Recently, journalists have targeted Portland, OR as the exemplar for an emergent debate: as the addiction crisis rages on, are policies that decriminalize low-level drug crimes helping or hurting?

The disparities faced by the LGBTQ+ community in addiction treatment demand our attention. Understanding the specific challenges and consequences is crucial for promoting inclusivity and improving outcomes. It is our collective responsibility in the medical field to address these disparities through increased support, research, and advocacy.

I’ve been a nurse in Ohio for three decades and, for the past ten years, I’ve been focused on Opioid Use Disorder patients. I have never seen a more effective model than the collaborative, whole-patient approach at Boulder Care.

Telehealth treatment for opioid addiction is working. Pandemic flexibilities helped Americans access life-saving medications like buprenorphine without increasing misuse. So why are we going backward? The DEA’s newly proposed “guardrails” are more aptly “roadblocks” for addiction patients and providers alike.

The DEA announced a proposal for new rules for prescribing controlled substances - including buprenorphine - that could impact telehealth patients and add a single in-person requirement. Boulder is prepared to help patients navigate this change and fight back to make treatment easy and accessible.

The COVID-era PHE made SUD care accessible in a profound new way. But that could all change once the PHE expires. Boulder has been preparing to ensure continuity of care for our current and future patients and is actively advocating for better regulations to help all people in need of addiction care.

When the stigma of abortion is added to other forms of stigma, dangerous forces multiply. From her work delivering both reproductive and SUD care to patients in need, Dr. Amy Potter shares her firsthand perspective about the impact of the SCOTUS ruling.

Mia Michalak, one of Boulder's clinicians, explains why a new, stronger version of the overdose medication, Narcan, may not be helpful to those who need it most.

Ronny B, a Peer Specialist, describes his journey to recovery and how essential it is to make a safe space for people to seek help without fear of rejection.

Boulder Care’s Medical Director, Alyson Smith, and Community Justice expert, Jeremy Hubbard, explain why incarceration creates such dangerous situations for SUD patients -- and what can be done about it.

Ben MacLean, Boulder's General Counsel, explains how laws and regulations can fight against patients with SUDs and stand in the way of better treatment options.

Alyson Smith, Boulder Care’s Medical Director, shares how rewarding working with SUD patients has been for her and how urgent the need is for more clinicians to do the same.

Casey D, a Peer Specialist, shares her story with Where To Next, a blog by Acumen America, explaining the critical role that peer specialists pay in patients’ recovery journeys.

Jeremy Hubbard discusses what he learned in his 16 year career as a parole officer about what the criminal justice system gets wrong around substance use disorder, treatment, and helping inmates with addictions.