Education

Child Wellness: Resources from the Fred Rogers Center

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Fred Rogers had deep compassion for the wellbeing of every child. Inspired by his legacy and drawing from his work, these resources were created and are offered to encourage and support children and caregivers on a variety of issues related to child wellness. These resources are developed and collected by staff of the Fred Rogers Center with support from faculty of Saint Vincent College, many community partners, and students in the Incubator 143 Lab. Extensive research is conducted in the Fred Rogers Archive to build a deep understanding of the many ways Fred worked to support children. This research guides each of the resources you will find below.

Addiction

Among PA Voters, Support For Legal Marijuana Defies Party Politics

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John Witzgall and Bob Bolus have a lot in common. Beyond retirement age and living in the Scranton area, they both voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Witzgall, 69, is a school bus driver. Bolus, 76, owns a trucking company. But when it comes to legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania, they are miles apart.

Addiction

Opponents Of Legalized Marijuana Speak Out

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It seems all but inevitable that New York State will legalize recreational marijuana sometime this year, now that the governor and leaders of the legislature all agree that it should happen. But a coalition of groups, including county sheriffs and the PTA, warn of moving too quickly.

Health

Heroin Vaccine To Be Tested In Syracuse

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Researchers at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse have joined those at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Health in advancing a novel approach to treating heroin addicts. They hope a heroin vaccine can be a factor in the fight against opioid addiction.

Government

PA Updates Plan To Fight Opioid Addiction

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Pennsylvania officials renewed their plans to respond to the opioid crisis that claimed 5,456 lives in the commonwealth in 2017. While some plans discussed at a Monday press conference are continuations of ongoing programs, officials did mention a few new or recent efforts.

In several European countries and Canada, patients with longterm opioid addiction are prescribed pharmaceutical grade heroin which they inject in clinics like the Patrida Medical Clinic in Berlin. Some addiction specialists want to pilot similar programs in the U.S.

Is New York Ready For Prescription Heroin?

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In some countries, doctors prescribe medical-grade heroin to patients with long-term addiction. Could it ever happen in New York? A new report from RAND Corporation outlines the pros and cons.

Health

Former Surgeon General: Opioid Addiction Shouldn’t Be Treated As A Crime

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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Treating opioid addiction as a crime isn’t an adequate way to deal with this crisis. That’s according to the 16th Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. David Satcher, who returned today to the University of Rochester Medical School, where he completed his residency in 1972 and received an honorary degree in 1995.

Health

Why 16 PA Counties Are Suing OxyContin Drug Maker

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HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – York County Solicitor Glenn Smith knows the county coroner’s phone number by heart. He calls often to get the most recent number of drug overdose deaths, a number that increases almost every day. “As of today?” said County Coroner Pam Gay. “Twenty-two confirmed, another 25 suspected.

Health

Poll Confirms Perceived Stigma Surrounding Drug Addiction

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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A recent poll illustrates the stigma surrounding drug addiction. More than three-quarters of New Yorkers who responded to a Siena College survey about the opioid crisis say the moral failings of those who are addicted is a contributing factor in the epidemic.

Addiction

PA Governor Renews 90-Day Opioid Disaster Declaration

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HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf speaks in an undated photo. The governor has renewed the 90-day “disaster emergency” declaration for the opioid crisis, a move that he says allows the state government to cut through some rules and help people struggling with addiction.

Addiction

PA Aims To Fight Drug addiction With Data

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HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – As the opioid epidemic ravages communities, the state has partnered with University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and the Aetna Foundation to combat the crisis. The Wolf administration hopes to improve its recently launched “opioid data dashboard,” an online, public tool that provides county-level information on things like the number of people saved with the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. Pitt’s role is to help interpret that data, while Aetna is providing a one-million dollar grant. Read full story here. 

Addiction

Cuomo Proposes Opioid Tax To Pay For Drug Epidemic

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SYRACUSE (WRVO) – One of the new sources of revenue included in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed executive budget is an opioid epidemic surcharge. The 2 cent tax per milligram of active opioid ingredient on pills would be levied on drug manufacturers.

