Substance use and misuse and mental health issues within a rural community can present many problems. From lack of available services and resources to economics and privacy issues, working in small towns and rural areas presents many challenges. Rachel Stankowski and Danielle Luther discuss those challenges and what the Family Health Center of Marshfield, Wisconsin, is…

Substance Use Disorders affect every demographic, but the impact on some groups has received less attention. An estimated one million older people in the United States have a substance use challenge. Alexandra Plante discusses her article “Substance Use Challenges in Older Adults” and the substance use issues facing older adults. Ms. Plante is a Senior…

Michael Rebellino talks about Crazy, his followup novel to his critically-acclaimed novel of recovery, Clean. In Crazy, Rebellino uses a creative mix of prose and poetry to examine the challenges of caring for a loved one’s mental health while managing one’s own recovery and mental health. Where is the line between self care and selfless care…

Dr. Alice Feller grew up in a family affected by mental illness and then made it her life’s work. She discusses her work within the mental health system and her thoughts on the state of care available to those who need it. Her book, American Madness: Fighting for Patients In a Broken Mental Health System, is an honest…

Patricia Roos, Professor Emerita of Sociology, was at Rutgers University when, in 2015, she lost her son Alex, who was 25 years of age, to a heroin overdose. As a professor who had devoted her career to the study and research of work, gender, inequalities, stratification, work/family dynamics, and addiction, Patricia shifted her research and advocacy interests,…

When one is stressed and under pressure, there are many paths towards healing and mental health. Jeanie Y. Chang discusses the unique role that K-dramas (Korean dramas) might play in that process. Jeanie Y. Chang is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and author of the new book, “How K-Dramas…

It may take a village to raise a child, but how do you organize the village to care and work together? Timmie Sinclair talks about a prevention initiative called Communities That Care and what it takes to get it going and keep it going as well as how programs like these make a difference in…

“Suck it up” and “Deal with it” were phrases many men heard if they began to express their feelings while growing up. Ryan Kopyar saw multiple generations of men in his family live out those phrases. Ryan discusses his new book, Big Boys Do Cry: A Man’s Guide to Navigating Emotions and Showing Up More Vulnerable…

Despite a growing acceptance, in many parts of our society, of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQIA+) community, this subset of the population has a significantly elevated risk of addiction and mental health difficulties compared to the general U.S. adult population. Recent studies have also shown that significant differences even exist among individual…

Loneliness, isolation, and stigma are hallmarks of substance use disorders and mental illness, yet recovery requires understanding and support. In the midst of his own recovery, Kurt Schmidt recognized that need and went about the business of meeting it. Kurt is the Founder and CEO of ThePeerNetwork.com, which is a tele-health platform where recovering individuals…