Research-backed articles, clinical guidance, and addiction recovery resources
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released its 2025 overdose surveillance figures last month, and the Valley pattern looks different from the county average. NHBH's Dr. Sumitra Bose walks through what the new numbers say about fentanyl saturation, polysubstance overdoses, and what families in Winnetka, Northridge, and Canoga Park should know about emergency response and post-overdose treatment options.
Fentanyl is no longer a separate drug category in LA County — it is in nearly every street opioid, many counterfeit pills, and an alarming share of stimulant samples. This briefing translates the toxicology data into plain English for parents, partners, and adult children: how to recognize exposure, why naloxone matters, and what same-day detox can look like at NHBH when someone is ready.
"Aren't you just trading one drug for another?" remains the single most common question families ask our medical team. The answer, supported by twenty years of clinical research, is no — and the reason matters. Dr. Bose explains how buprenorphine works on opioid receptors, why the comparison to heroin or fentanyl is medically inaccurate, and what NHBH's medication-assisted treatment protocol actually looks like inside residential care.
Vivitrol (extended-release naltrexone) has been part of alcohol and opioid recovery for over a decade, but three persistent myths still keep eligible residents from trying it. Our Director of Addiction Medicine breaks down the actual mechanism, the most common side-effect profile, and why naltrexone often becomes a turning point for residents who have tried abstinence-only paths multiple times.
Both medications save lives for opioid use disorder, but they work differently, fit different lives, and carry different daily logistics. This article walks through the seven clinical questions our medical team asks every resident during the medication conversation — from pregnancy considerations and dosing flexibility to take-home eligibility and long-term taper planning.
The connection between adverse childhood experiences and adult substance use is one of the most replicated findings in addiction research. Dr. Indira Pillai, our Clinical Director, summarizes the neurobiological picture for non-clinical readers and explains why NHBH's residential schedule centers trauma-focused CBT, neurofeedback, and creative-arts modalities rather than treating trauma as a side topic.
Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers in the Valley face an occupational trauma load that civilian frameworks rarely describe well. NHBH's clinical advisory committee has worked with LAFD peer support and LAPD's behavioral team for six years. This primer outlines what occupational trauma looks like, why standard treatment programs often miss it, and how our dual diagnosis pathway adapts care for first-responder residents and their families.
Our clinical team would rather talk than have you guess. Call any time, day or night — the same counselors who write these articles often answer the phone.