Government

PA Governor Declares Opioid Crisis ‘Disaster Emergency,’ Waiving Regulations

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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Governor Tom Wolf has declared Pennsylvania’s opioid addiction epidemic a “disaster emergency.” Usually, that designation is reserved for things like floods or hurricanes. This is the first time a Pennsylvania governor has used it for a health issue. The move is designed to let the state cut through red tape to address the opioid crisis more quickly. Pennsylvania currently has the fourth-highest rate of addiction-related deaths in the country, and while many states are starting to see their rates level off or begin to fall, the commonwealth’s are rising.

Health

PA Governor Set To Declare Opioid Epidemic A Disaster Emergency

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Governor Tom Wolf is expected today to declare the heroin and opioid crisis in Pennsylvania a statewide emergency. He will use his authority to proclaim a disaster emergency, which is is normally reserved for cleanup and relief efforts after natural disasters or storms. READ FULL STORY HERE.

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Steuben County Pursues Legal Action Against Big Pharma Over Opioid Epidemic

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Steuben County plans to join the chorus of municipalities filing lawsuits over the opioid epidemic. The county legislature gave the unanimous go-ahead to pursue the lawsuit on Monday. Steuben is targeting major pharmaceutical companies and large prescribers. Large prescribers could mean places like hospital systems.  The decision came after the public urged legal action at forums in Bath, Corning and Hornell. The county population is relatively small, but still had 16 overdose deaths last year.  “The number is staggering in comparison to what we were looking at even five years ago.

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Supervised Injection Site Discussed At Tompkins County Legislature

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Advocates for a site where heroin users can safely inject in Ithaca brought their case before the Tompkins County legislature this week. The only operational supervised injection sites in North America are in Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto. There are none yet in the U.S.   Ithaca advocates, principally Dr. William Klepack, said injection sites help reduce the number of overdose-related deaths. Since supervised injection is illegal in New York state, however, one of the legislators’ main questions to advocates was what could be the next steps for supervised injection sites in Ithaca?   An answer to that came from the former Tompkins County district attorney.

Addiction
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Why Are So Many New York Counties Suing Big Pharma Over The Opioid Crisis?

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ITHACA (WSKG) – Back in the ‘90s, states sued big tobacco to pay for the costs of caring for smokers. Now, New York state counties, including Broome, are trying to sue big pharma over the opioid crisis. And Tompkins County is weighing whether it wants in. It’s pretty attractive. It’s free for the counties because their lawyers just get a cut of the winnings.

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PA’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Turns One Year Old

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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — One of the root causes of opioid addiction is over-prescription of addictive drugs. A major reason it occurs is the practice of doctor shopping–when people visit five or more prescribers in hopes of getting drugs.  Pennsylvania–along with a number of other states–is attempting to stop doctor shopping by requiring prescribers use a statewide drug monitoring program, which lets them consult a database before handing over opioids or certain anti-anxiety medications. The catalogue uses doctors’ input to track patients who may be shopping around. If a doctor shopper is identified, they’re given an option for treatment–a process known in the health industry as a “warm handoff.” The commonwealth’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program just hit its one-year anniversary, and Acting Health Secretary Doctor Rachel Levine said its impact has been encouraging.

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PA’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Turns One Year Old

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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — One of the root causes of opioid addiction is over-prescription of addictive drugs. A major reason it occurs is the practice of doctor shopping–when people visit five or more prescribers in hopes of getting drugs.  Pennsylvania–along with a number of other states–is attempting to stop doctor shopping by requiring prescribers use a statewide drug monitoring program, which lets them consult a database before handing over opioids or certain anti-anxiety medications. The catalogue uses doctors’ input to track patients who may be shopping around. If a doctor shopper is identified, they’re given an option for treatment–a process known in the health industry as a “warm handoff.” The commonwealth’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program just hit its one-year anniversary, and Acting Health Secretary Doctor Rachel Levine said its impact has been encouraging.

