In a world filled with a seemingly endless number of troubling headlines, it seems that everyone is looking for a bit of good news these days. And here it is: Underage drinking and substance misuse prevention is making an impact across the country!
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we want to take time to celebrate the diverse, brilliant women across this nation who keep everything going at home and work, within community organizations and faith institutions, and in every aspect of life.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released Prevention and Treatment of HIV Among People Living with Substance Use and/or Mental Disorders, a guidebook that addresses the co-occurrence of HIV and mental illness and/or substance use disorder (SUD) and reviews effective programs and practices to prevent HIV and, for those with HIV, to increase linkage and retention to care in order to improve health outcomes.
Established in 1988, World AIDS Day allows the people of the world to show support for people living with and affected by HIV, and to commemorate people who have lost their lives to AIDS. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided an urgent reminder that pandemics can devastate communities, lives, and livelihoods. The theme for World AIDS Day 2020 is “Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact.”
National Hispanic Heritage Month invites us to celebrate the Latinx community. The Year 2020 has been a challenging year and a difficult one to celebrate. The COVID-19 pandemic, opioid and suicide epidemics, an economic slowdown with widespread unemployment, and racial unrest simultaneously impact the nation yet affect the Latinx community especially hard.
SAMHSA is one of several collaborating HHS agencies leading the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America. SAMHSA’s goal is to improve prevention, increase testing frequency, and increase referrals and support linkage to HIV treatment when necessary. SAMHSA has concentrated 70 percent of the Minority AIDS initiative grantees within the 48 identified areas with the highest number of new HIV cases.