almost anyone about suicide, and you’ll likely find they have been personally impacted by the loss – or near loss – of a loved one. It’s perhaps not surprising given the statistics. In 2022 alone, more than 49,000 people in the United States died by suicide, the highest number ever recorded (PDF | 440 KB) in this country. That means one death every 11 minutes. And sadly, there are millions more Americans who considered or attempted suicide.
Together We Can: International Overdose Awareness Day 2024 | SAMHSA
In 2023, our nation witnessed the first annual decline in overdose deaths since 2018. In 2022, there were over 111,000 deaths. In 2023, that number fell to 107,543. Though modest, this suggests that nationwide efforts to reduce overdoses are making a positive impact. However, the work is not finished.
Back to School: Mental Health Tips and Resources to Help Youth Thrive in – and out of – the Classroom | SAMHSA
As the dog days of summer draw to a sweltering close, many families across the nation are gathering books, binders, and other school supplies in preparation for a return to the classroom. And while the back-to-school season can be an exciting time, it can also be stressful – and even scary – for some young people.
Advancing Behavioral Health Equity and Language Justice: SAMHSA's Updated Language Access Plan | SAMHSA
At the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), we know that every one of us, regardless of who we are or our background, deserves access to quality behavioral health care resources and services. In everything that we do, we strive to advance equity, eliminate health disparities, and promote overall well-being for all, including individuals with non-English language preference (NELP). After all, language is not just a means of communication; language is also about creating opportunity, embracing cultural identity, creating connection, and fostering belonging.
Celebrating Minority Mental Health Month: Focusing on Arab American Mental Health | SAMHSA
Minority Mental Health Month in July gives us the opportunity to spotlight a growing and increasingly visible population: Arab Americans. According to the Arab American Institute’s estimates, there are approximately 3.7 million Arab Americans.
Behavioral Health Impacts of Long COVID - Policy to Action | SAMHSA
In May 2023, the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended – reflecting a long-awaited return to normalcy across the United States. However, this has not been the case for millions of Americans who continue to struggle with the economic and social effects of the pandemic, including disruptions to daily life, loss, and grief. For some, physical and mental health effects from the virus continue to persist long after the period of initial infection.
On National HIV Testing Day, Level Up Your Self-Love by Checking Your Status | SAMHSA
On June 27 each year, HHS observes National HIV Testing Day, a day that reminds everyone to get tested for HIV, know your status, and get linked to care and treatment. This year’s theme is “Level up your self-love: check your status,” a theme that emphasizes getting an HIV test as one way to show yourself compassion and respect and honor your health needs.
The Right to Live in the Community: Commemorating 25 Years of the Olmstead Decision | SAMHSA
Tomorrow, 25 years ago, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision affirmed the rights of people with disabilities – including those with serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED) – to live in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. The case involved two Georgia women – Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson – living with intellectual disabilities and mental illness.
Changing the Course on Suicide: The Launch of a New National Strategy for Suicide Prevention | SAMHSA
In the United States, someone dies by suicide every 11 minutes; the rates of suicidal behaviors have risen over the past decade; and disparities in suicide rates among certain populations are growing (PDF | 13.4 MB).
Without Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Interventions, We Can’t Address the Maternal Mortality Crisis | SAMHSA
May 1, 2024, marked World Maternal Mental Health Day, and on May 12, 2024, we will celebrate Mother’s Day. While maternal health is a recognized public health crisis in the United States, mental health, substance misuse, and substance use disorder (SUD) are often overlooked as part of the crisis.
Harm Reduction: Findings from the Field | SAMHSA
In 2022, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded 25 awards for its inaugural Harm Reduction Grant Program. Harm reduction is nested throughout the continuum of prevention, treatment, and recovery, with a service model that is strategic, practical, and transformative.
Taking Action: Become a Health Equity Leader | SAMHSA
In a 1955 speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously declared that of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most “shocking and inhumane.” Yet racial and ethnic health inequities remain pervasive across all state health systems* (PDF | 3.5 MB). Fortunately, with hard work and the passage of time, health equity progress does take root and grow. Indeed, there are significant advances to achieving health equity for African Americans and other marginalized populations.
The Importance of Disaster Behavioral Health: Why it Matters | SAMHSA
From devastating wildfires, tornadoes, and mudslides to mass shootings and terrorist attacks, it’s almost impossible to turn on the news these days without seeing a report about another disaster. Natural and human-caused disasters are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity.
SAMHSA Recognizes National Eating Disorders Awareness Week | SAMHSA
From February 26 through March 3, 2024, we recognize National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, a time to recommit to showing compassion for and empowering our fellow Americans impacted by eating disorders. This also is a time to demonstrate our commitment to the early diagnosis and effective treatment of eating disorders.
SAMHSA and ONC Launch the Behavioral Health Information Technology Initiative | SAMHSA
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) will work together to invest more than $20 million of SAMHSA funds over the next three years in an initiative to advance health information technology (IT) in behavioral health care and practice settings.
New Year’s Resolutions: Building Good Mental Health Habits | SAMHSA
Happy New Year! By now, the hustle and bustle and stress of the holiday season is behind us. You have probably spent weeks shopping, gift-giving, and visiting with friends and family – mostly time spent focusing on everyone else. Now, with the New Year upon us, it is time to focus on you. As we think of New Year’s resolutions, we naturally reflect on how we can better ourselves and contemplate changes to make that happen.
In Celebration of the 32nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act | SAMHSA
On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Considered one of the most sweeping and comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation ever passed, it “prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life….
Making Prevention a Priority During National Drugs and Alcohol Facts Week | SAMHSA
Recent research tells us that how youth and young adults perceive harm from drugs and alcohol is often wrong. SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2020 shows that 57 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 did not think there was great harm in having five or more drinks once or twice a week. Even more concerning is that as many as 62.6 percent of those in that age group did not think it was very harmful to smoke marijuana once or twice a week.
On National HIV Testing Day, SAMHSA Encourages Everyone at Risk for HIV to Get Tested | SAMHSA
HIV Testing is Self-care: Testing is key to ending the HIV epidemic Monday, June 27, 2022, is National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), an opportunity to emphasize and encourage HIV testing. The theme is “HIV Testing is Self-care.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once per lifetime as part of routine health care.