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NY State Money Announced For “Open Access” Centers To Connect People To Treatment

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New York State is putting up $450,000 each to fund nine “Open Access Centers.” According to the governor’s office, it’s a way to get people connected to addiction recovery services quickly. The sites will be 24-7. The governor’s office said the centers would immediately assess people who suffer from substance abuse, and refer them to appropriate treatment. Nine regions of the state will each get an Open Access center, including the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes. Central New York already has one planned, through Syracuse Behavioral Health.

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County Seeks Bidders For Drug Treatment At Broome Developmental

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The Broome Developmental Center is one step closer to becoming a site for addiction treatment.  New York’s Office of Addiction and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) will fund 50 beds for medically-supervised withdrawal in Building 1 of the Center, located in the Town of Dickinson. It could eventually have a hundred beds and include more services. In order to get a licensed provider, Broome County has issued a Request for Proposals. Democratic Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said details on other services will depend on the provider, but hand-offs to the next level of care will be necessary.  Garnar said local officials did bring community concerns to the state.

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High Expectations For Possible Treatment Site At Broome Developmental Center

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     The shuttered Broome Developmental Center has drawn significant community interest as a possible place for more addiction treatment and related services. But the kind of treatment facility may be a sticking point. In a region desperate for more treatment options, having this site seems like a rare opportunity: there are over one hundred beds, a gym, a cafeteria, access to public buses, and other amenities. The state closed BDC, previously a home for people with developmental disabilities, in 2016. People have been talking about the addiction treatment possibility since then. At a community meeting at the Broome Public Library back in May, there were a lot of residents like Kim Dempsey of Binghamton.

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Ithaca Detox Center To Open In One Year…Hopefully

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When people in Tompkins County need help with withdrawal symptoms, they have to go elsewhere. They often go to Syracuse or Binghamton. In 2015, 220 people left the county for detox help. But leaving the county isn’t necessarily what a patient wants, according to Angela Sullivan of the Alcohol and Drug Council of Tompkins County. “The need is absolutely there.

Addiction

How Addiction Is Like Riding A Bike

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What happens to your brain on drugs?

Dr. Ruben Baler, health scientist with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says it’s a learning process, and very difficult to unlearn. He spoke with WSKG’s Crystal Sarakas.

Episodes

Ithaca Wants Supervised Injection. Vancouver Already Has It.

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It’s the last Wednesday of the month in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood of Vancouver – the day when thousands of people living on the margins in this community get their monthly social assistance checks. The streets are full of activity, much of it drug-related.

Addiction

Is Supervised Injection Right For Ithaca?

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You probably heard about the supervised injection site Ithaca proposed last winter; a place where people could inject heroin more safely. Vancouver, British Columbia has had supervised injection since 2003, although it remains a political hot potato.

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New Bereavement Center Offers Recovery Support After Overdose Deaths

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People seeking bereavement counseling in the Southern Tier now have another option. Lourdes Hospice was already offering bereavement counseling, but had no space dedicated to it. Most of the employees were out in the field, and places to meet clients became harder to find. In the new Vestal facility, Lourdes has space for group counseling, family sessions, and has a playroom for children who are grieving. The room allows a lot of natural light to shine down on a small white table where kids can draw.

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Drug Intervention And Prevention Programs Seek Money From New York State

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Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo is seeking an increase in funding for addiction prevention programs in the upcoming New York state budget. In a letter to Governor Cuomo, Lupardo focuses on two Binghamton programs that she says have worked in the past. The Student Assistance Program, or SAP, is a school-based program from Lourdes Hospital that puts certified prevention counselors into schools. Jill Alford-Hammitt is the program manager. She says before money dried up, they had counseling programs in 10 school districts and today, they’re in only four.

Education

Otherside | Best Social Commentary 2015

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A group of students from Gilbertsville-Mount Upton School District in upstate New York take on the serious issue of addiction. This powerful depiction, through the eyes of youth, earned the categorical honor ‘Best Social Commentary’ in the 2015 Rod Serling Film Festival. Filmmakers are Will Schwartz, Tyler Lindsley, Charlene Heisler, Edward Prostak, and Shelby Burnside. https://youtu.be/4e_ngiPaKWk