Behavioral Health

It is critical that Louisiana residents be aware that fentanyl-laced pills are being marketed online and on social media.

This May, observed annually as Mental Health Awareness Month, the Louisiana Department of Health is launching a campaign to raise awareness of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The Lifeline is available 24/7 to anyone in mental health distress or who may be worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. 988 crisis counselors are trained to help reduce the intensity of a situation for the person seeking help and connect them to additional local resources, as needed, to support their wellbeing.

Now in its 20th year, Problem Gambling Awareness Month coincides with March Madness as an opportunity to raise awareness of problem gambling.

These initiatives, titled Services from the Start: Providing Behavioral Health Support for Louisiana Families, focus on improved access to early childhood, adolescent and family behavioral health services.

On 11/09/22, OBH released a Request for Information (RFI), for entities interested in coordinating many aspects of the ECSS program. Responses to the RFI were due on December 30, 2022. OBH received three (3) responses to the RFI.

The annual Synar Report describes the progress Louisiana and other states have made in enforcing youth tobacco access laws and future plans to reduce youth tobacco access rates as required by the federal Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 300x–26]. The law requires all states to have in effect a law making it unlawful for any manufacturer, retailer, or distributor of tobacco products to sell or distribute any such product to any individual under the age of 18, and to conduct random, unannounced inspections to ensure compliance with the law. States are required to report this information annually to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP).

Drug-involved overdose deaths in Acadiana increased by 219% from 2016 to 2021

FY 2023 plan addresses preventative health, workforce expansion and diversification, transparency and accountability, and many more health issues facing Louisianans