Rachel Shuster, BSN, RN, CARN, CAAP, FIAAN on LinkedIn: It was an honor to present “The Impaired Professional: Helping the… | 10 comments (2024)

It was a pleasure presenting “Words Matter: Stigmatizing Language and Imagery in Behavioral Health” today at the 2024 Advocacy Against Stigma Conference! ❤️

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🔊Volume up! 🔊#SelfLove, especially when it comes to #bodyimage, starts young. It's an ongoing journey of learning and unlearning for me, as I try to love myself — just as I am — every single day. But alongside my own growth, there's my role as a parent, aiming to instill a strong foundation of self-love and positive body image in my little one... So when I came across this sing-along book on TikTok, I just had to hit that checkout button! 📖🎶Ever since it arrived a few days ago, the book has become a staple of our nap-time and bedtime routines. 😴 Listen to see how quickly my little man has embraced the beautifully written lyrics. 🥹❤️

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"It is now a fallacy to believe, 'I'm doing my part to end addiction. I don't prescribe opioids!' We are in the era of illicit fentanyl andthatis what is killing our family members, not prescription medications. Overprescribing is a dark part of our past, but the problem now is fentanyl -- cheap, easily available, and a ubiquitous adulterant in street drugs. We know how to treat pain responsibly and we need to know that even when legitimate prescribing of opioids decreases,overdose deaths increasebecause people in pain often turn to the street for relief, where they unknowingly find counterfeit pills filled with fentanyl."

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CDC recently released a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) comparing administration of 8-milligram and 4-milligram intranasal Naloxone. Findings from this MMWR are highlighted below: In 2021, the FDA approved an 8-mg intranasal naloxone formulation for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose. In response to concerns of potential risks of higher-dose naloxone, including severe withdrawal symptoms, a field test was conducted in 2022 by NYSDOH in partnership with New York State Police comparing the use of 8-mg and 4-mg intranasal naloxone by law enforcement personnel. The study aimed to evaluate survival rates, doses administered, post-naloxone adverse events, and hospital transport refusal. ▶ Despite the increased concentration of naloxone in the 8-mg formulation, the study found 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. ▶ However, recipients of the 8-mg product were 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 compared to those receiving the 4-mg. Opioid withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, sweating, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Findings suggest that higher-dose naloxone administration by law enforcement may not offer additional benefits in terms of survival or dosage requirement, while potentially increasing the prevalence of adverse effects like withdrawal symptoms. This underscores the importance of evidence-based approaches in public health interventions and calls for further research to inform the use of higher-dose naloxone.

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#WordsMatter ... We must ALL work to intentionally shift away from stigmatizing language when speaking or writing about behavioral health challenges, including substance use!

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"So, why is it underutilized? Because of legal, logistical, philosophical, and ethical considerations that get in the way of access."Legally, cash incentives conflict with federal and stateanti-kickback laws. Community-based substance use treatment programs face criminal penalties for providing rewards for any services that are reimbursable by federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. While small incentives may be no more than $75 per year, large incentives of $400-$600 (which are needed for effective contingency management) are not permissible under federal anti-kickback statues."Furthermore,treatment protocolsthat incorporate contingency management can be logistically challenging and require intensive human resources. Providers need training on how to implement escalating incentive protocols that offer increasing reward amounts with longer periods of abstinence. Fidelity to treatment protocols is essential to treatment efficacy."Lastly, opponents of this treatment plan take issue with providing monetary rewards to people who use tobacco or drugs because of the concern that people mayuse their rewards to purchase tobacco or drugs. Others express that people might 'game the system' by demonstrating abstinence to receive cash but not exhibit real motivation to quit."These barriers are real, but not insurmountable."

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"The greatest potential for this lifesaving medicine will only be achieved if it is truly accessible to everyone."https://lnkd.in/ez-_gZJg

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My heart is so full! 🩶 The Center on Center officially opened its doors to the recovery community on Friday 4/26, and it was perfect. I was elated to see so many faces I hadn’t seen in far too long. 🥰 We had over 100 guests, including my good friend, Michelle Reilly, NCPRSS, CRS/CFRS, who totally surprised me by driving almost an hour to see the Center and support us❣️🥹I would be remiss not to mention that this labor of love is a testament to the unwavering support of countless individuals, including folks not pictured here. And the journey is not over; we will continue to meet, plan, improve, and do… because we recognize just how important this place is and will continue to be for our community. ⭐️

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When I was pregnant, one of my OBGYN providers previously worked for one of Pittsburgh's large health systems, and due to a noncompete, they were forced to find work outside the immediate area for a period of time (years, but not sure how many) before they were able to return to Pittsburgh and work for the "competing" health system where I was accessing care.

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