Advancing Public Policies for People with Mental Illness, Chemical Dependency or Developmental Disabilities
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New Program Helps Lockport Police Get Faster Response During Mental Health Calls - Niagara County
The Lockport Police Department will be among the first police departments in the state to test a collaboration with mental health officials that will allow video-conferencing with police supervisors who are on the scene of an incident.
LPD and the Niagara County Department of Mental Health are working with the Institute for Police, Mental Health & Community Collaboration on a new program that is giving three LPD lieutenants iPads equipped with Zoom, a video conferencing application. The Department of Mental Health has also been given three iPads as well to allow them to video conference with the lieutenants.
The state Senate has provided the funding for the organizations to pilot this program.
On Friday, LPD became the first police agency in the state to use the program. Three LPD lieutenants were trained on Tuesday with the iPads. Read more
here.
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Governor Cuomo Announces $187 Million in Funding to Strengthen and Preserve Access to High-Quality Health Care
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo last week announced $187 million in funding to support 25 statewide projects that will protect and transform New York State's health care system. This funding from the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program will improve patient care through the development of high-quality medical facilities and programs serving the inpatient, primary care, mental health, substance use disorder and long-term care needs of communities throughout the State.
For more information about the 25 awarded providers, the specific funding awarded and details about the awarded projects, click here.
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Using PSYCKES for Clinicians
August 13, 1 - 2:30 pm, OMH
HCBS Training Series: Balancing Choice and Risk
August 14, 1:30 - 3 pm, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services
Strategies for Collaborative Early Diversion Encounters
August 15, 1 - 2:30 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
PSYCKES Brief Clinical Summary
August 15, 3 - 4 pm, OMH
Effective Early Diversion Follow-up for Engaging Individuals in Services and Recovery
August 19, 1 - 2 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Enable Access to Client-Level Data in PSYCKES
August 20, 11 am - 12 pm, OMH
How To Build Effective Programs That Meet Payers' Focus On Social Determinants Of Health: Will The New Codes Pave The Way? (SDoH Series Part 2)
August 20, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Emergency Medical Services as Partners in Early Diversion Strategies
August 23, 1 - 2 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Effective Data and Information Sharing: Navigating Common Challenges
August 26, 12:30 - 2 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Serious Mental Illness/Substance Use Disorders and Tailoring FEP Programs to Serve Women
August 27, 1:30 - 3 pm, SAMHSA
Behavioral Health HEDIS® Measures: An Annual Update From NCQA©
August 29, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Accelerating Value-Based Payment in Federally Qualified Health Centers: Options for Medicaid Health Plans
August 29, 1 - 2:30 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies
PSYCKES Access and Implementation
August 29, 2 - 3 pm, OMH
Moving from Trauma-Informed to Trauma-Responsive Care Through Training, Referral and Treatment for Youth and Families
September 5, 1 - 2 pm, iSPARC |
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CLMHD BH Portal Webinar: Other Resources - Kids Well-being Indicators Clearinghouse
August 14: 12 - 12:30 pm, GTM
Children & Families Committee Meeting
August 20, 11:30 am - 1 pm, GTM
CLMHD BH Portal Webinar: Other Resources - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
August 28: 12 - 12:30 pm, GTM
SEPTEMBER 2019
CLMHD Office Closed - Labor Day
September 2
Executive Committee Call
September 4: 8 am
CLMHD Fall Full Membership Meeting
September 10-11, 2019, Crowne Plaza, Lake Placid
CLMHD BH Portal Webinar: Other Resources - Statewide Planning & Research Cooperative System (SPARCS)
September 25: 12 - 12:30 pm, GTM
Contact CLMHD for all Call In and Go To Meeting information, 518.462.9422
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New York State Adopts New Regulation to Expand and Improve Crisis Management Services Statewide
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) today announced the adoption of regulatory amendments that will allow for an expansion of the state's crisis response system while emphasizing person-centered recovery and rehabilitation in the community.
Updates and revisions to
14 NYCRR Part 589 create three Crisis Residential Programs categories: Residential Crisis Support, Intensive Crisis Residence, and Children's Crisis Residence.
Crisis residential programs are part of an expanding community-based continuum of care. They are designed to provide voluntary, short-term interventions to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The goal is to address the cause of each crisis and help these individuals to return to their communities. Read more here.
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The NYS Department of Health Announces Approval of Federal Medicaid Waiver to Improve Access to Care for Children with Complex Health Needs
The New York State Department of Health on Tuesday announced that a proposal for a new Medicaid model of care serving children throughout the state with complex health needs has been approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The new streamlined care model will improve access to Medicaid services and expand Medicaid coverage to home- and community-based care for more than 6,000 youth under age 21 who are faced with an array of serious health issues and otherwise could be forced to live in hospitals and other institutionalized settings.
