Recovery In The Time Of COVID by Ashley Brody

Each May, we celebrate the progress of the recovery movement and acknowledge many obstacles yet to be overcome.  The COVID pandemic presents a singular challenge to the mental health of so many this year, and not merely because it poses grave physical and economic hazards injurious to emotional stability.  Interventions …

A message from Search for Change, Inc. CEO Ashley Brody in regards to COVID-19

Greetings, everyone.  As public health concerns regarding COVID-19 intensify, many have expressed concern about the vulnerable individuals entrusted to our agency’s care, some of whom experience chronic conditions that place them at heightened risk. We share these concerns and are closely following the advice and counsel of healthcare professionals and …

A Root Cause of the Opiate Drug Abuse Epidemic by Ashley Brody

Behavioral Health News Winter 2020 Issue An epidemic of opiate abuse and addiction continues to ravage communities throughout the United States. Approximately 183,000 Americans succumbed to opiate overdoses between 1999 and 2015, and countless more have suffered the ancillary effects of addiction that include the loss of employment, shattered relationships, …

A Dedicated but Neglected Workforce: A Clarion Call for Change

The social service agencies on which vulnerable New Yorkers depend rely heavily on the state government for financial support inasmuch as they act as extensions of it in fulfilling many responsibilities that would otherwise be borne by the public sector. Nevertheless, the period following the Great Recession (i.e., 2011 to …

Marijuana and the Movement Toward Legalization

I was fully in favor of the legalization of marijuana for recreational use…until recently.  This might come as a surprise to some.  For the past 25 years, I’ve worked in the behavioral healthcare field and witnessed the adverse effects of various substances (both legal and illicit) on vulnerable individuals.  Why …