Episode 75: Substance Use: A Public Health Approach

Substance use issues often co-occur with mental health challenges. For people and communities struggling with both, our lack of a fully integrated, person-centered, prevention-oriented public health system exacts a heavy toll. Partly in response to the opioid crisis, there is now growing momentum toward policy changes that emphasis treatment and prevention rather than stigma and incarceration. This openness to new approaches has made its way to Texas, just in time for the 86th Legislature which got underway last month. Shannon Hoffman, policy fellow for the Hogg Foundation, is an expert on substance use policy and is following this issue in the state Legislature closely. She is here to help us break down this broad and complex area of policy, and help us understand why Texans may have cause for optimism this session.