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CBHA Public Newsletter
October 21st, 2021
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A Message From CBHA Leadership: Youth to Older Adult Advocacy - We Do it All
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Dear Colleagues,
CBHA invites you to join us in celebrating Filipino American History Month commemorating the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States, which occurred on October 18, 1587, when "Luzones Indios" came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California. In 2009, U.S. Congress recognized October as Filipino American History Month in the United States. Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian American group in the nation and the third-largest ethnic group in California, after Latinas/os and African Americans. Uplifting and listening to our Filipino American brothers and sisters as we advocate for behavioral health policy changes must be prioritized. Please check out this Los Angeles Times article, "How the Philippines' colonial legacy weighs on Filipino American mental health" to learn more.
CBHA is proud to be advocating for a wide range of behavioral health issues. On October 8th, 2021 Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 14 (Portantino) into law, broadening the definition of excused student absences to include an absence for the benefit of behavioral health of the student, with parity to physical excused absences. The bill also recommends that the California Department of Education identify youth behavioral health training that will equip school personnel and students with skills to recognize the signs and symptoms of behavioral health disorders (mental health and substance use disorders), provide knowledge of local resources and services, safely de-escalate crisis situations involving individuals with a mental health challenge, and reduce stigma and increase help-seeking behavior. Click here to read our press release.
CBHA represented our members at a Bill Signing & Appointment Ceremony on Aging with Governor Newsom. CBHA was invited due to our seat on California's Master Plan For Aging. The group included small sets of stakeholders, community leaders, and elected officials, including Senator Monique Limon and Senator Henry Stern. CBHA was the only behavioral health organization present. Governor Newsom signed two pieces of legislation and announced the appointments of Kimberly McCoy Wade as Senior Advisor on Aging, Disability, and Alzheimer's for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom and Susan DeMarois as the Director of the California Department of Aging. CBHA congratulates Kimberly McCoy Wade and Susan DeMarois and looks forward to working with them to support older adults' behavioral health. CBHA was also proud to be highlighted during the California Health and Human Services Agency's Behavioral Health Task Force Meeting.
Finally, CBHA is thrilled MolinaCares Accord is including us in the California Equity and Accessibility Initiative investment! The funds will support training for staff at the 13 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call Centers of which 5 are CBHA member agencies. CBHA is committed to continuing to work with the Newsom Administration and allied organizations like MolinaCares to support the program to allow this life-saving work to continue. Click here to read our press release.
CBHA is proud to be at the table as we form policies to support the full gamut of behavioral health providers across the state. Please see the critical announcements below to help support the behavioral health of all Californians.
In Service,
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Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
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Provider Relief Fund Application Closing Soon!
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The application is STILL OPEN for Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural payments—but only until October 26! PRF Phase 4 is open to a broad range of healthcare providers who have been impacted by COVID-19. ARP Rural is open to Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers who serve rural patients. You may be eligible if you deliver health care, services, and/or support in a medical setting, at home, or in the community.
You can apply here. Applications must be submitted by October 26, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Visit hrsa.gov/provider-relief for more information including application resources and technical assistance webinars that offer guidance on the application process and portal.
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Governor Newsom Signs ‘Momnibus’ Act to Tackle Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health
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Earlier this month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 65, the California Momnibus Act, designed to improve maternal and infant outcomes – particularly for families of color. Authored by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) with support from maternal health and racial justice groups across the state, the bill will improve research and data collection on racial and socio-economic factors that contribute to higher rates of maternal and infant mortality in communities of color.
“Every individual deserves to have a healthy pregnancy and birth, and this bill will help make this a reality for more California families,” said Governor Newsom. “It is unacceptable that the maternal and infant mortality rate among Black and Indigenous communities remains significantly higher than the state average. California is committed to tackling discrimination and disparity whenever and wherever it occurs and with today’s signing, we’re doubling down on our commitment to both reproductive and racial justice.”
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Department of Health Care Access and Information Officially Launches With New Name, Expanded Program Portfolio
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Earlier this month, the former Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) publicly embraced its evolution to the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) with the official launch of its new name and updated website reflecting its expanding program portfolio.
This process was set in motion with the enactment of the 2021-22 state budget, which recognized OSPHD’s growing responsibilities made it time to recast and modernize the office as a state department.
“After more than 40 years of service to the people of California as OSHPD, today we embark on a new era as our collection of programs grows to provide additional services to the Golden State,” said HCAI Director Elizabeth Landsberg. “Our core OSHPD programs remain as we expand our programs and take a broader strategic approach to help expand the health workforce to meet California’s diverse needs and communities.”
The new HCAI is committed to expanding equitable access to health care for all Californians — ensuring every community has the health workforce they need, safe and reliable health care facilities, and health information that can help make care more effective and more affordable.
Some of the changes taking place at HCAI include:
- The launch of the new website, HCAI logo and branding.
- Creating a California Health Workforce Education and Training Council to provide guidance on statewide health workforce education and training needs.
- Developing a new California Health Workforce Research Data Center that will serve as the state’s central hub of health workforce information.
- Updating our data programs, including greater flexibility with the outcomes reporting on surgical cardiac procedures and improved access to birth and death data.
Learn more by clicking the button below!
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The FDA authorizes Moderna and J&J COVID vaccine boosters
- NPR
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"The Food and Drug Administration authorized booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson following unanimous votes by a committee of independent advisers backing the boosters last week.
In a related decision, the FDA also authorized boosters that differ from the vaccine originally used to immunize a person against COVID-19. So, for instance, a person who got a Johnson & Johnson vaccine could receive one from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech as a booster.
"The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated," said the FDA's acting commissioner, Dr. Janet Woodcock, in a statement. "The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease."
On Thursday, a committee of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to meet to discuss COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and make recommendations on their use. The CDC director makes the final call on vaccine guidelines. After the CDC issues its guidance, the rollout can begin officially."
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Colin Powell, first Black US secretary of state, dies of Covid-19 complications amid cancer battle - CNN
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" Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state whose leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape American foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, has died from complications from Covid-19, his family said on Facebook. He was 84.
Powell had multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells that suppresses the body's immune response, as well as Parkinson's, Peggy Cifrino, Powell's longtime chief of staff, confirmed to CNN. Even if fully vaccinated against Covid-19, those who are immunocompromised are at greater risk from the virus.
"We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," the family said."
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Report Released: The CCBHC Model's Impact on States
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There are currently 42 states with CCBHC-Expansion grantees, an initial support for providers that may help build on or toward the state-based CCBHC model. Of those states, ten states are now part of the CCBHC demonstration, three states passed legislation to develop the CCBHC model, and multiple other states are in conversations on the CCBHC model as well. This includes the alignment of the CCBHC model and 988, the National Suicide Prevention hotline.
National Council is available for any discussions on the CCBHC model at your convenience. For more information, please visit our CCBHC Success Center website by clicking the button below.
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We appreciate UST, long-time Affinity Member, for their partnerships that both provide our members exceptional services and sponsor our advocacy efforts.
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We appreciate our Business Associates for their partnerships that both provide our members exceptional services and sponsor our advocacy efforts.
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