Drug and Alcohol Communiqués

DHS-contracted providers of D&A services are encouraged to visit this page frequently. Announcements concerning policy changes and best-practices along with information dealing with conferences and staff development opportunities will be posted. Announcements will remain posted for two weeks and then deleted.

Monthly Provider Meetings

4:00 pm to 5:00 pm on the second Monday of each month. Human Services Building, Lower Level, One Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh 15222.

From the Federal Government

Surgeon General Advisory: Marijuana
The Surgeon General holds a press conference on his opinion of the effects of marijuana use in children, young adults and pregnant women.

SAMSHA White Paper: Opioid Use, Misuse and Overdose in Women
This white paper "explores what is currently known about the opioid epidemic, describes promising practices for addressing opioid-use-disorder prevention and treatment for women, and identifies areas that are less well-understood and may warrant further study."

Urgent

New DDAP Crisis Hotline 1-800-662-HELP (4357)(PDF, 197KB)
The new crisis hotline is active around the clock for use by individuals seeking immediate help due to a drug-related crisis. It is staffed 24/7 by persons who provide screening and referrals immediately.

CCBHO Issues Important Reminder re: Naloxone Prescriptions(PDF, 90KB)
Community Care Behavioral Health reminds drug treatment providers to make sure every member who is using opiates or has an opioid-use disorder also has a prescription for Naloxone.

Health Department Director Issues Standing Naloxone Order for Pharmacies(PDF, 246KB)
Allegheny County Health Department Director Dr. Karen Hacker issued a countywide standing order for naloxone, or Narcan. The standing order allows any licensed pharmacy in the county, which chooses to participate, to dispense naloxone to individuals at risk of a heroin or opioid-related overdose, or those who may witness one.

How to Prevent a Death Due to Opioid Overdose
Learn how to prepare for, recognize and respond to an opioid overdose.

The Opioid Overdose Toolkit
In honor of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Office of National Drug Control Policy joined other federal partners released the Opioid Overdose Toolkit. The Toolkit, developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, provides information on overdose prevention, treatment and recovery for first responders, prescribers, and patients.