Awakening Founder: Fewer Overdose Deaths Is Great. Now We Need a Holistic Recovery Strategy.

In a recent article he posted to LinkedIn, David van der Velde explores why Los Angeles County's encouraging decline in overdose deaths — nearly 30% from its 2022 peak — should be celebrated as a starting point, not a finish line.

David argues that while saving lives from acute overdose is sacred work, survival and recovery are not the same thing, and a serious public strategy must measure the whole person: mental health, housing stability, treatment engagement, family connection, and long-term wellbeing.

Read the full article on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fewer-overdose-deaths-great-news-now-we-need-holistic-van-der-velde-w0bjc/