Top 10 Blog Posts of 2017

December 27, 2017

The ATTC/NIATx Service Improvement Blog covered a variety of topics in 2017, ranging from cultural competence and technology to the opioid epidemic, marijuana legalization, and process improvement.

We thank the many guest bloggers and ATTC Network staff who contributed posts and shared their unique perspectives and views with our audience— which now includes readers on six continents!

Here's a list of our Top 10 Posts of 2017,  ranked by number of page views:

1. African American History Month and Addictions Recovery: Featuring the Online Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment, and Recovery  "The museum offers the historic and current context of treatment and recovery for African Americans seeking recovery," write guest bloggers Mark Sanders and Gabriel Perez.

2. Marijuana legalization is a process and we haven't reached the midway point: "Some people used to think legalization meant the same old same old, just without the arrests. We’re far enough into legalization to realize how naïve those beliefs were, but we’re not yet far enough in to have much of an inkling of where this movement will take us," wrote guest blogger Jon Caulkins, Professor of Operations Research and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

3. Responding to the opioid epidemic: "We should be marching in the streets over the state of opioid use disorder treatment," wrote Ned Presnall, Executive Director of Clayton Behavioral in St. Louis, Mo.

4. Cultural competence and organizational change: Meet the researcher, Dr. Erick Guerrero:  "Any essential quality for working with those that have been underserved is empathy," said Dr. Guerrero in this interview-based blog post.

5.  What do med students and prescribers need to know about opioid use disorders? Caroline Miller, Director of Wisconsin Voices for Recovery, wrote about a survey of med students' and their training related to substance use disorders. The survey found that one of the top things med students want to know is how to talk to patients about addiction.

6. Marijuana policy: Science matters: Susan Weiss, NIDA's Director of the Division of Extramural Research, wrote: "Science, not emotion, needs to guide our thinking as society implements new policies related to marijuana."

7. Changing the world's relationship with alcohol through mobile technology: Chris Raine, Founder of Hello Sunday Morning, an online community focused on changing they way people use (or don't use) alcohol, wrote about Daybreak, a new online tool that he and his team have created. The goal: to support 300,000 high-risk drinkers in changing their relationship with alcohol.

8. The quickest way to reduce time to treatment: NIATx coaches agree: Offering walk-in appointments or same day service helps organizations reduce time to treatment and increase revenue.

9. Introducing The BASIS: Your portal to addiction science and resources: Heather Gray of Cambridge Health Alliance announced this new weekly resource that brings research to the real world.

10. PPW Project Echo: Building capacity to provide care for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders: Sarah Knopf-Amelung, Senior Project Manager for the ATTC Center of Excellence on Behavioral Health for Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Their Families shared info on this telehealth tool that's changing the way healthcare providers deliver best practice care.

Which 2017 blog post(s) were your favorite(s)?

Let us know in the comment section below—and be sure to tell us what topics you'd like to see in the ATTC/NIATx Service Improvement Blog in 2018!

Best wishes for a Happy New Year!