SMART Initiative
@UT_SMART
Followers
263
Following
147
Media
277
Statuses
1K
The Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource for Tennessee (SMART) Policy Network was created in 2020 to support UT's efforts around substance misuse and abuse.
Joined October 2020
Investigation alleges that privately-managed #Medicare and #Medicaid plans exaggerate in-network #MentalHealth providers. Their 'ghost lists' feature many uncontracted or retired providers, creating hurdles for those needing #treatment. https://t.co/LyjyOJUXzS
medpagetoday.com
Watchdog report finds many that include providers who do not have contracts or are retired
0
0
1
Afghanistan once produced 80% of the world's #opium, and thus most of the world's #heroin. After the Taliban banned poppy farming in 2022, output impressively dropped 32%, but #methamphetamine and other synthetic drug seizures have surged by 50%. https://t.co/8xCi9i1JtM
bbc.com
Afghanistan used to produce more than 80% of global opium but a Taliban ban has cut that to a fraction.
0
0
1
Multiple #NorthCarolina #EMS can now administer short term #buprenorphine for withdrawal support, which evidence shows can bridge those at risk of #overdose to long term care. Will be interesting to see the results! https://t.co/3Lyx4fsicr
northcarolinahealthnews.org
Thirty EMS agencies across NC can administer buprenorphine in the field, bridging the gap between overdose and ongoing addiction treatment.
0
0
2
How will H.R. 1, or the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," impact #county budgets? @NACoTweets has provided an excellent analysis of this sweeping legislation, which makes some of the biggest changes to #FederalFunding policy in half a century. https://t.co/8kyS7BsGPc
naco.org
This report outlines how the federal cost shift and spending cuts pose a significant challenge to counties nationwide. It aims to clarify the scope of the potential impact, highlight key areas of...
0
1
1
The FDA is looking into the details of AI chatbots and how these are being used as unregulated sources of #MentalHealth "therapy." What comes from these talks could be truly interesting and informative for potential policy. https://t.co/dnYKdgPpcg
statnews.com
FDA's digital advisors could nudge the agency to clarify how its rules apply to medical applications of generative AI, including therapy chatbots.
0
0
0
Our nation's capitol really is beautiful, especially in autumn. Wonderful to be back for the @NACoTweets #Opioid Solutions Leadership Network to speak with other organizations doing the same work that SMART and #TCSA are engaged in, helping #counties overcome the #OverdoseCrisis.
0
1
1
#County #jails are key to #recovery, with 80% of #Tennessee #crimes tied to drugs. We were excited to return to the annual Tennessee Corrections Institute Program Summit to connect with jail leaders on #OpioidSettlements and how SMART and @UT_CTAS can support new programs!
0
0
2
"#Addiction, at its core, is #memory’s dark side: an overlearned association between relief and a #substance, rehearsed until it becomes automatic. I learned this the hard way." https://t.co/0ykHgP6OEQ
statnews.com
“Sobriety didn’t restore the old version of me; it allowed me to build a new one from the driftwood of the past,” neuroscientist Steve Ramirez writes, invoking the ship of Theseus.
0
0
0
A deeper look into how #OpioidSettlement money was spent in 2024 across the U.S. Thankfully, the vast majority of funds are going to approved uses, even as various other examples of spending raise eyebrows. https://t.co/xbNAI6DPuF
kffhealthnews.org
States, counties, and cities are receiving millions in opioid settlement money to address the addiction crisis. The ways they spent the dollars in 2024 sometimes drew criticism from advocates and at...
0
0
0
An update to KFF's tracking of #OpioidSettlement expenditures. Excellent to see #Tennessee ranking among the highest in terms of transparency and rates of spending on evidence-based, approved uses. https://t.co/SaK3lSk5Nt
kffhealthnews.org
Local governments have received hundreds of millions of dollars from the opioid settlements to support addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts. Their spending decisions in 2024 were...
0
0
0
LISTEN HERE: https://t.co/w7Tx5LPKbN The #CriminalJustice system is vital for #recovery. Access to #resources in #jails is limited and expensive, especially in #rural #counties. Join @IncubatorGHAI's Libby Jones to discuss proposed #federal #bipartisan bills and solutions!
0
1
1
The bipartisan Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 passed the Senate on Oct 9 and is now in the House, reauthorizing key #grant programs for #reentry, including #housing, #SubstanceUseDisorder treatment, and #WorkforceDevelopment. https://t.co/9ElXCI4RSS
0
0
1
A new study has found #ketamine to be no different than #benzodiazepines for #Treatment-ResistantDepression, and calls for "recalibrated expectations of ketamine's #anti-depressant effects." https://t.co/EucfYjabWg
0
0
0
Banning people from #NursingHomes just because they take #MAT (say, with #burpenorphine or #methadone) is a violation of the #ADA, per this #settlement in #NorthCarolina. #treatment #MOUD
https://t.co/v9dMGBMW4W
statnews.com
The ADA is the basis of an agreement that keeps North Carolina nursing centers from excluding all people with addiction histories.
0
0
1
Another study has found that diagnosis of #OpioidUseDisorder were highest in #Tennessee last year. On the one hand, it continues to show the work we need to do, but on the other, it does prove that access to #treatment is improving! https://t.co/4r0N3tvY7Z
axios.com
The diagnosis rate has skyrocketed since 2021.
0
0
0
Stunning data reveals how frequently people with both moderate-severe #MentalHealth issues and co-occurring #SUD are arrested: they are 2% of the population yet 15% of arrests, with 1 in 9 being arrested annually, half of the time for simple possession. https://t.co/ekfEGWDUtp
pew.org
Policymakers are increasingly focused on justice system interactions with and outcomes for people with either mental illness or substance use disorders. What has received less attention, however, is...
0
1
1
#CookCounty, #Illinois has seen one of the largest reductions in #overdose deaths in the entire country, far above the national average. Learn about their strategies, which have involved #naloxone, #TestStrips, #spectrometers, and other efforts: https://t.co/pC0T1HOPMU
theguardian.com
The city has adopted a ‘multifactorial approach to a multifactorial problem’ and has seen a 37% reduction in deaths since the national peak of the crisis
0
0
1
There are a surprising number of affordable local #policy options to boost efforts to fight the #overdose crisis. #Peer navigators in the #ED, #MentalHealth and #Recovery focused #WorkforceDevelopment specialists, #treatment in #jails and more: https://t.co/APed5tjiMR
healthaffairs.org
By learning the lessons of previous successes, increasing access to treatment, supporting those in recovery, and strengthening local data systems, we can save lives and accelerate the downward...
0
0
1
This study found that #veterans with a #stimulant use disorder (like #meth or #cocaine) were 41% less likely to die if they received #ContingencyManagement. And this was all cause mortality, meaning dying from any cause, not just #overdose! https://t.co/m6PMaIOd5e
addictionpolicy.org
A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry finds that contingency management (CM)—a behavioral treatment that rewards individuals for meeting treatment milestones—can significantly...
0
0
0