News
NCDHHS offers free virtual therapy to justice-impacted teens
NCDHHS is partnering with Talkspace, an online therapy platform, to offer free virtual services to justice-impacted youth. Teens aged 13-17 are now eligible.
Opinion
Social work licensure compact would be game changer for rural NC
The SWLC would allow licensed social workers to provide their services across state lines without having to go through multiple re-licensure processes.
Opinion
Schools are moving to ban smart phones in class. Research suggests it’s the right move.
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s new book, “The Anxious Generation,” lays out the latest research on what constant screen time is doing to America’s youth. And the trends are very troubling. Haidt shows how mental health problems, sleep deprivation, social isolation, suicide attempts, and attention fragmentation have all spiked among youth and suggests a direct link to...
Opinion
For young men falling behind, embracing discomfort can help
When I tell my friends and colleagues that I’ve started taking ice baths each day, I usually get the same quizzical look. And I can understand why. Why I would willfully submerge myself in sub-40 degree-Fahrenheit water for six minutes is a real headscratcher. Our auto response as human beings is to seek comfort and...
Opinion
Thank you, North Carolina, for saving the lives of veterans in crisis
Thanking a veteran for his or her service to our country is nice, yes. But the needs of the veteran community across the country are more dire than a pleasantry and platitude: it is urgent, and we must put action behind gratitude. Thankfully, the state government of North Carolina has created true courses of action...
Opinion
NC’s move toward alternate crisis response will allow police to focus on crime
What happens when dialing 9-1-1 doesn’t involve criminal activity? Traditionally, overburdened and shrinking law enforcement agencies are the first responders to calls involving complex social issues like homelessness, mental health crises, and substance abuse. It’s a dual role that demands a balance of authority and compassion, and for the past 50 years, North Carolina has...
Opinion
Solitary confinement worsens mental health crisis in NC prisons
Imagine being locked in a 6-foot by 8-foot closet for 22 to 24 hours a day with no access to natural light, only glaring florescent light or complete darkness. In that cramped space add a single bed, an uncovered toilet with a sink attached, and a small desk, all bolted to the concrete floor. Imagine...
Opinion
Stand for something
It is nearing a wrap on summer of 2023, and kids are heading back to school. We’ve come a long way in three short years. Three years ago, millions of North Carolinians saw an unsure future for their families here. Today, that dark time is still a reality for some of them. Even if those...
Opinion
Veterans face a new crisis at home. First responders can help.
For a veteran, a return from combat does not mean that the war has ended. Instead, many veterans return fighting on a new frontline — their own minds. The horrors of war on and off the battlefield are nuanced and far-reaching, and it is deeply personal. As a military spouse to a retired Army Ranger...
Opinion
Avoiding reefer madness in NC
Generally, this Friday column is about something outrageous. This one is more just a call for caution as North Carolina is likely poised to open the door to medicinal marijuana next week. As we do so, it will be important to consider the experiences of other states and the latest research on the mental health...
Opinion
As NC overdose deaths continue to rise, can involuntary commitment help save lives?
According to the N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office, 4,243 North Carolinians died of suspected drug overdoses in 2022. This was a 7% increase over the year before, which was a 26% increase over the previous year, which was a 17% increase over the year before that, and on and on, as can be seen in the...
Opinion
Time to end Durham jail’s inhumane COVID lockdowns
Durham County Detention Center is maintaining a policy of keeping their inmates almost entirely in solitary confinement, allegedly over fears of COVID. But the risk of COVID-related death on young men, who make up the vast majority of the jail’s population, is very low. A much greater risk for the incarcerated is suicide, and decades...
