National Council for Behavioral Health

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National Council for Behavioral Health

Leading Mental Health Advocates Urge Congress to Establish 9-8-8 As A National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Hotline The success of 9-1-1, our nation’s emergency service hotline, is undeniable. In an instant, Americans can   reach police, fire and emergency services from anywhere in the country. It’s hard to fathom that before the adoption of […]

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Nicholas Addison Thomas

Director of Content Marketing, National Council for Behavioral Health

Kenneth Minkoff, M.D., a member of the National Council Medical Director Institute, is a board-certified community psychiatrist and addiction psychiatrist, part-time assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and the COO and senior systems consultant at ZiaPartners, Inc. Dr. Minkoff also provides consultation to large systems on developing welcoming, integrated, recovery-oriented services to individuals […]

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Nicholas Addison Thomas

Director of Content Marketing, National Council for Behavioral Health

For 60 years, Thresholds – a National Council member – has been transforming the lives of Chicago residents struggling with mental illness and addiction by breaking cycles of poverty and unemployment. In this interview, Dr. Steve Weinstein, a medical director at Thresholds and member of the National Council’s Medical Director Institute, discusses the impact of […]

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Nicholas Addison Thomas

Director of Content Marketing, National Council for Behavioral Health

As a long-time peer support trainer in Utah, Ginger knows how difficult navigating your own mental illness can be. At the age of 15, she regularly contemplated suicide. A few years later, after she was kicked out of college, she made several attempts to kill herself, leading to a stay at a state hospital. Over […]

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Vitka Eisen, MSW, Ed.D.

President and CEO of HealthRIGHT 360, and a board member of the National Council for Behavioral Health

Brad Pitt recently told The New York Times, “I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges.” As a former injection heroin user and the CEO of an organization that has treated tens of thousands of people for substance use disorder, I appreciate his candor. It helps […]

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Nicholas Addison Thomas

Director of Content Marketing, National Council for Behavioral Health

Hope is always within reach – even after hardship. Just ask Samantha, a 31-year-old mother who lost custody of her son in 2016 when she was struggling with addiction. In this interview, Samantha opens up about her journey from being homeless to helping others along their path to recovery. How did you move forward after […]

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Lisa Prather

Campaign Manager for the National Council for Behavioral Health

It’s a shocking question, isn’t it? I remember how hard it was the first time I asked a friend. I didn’t know how to make it sound neutral, nonchalant, non-judgmental and frankly … normal. Talking about suicide isn’t easy and not knowing what to say or how to say it can make you feel like […]

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Chris Stoner-Mertz

National Council board member and executive director of California Alliance of Child and Family Services

Summer is over and a new school year is kicking off. New school supplies, reconnecting with classmates and an opportunity to start fresh are among the things that kids look forward to as they ready themselves. But for plenty of students – and by plenty, I mean one in five – there are underlying mental […]

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Sara Coffey, D.O.

Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

Creating environments where all children can thrive is critical to building a healthier and happier future. In this article, Sara Coffey, D.O., a member of the National Council’s Medical Directors Institute, shares her insights into childhood trauma and thoughts on support systems. More and more, we are learning about the significance of Adverse Childhood Experiences […]

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Rene Hurtado

Chief of Staff for Emergence Health Network

From July 23-25, the National Council’s Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program visited Emergence Health Network, the mental health authority in El Paso, Texas, to explore the needs of local migrant families. In this special blog post, Rene Hurtado (pictured), chief of staff for Emergence Health Network, recounts the experience. The migrant experience in border communities […]

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