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Jay Bradley/LehighValleyNews.comDespite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. -
Makenzie Christman/LehighValleyNews.comXylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.
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Behavioral health services are moving from the current Allentown VA clinic. Veterans will soon receive mental health treatment at a new office. -
Hasshan Batts, executive director of Promise Neighborhoods of Lehigh Valley, has been named a Fulbright Specialist. He will travel abroad to share his expertise with other countries in areas of violence prevention and health care.
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On the heals of Black Maternal Health Week, doctors, nurses, doulas, administrators, and legislators come together to address the rate at which black and brown people are dying during child birth.
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After closing its doors in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, New Bethany South Side Drop-in reopened on Monday.
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Chris Yarnell is working to help Veterans.
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The offices that help Pennsylvanians keep their Medicaid benefits are facing persistent vacancies and a heavy workload. Advocates and staff fear people could lose coverage as a result.
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Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after six weeks of inpatient treatment for clinical depression, with plans to return to the Senate in mid-April.
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The students of Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Bethlehem are planning a mental health awareness social media campaign.
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A six-month investigation found the state’s “competency” review system is so broken it often extends incarceration, which can exacerbate mental health issues.
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Born without legs and a victim of child abuse, Zion Clark is a motivational speaker and athlete who shared his story through a Netflix documentary. He will be in Allentown to speak to the public.
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The smoke may be clearing, but anxiety from the eerie event may stick with us. A Lehigh Valley therapist has some ways to get past the uneasy feelings left behind after this week's smoke-filled skies.
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Allentown school board is considering whether Raub Middle School would benefit from a $1.2 million grant where several community groups would work with at-risk middle school students over two years, under a proposed plan.
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The bill, spearheaded by state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, would dedicate American Rescue Plan money to training mental health care providers, creating more suicide prevention programs and supporting specialty courts.
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The 21st Century program is to help students with academic support and art and music enrichment.
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Loneliness, isolation and social disconnect are a public health crisis in the United States. Brittany Sweeney hosts a community conversation to examine the factors that contribute to isolation — and what we can do to avoid it.
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A housing facility for inmates with severe mental illness is now open in Northampton County. The Shiloh Restoration Center will have 8-beds and provide mental and behavioral health support.
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The free classes will take place at Cedar Beach and ArtsWalk parks through June, with the Cedar Beach sessions extending through the summer. The classes are a partnership between the yoga studios and the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
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Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.
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A new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General warns of the harmful effects social media can have on the well-being of kids and teens. A psychologist from the University of Pennsylvania has advice for parents.
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A Lehigh Valley author is releasing a new self-help book on anxiety. He said he saw the need for more information on the topic following the pandemic.
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He is asking state lawmakers to approve $500 million to improve the emotional well-being of youth over the next five years
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The Lehigh Valley Employment Coalition connects people with disabilities to job opportunities. The connections made do not fill a position but have positive health outcomes for the employees.
