newscannabismental-healthNew York's Cannabis Treatment System Is Collapsing Just as Youth Need It MostAs New York legalizes adult cannabis use, the state's treatment infrastructure for young people struggling with marijuana addiction is shrinking. Admissions have fallen by half in eight years, emergency departments lack linkage programs, and pediatricians aren't trained to spot the problem.April 8, 20267 min read
newscannabistreatmentNew York's Cannabis Treatment Admissions Dropped 50% While ER Visits Doubled—And Young People Are Falling Through the CracksCannabis treatment admissions in New York have dropped 50% since 2016, even as marijuana-related emergency department visits have more than doubled. Young people struggling with high-potency cannabis face a treatment system that wasn't designed for them—and the state is scrambling to catch up.April 7, 20268 min read
newspolicyfederalWhite House Budget Proposes 12% Cut to Health Agency Funding Addiction Treatment NationwideThe Trump administration's fiscal 2027 budget would slash federal health funding by 12.5%, consolidating and eliminating programs at SAMHSA that fund addiction treatment across New York. Congress has final say, but the proposal creates immediate uncertainty for providers.April 6, 20267 min read
newsfederalfundingFeds Drop $100 Million on New Addiction Program That Targets Homelessness—And Faith Groups Are InThe Trump administration just announced a $100 million program to tackle addiction among homeless Americans. Faith-based groups are eligible—but the fine print shows ties to a controversial executive order on involuntary treatment.April 2, 20267 min read
policyinsurancefederalFederal Insurance Rule for Addiction Treatment Coverage Now Under Review—What It Means for New YorkersThe Justice Department announced Friday that three federal agencies will reconsider Biden-era rules guaranteeing equal insurance coverage for addiction and mental health treatment. The move suspends an ERISA lawsuit indefinitely and raises questions about federal enforcement—but New York's own parity protections remain in effect.April 1, 20268 min read
newsfederalfundingFederal Government Launches $100 Million Program to Connect People Experiencing Addiction and Homelessness with Housing and TreatmentThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a $100 million federal investment in the STREETS Initiative, aiming to expand treatment, outreach, and housing support for people experiencing addiction and homelessness.March 31, 20264 min read
newsdeep-divefederalWhiplash at HHS: How Trump's $2 Billion Grant Cuts Threw New York's Addiction Treatment System Into Chaos—Then Reversed in 24 HoursIn January, the Trump administration sent termination letters to thousands of mental health and addiction programs nationwide. New York's safety net scrambled. Then, 24 hours later, the money came back. But the chaos didn't end there.March 20, 20268 min read
researchtreatmentoverdoseFederal Study Shows Ozempic and Weight-Loss Drugs Cut Addiction Deaths by Half—What It Means for New YorkFederal researchers report the first medication that works against addiction to alcohol, opioids, nicotine, cocaine and cannabis simultaneously. The unexpected finding came from diabetes and weight-loss drugs already prescribed to millions.March 18, 20268 min read
newsfederalfundingFederal Government Announces $100M 'STREETS' Program to Connect Homeless People With Addiction to Housing and TreatmentThe new STREETS Initiative marks a departure from prior harm reduction policies, directing $100 million toward outreach, psychiatric care, and housing for Americans experiencing homelessness and addiction.March 16, 20267 min read
newsmedicaidfundingFederal Medicaid Probe Threatens Coverage for 1.7 Million New Yorkers — Including Those Seeking Addiction TreatmentThe Trump administration has opened a fraud investigation into New York's $124 billion Medicaid program, threatening to freeze payments if the state doesn't respond within 30 days. For the 1.7 million New Yorkers who depend on Medicaid-funded health care—including thousands in addiction treatment—the stakes couldn't be higher.March 13, 20268 min read
newstreatmentmatNYC's Largest Hospital System Just Released Its Year-Two Addiction Treatment Report. Here's What Changed.The city's public hospital system expanded street outreach, emergency-based addiction treatment, and contingency management programs as part of its three-year Behavioral Health Blueprint.March 5, 20268 min read
newstreatmentpolicyNYC's Largest Hospital System Will Pay Patients to Stay in Addiction TreatmentThe city's public hospital system is rolling out a new approach to addiction treatment that pays patients small rewards for hitting recovery goals—starting with people involuntarily removed from the streets under controversial mental health laws.March 4, 20268 min read
opioidfentanyloverdoseFederal Lab Develops New Drug That Could Cut Fentanyl Overdose Recovery Time in HalfLawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers have developed subetadex, a new compound that cuts fentanyl overdose recovery time from 35 to 17 minutes and remains active in the body for 7.5 hours — compared to Narcan's 30-80 minutes.March 3, 20268 min read
telehealthbuprenorphineopioidFederal Rule Lets Doctors Prescribe Addiction Medication Over Video Calls Through End of 2026Federal agencies extended telehealth flexibilities for prescribing buprenorphine—a medication to treat opioid use disorder—through the end of 2026, allowing New Yorkers to access addiction treatment remotely without an initial office visit.March 2, 20264 min read
deep-diveopioidtreatmentMethadone Treatment Tripled Since 2010, But Most New Yorkers With Opioid Use Disorder Still Can't Get ItNew research reveals methadone treatment has tripled since 2010, yet three out of four people with opioid use disorder receive no medication at all. A pending federal bill could change how New Yorkers access this life-saving treatment.February 20, 20268 min read
policyfederaltreatmentNew Federal Rules for Addiction Treatment Records Just Took Effect. Here's What Patients in New York Should Know.For decades, addiction treatment records were governed by some of the strictest privacy rules in American healthcare. On February 16, federal enforcement of sweeping updates to those rules officially began. What changed, what stayed the same, and what it means for New Yorkers seeking help.February 19, 20266 min read
federalfundingtreatmentKennedy Announces $100M Federal Plan to Link Homeless Americans to Addiction TreatmentThe Trump administration's first major addiction policy move pairs $100 million in new federal funding with a sharp break from harm reduction — a combination that has addiction medicine providers watching closely.February 18, 20263 min read
treatmentresidentialnew-yorkLong Island Gets New York's First Residential Addiction Program Built Specifically for Young AdultsNew York has hundreds of residential treatment programs, but until now, none were built around the specific needs of young adults. A new facility in Brentwood is trying to change that — and the gap it's filling says something about how the state thinks about addiction in people under 25.February 18, 20266 min read
policyfundingalcoholNew York Bill Would Make Alcohol Sales Fund Addiction Treatment StatewideBronx Senator Nathalia Fernandez is pushing three bills that would create the first dedicated alcohol tax revenue stream for addiction services in New York — at a moment when the state has never made drinking easier to access.February 17, 20265 min read
opioidfundingtreatmentRochester Just Got a New Opioid Clinic. Here's Where New York's Settlement Billions Are Going.New York has distributed more opioid settlement money than any other state. A new clinic in Rochester shows what that looks like on the ground — and a transparency controversy shows what it doesn't.February 17, 20268 min read
fundingfederalsamhsaSAMHSA Sends $794 Million in Block Grants to States for Mental Health and AddictionThe federal government sent nearly $800 million to states and territories for addiction treatment and mental health services — the largest single block grant distribution of the year, covering everything from community clinics to substance abuse prevention.February 17, 20263 min read