"Expanding coverage of community-based and at-home healthcare services will allow children throughout the state to receive necessary services while remaining at home and in their communities," said Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health Dr. Howard Zucker. "New York State's Medicaid program continues to expand under Governor Cuomo's leadership, while we explore innovative healthcare delivery models that cut costs and improve outcomes." Read more
here.
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Mental Health Experts Talk About Breaking The Stigma #IAm1in5
Kenneth Houseknecht carries the memories of those he loves during the workday. He pulls on shared stories of mania and melancholia to help him execute his responsibilities as executive director for the Mental Health Advocates of Western New York.
So does Michele Brooks, the executive director of the National Alliance for Mental Illness Buffalo & Erie County.
One out of five American adults grapple with mental illness during any given year, and more than half will be diagnosed with a mental health illness or disorder in their lifetimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Beyond the data, the research, the infographics and reports, there are the lives and the stories including family and friends of both Brooks and Houseknecht, whose devotion to their loved ones serve as a catalyst for changing the system of care to better serve those struggling. Read more
here.
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NY AG Calls for Removal of Federal Barriers to Addiction Treatment
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined 37 other state attorneys general in their call for Congress to remove federal barriers to addiction treatment.
The measures are largely aimed at the ongoing opioid epidemic and would allow greater access to medication assisted treatment (MAT), which relies on medication as well as counseling and behavioral therapies to treat opioid addiction.
In
a letter sent Monday, the coalition of elected officials asked Congress to eliminate requirements that prevent doctors from prescribing MAT, replace outdated medical privacy rules, and repeal a rule that bars Medicaid from covering certain forms of treatment. Read more
here.
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NYS OASAS Announces RFP to Expand Medication-Assisted Treatment for Addiction
The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) recently announced the release of a
Request for Proposals (RFP) to establish up to 350 new Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) slots in counties throughout New York State excluding those counties in New York City. These new slots will be placed in areas that do not currently have OTP Services, or have limited capacity.
Eligible Applicants: OASAS community-based voluntary agencies that operate one or more OASAS-certified program(s); hospitals that operate one or more OASAS-certified program(s); and Local Governmental Units (LGUs) that operate one or more OASAS certified program(s).
Application Deadline: September 12, 2019.
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CMS Announces New Support for Babies, Pregnant Women, and Mothers Affected by Substance and Opioid Use Disorders
Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released two Informational Bulletins, Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies (CRIB) and Help for Moms and Babies (HMB). These Bulletins discuss certain provisions of the Substance-Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act) that provide new coverage options to state Medicaid programs to assist some of the most vulnerable beneficiaries - babies, pregnant women, and mothers - with Substance Use Disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD).
Fighting the opioid epidemic continues to be a top priority for the Trump Administration, and CMS is committed to helping states ensure that mothers and children have access to care at a variety of facilities by offering a framework of new choices states may use to help infants, and pregnant and postpartum women affected by the opioid crisis. Read more
here.
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CMS Gives States, MCOs Guidance on Tracking Medicaid Opioid Use
The CMS on Monday issued
new guidance for states and Medicaid managed care programs to change up their Medicaid drug utilization review programs by the end of this year.
Medicaid programs have been on the front lines fighting the opioid epidemic. The CMS' new mandates, which include setting opioid prescription limits and monitoring Medicaid patients for potential abuse, apply equally to state Medicaid fee for service programs and private managed care companies.
States have until Dec. 31 to outline their state plan amendments to overhaul the way they approach opioid use by their Medicaid populations. They will have to set their own limits on opioid prescriptions and refills while also tracking patients who are at risk of overusing painkillers, or who may be concurrently taking multiple prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. Read more
here.
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Are You Ready For The Shatterproof Addiction Treatment ATLAS?
Not heard of ATLAS? I think you'll be hearing more soon.
Shatterproof is national non-profit focused on reversing the course of addiction crisis throughout the U.S. They set out to develop a system that evaluates the quality of addiction treatment provider organizations. Originally called a rating system, Shatterproof recently renamed the system ATLAS in preparation for the public facing launch in 2020 and to emphasize that the tool will focus on improving quality over creating ratings. Announced in December 2018, over the first half of 2019, Shatterproof has been working diligently to design the model, select pilot states, and meet with the stakeholders.
This isn't just another system collecting data, its important because payers and health plans are getting onboard including Aetna (a CVS Health business), Anthem, Inc., Beacon Health Options, Cigna, Magellan Health, and UnitedHealth Group.
ATLAS will feature a publicly available dashboard where individuals seeking treatment and their families can view quality data, as well as password protected portals for treatment provider organizations to view their own data and states and payers to access the dashboard. The focus of the system is not rating provider organizations, but bringing transparency to the use of best practices that indicate high-quality and to drive and support quality improvement. For this reason, there will be no composite score in the first phase of the project. Read more
here
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