Behavioral Health Practice Tools

Many tobacco users indicate they started smoking at a very young age. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 80 to 90 percent of adult smokers began smoking during adolescence and two-thirds became regular, daily smokers before they reached 19 years of age.

 

Binge drinking and heavy alcohol use during pregnancy have increased over the past decade, according to a new study in JAMA Network Open. In fact, from 2011 to 2020, binge drinking among pregnant women increased nearly 9 percent a year, while heavy drinking increased by more than 11 percent a year, study authors found. For women, binge drinking means four or more drinks on one occasion; heavy alcohol use is defined as eight or more drinks a week.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) recently held a 2-day hybrid conference on Family-Focused Interventions to Prevent Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) in Adolescence. NASW participated in the conference where key comments were shared regarding the integration of care for substance use in primary care settings that offered health services to children and adolescents. Recommendations included, but were not limited to the following:

In July, many NASW members alerted their state chapters to a disturbing and potentially deceptive marketing practice impacting social workers nationwide 

As America faces a mental health crisis, the need for suicide prevention services is more imperative than ever. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, suicide is ranked as the second primary cause of death in young people among the ages of 10 to 34 and the tenth most frequent cause of death in the United States.

This inventory provides resources for health and social service professionals interested in enhancing outreach and support for older Veterans who have or are at risk for behavioral health conditions. It lists programs and publications on topics including posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, pain management, suicide prevention, long-term services and supports, and much more.