A Christmas Shift, a Quiet Hallway, and a Full Heart Christmas Day at 6:45 a.m., a nurse I used to work with texted me from the parking lot of her hospital. Snow on the windshield. Coffee in hand. A knot in her stomach. Her family was already gathering at home, but she was heading in for a 12-hour shift. She wrote, “I love my work. I really do. But today feels heavier than usual.” That one message captures the reality for many healthcare professionals during the holidays. You

Policy, Practice, and the Front Line Why We Paused and Why We’re Back We took a couple of weeks off from Vantage Policy Watch  to close out 2025 with intention. Budgets were finalized, contracts were renegotiated, staffing plans were stabilized, and leadership teams were making last-mile decisions that will shape 2026. That pause was strategic. But silence is no longer an option. It has been one heck of a month. In the span of a few weeks, executive actions, regulatory postur

By Jamelia Hand MHS CADC CODP I Digital literacy is no longer a “nice-to-have.” Youth and adults are already using AI, apps, online communities, trackers, and digital tools between sessions. Pretending otherwise is how we lose visibility, miss risk, and miss opportunities for engagement. Here’s how to operationalize digital literacy directly into the clinical workflow. Start Every Intake With a Digital Use Screen Make it as standard as asking about substances, sleep, or socia

By Jamelia Hand MHS CADC CODP I Ms. Denise sat at the conference table clutching a folder of clinical reports that didn’t tell the whole story. She had been coordinating care for a young man with co-occurring disorders who had cycled through emergency rooms, jail, outpatient therapy, and homelessness. Each provider did their part, but no one owned the full picture. Every week, she found herself stitching together fragmented updates from hospitals, social service agencies, MCO

By Jamelia Hand MHS CADC CODP I Marcus walked into treatment determined to get his life back. After an overdose and a terrifying wake-up call, he started buprenorphine and felt stable for the first time in years. His first few months were strong. But then the real world showed up: unpredictable work hours, childcare challenges, missed rides, and eventually a missed appointment that snowballed into two. No one followed up. No one closed the loop. Marcus drifted out of care qui

By: Jamelia Hand MHS CADC CODP I “I felt the weight of responsibility, but never the freedom to decide how to respond.” That’s how Lisa*, a middle manager in a community-based substance use treatment program, described her daily reality. She oversaw operational departments including client engagement and staff scheduling, with ever-evolving policies. Yet, despite the heavy burden, every decision, from hiring relief staff to adjusting therapy group formats, required approval f

What are the potential implications for SUD and MH providers? So, Let’s Start with What Happend? Congress approved a short-term funding package to reopen the federal government after a record 43-day shutdown. The Senate moved first, followed by a narrow House vote. The President signed the bill, restoring agency operations and pay for federal employees. Reporting indicates House passage was 222–209 and that agencies are now directing staff to report and resume normal function