Advancing Public Policies for People with Mental Illness, Chemical Dependency or Developmental Disabilities
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Community Health Centers Prepare for Funding Uncertainty
The Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), which was established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and now accounts for the majority of health center grant funding, is due to expire at the end of September unless Congress acts to extend it. Health centers have faced this situation before. In 2017, the CHCF lapsed for five months before Congress extended it for two years. Although funding was ultimately restored, health centers around the country reported that
they faced difficult decisions
to reduce care, close service sites, and lay off staff because of the delay. Health centers are considering similar actions to prepare for another potential loss of funding, which will have implications for the patients and communities they serve. This data note reports findings from the 2019 KFF/Geiger Gibson Community Health Center Survey on how health centers may respond to ongoing funding uncertainty. Read more
here
.
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OMH BH Managed Care Update
Click
here
for the September 2019 issue.
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SPCNY Suicide Prevention Conference - Honorees Announced
SPCNY is happy to announce the honorees at this year's suicide prevention Conference in Albany on September 18-19.
Register now for the Banquet ceremony and help us celebrate individuals from across the state helping to create suicide safer communities.
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Preventing Suicide in the Clinical Setting: Reasons for Hope
September 10, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Value-Based Payments and Behavioral Health: Results of a Nationwide Environmental Scan
September 11, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Behavioral Health
Best Practices for Transition Planning for High School Students with Mental Health Conditions
September 12, 1 - 2 pm, Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research
Using PSYCKES for Clinicians
September 12, 2:30 - 4 pm, OMH
PSYCKES Mobile App for iPhones & iPads
September 17, 10 - 11 am, OMH
Understanding Mental Health Parity: Regulatory, Policy and Litigation Trends
September 17, 1 - 2 pm, Manatt Health
Scaling Up Crisis Call Center Services and State-Center Partnerships in the Context of National Crisis Service Growth
September 17, 2 - 3:30 pm, National Council for Behavioral Health
Thinking for a Change: Expanding & Collaborating on a Cognitive Behavioral Program for Probation
September 17, 3 - 4 pm, Justice Clearinghouse
Current Insights Into Population Health Management: Value-Based Models In Managing High Risk - High Cost Patients
September 19, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Using PSYCKES Recipient Search
September 26, 1 - 2 pm, OMH |
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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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Opioid Crisis Costs Long Island Nearly $8 Billion a Year, Study Shpws
The opioid crisis is costing Long Island's economy roughly $8 billion a year in medical costs, lost worker productivity and economic losses, according to a study released Wednesday.
"There is a misconception that the opioid crisis is happening to someone else," said Jonas Shaende, chief economist with the Fiscal Policy Institute, which performed the study. "That's not true. The toll on businesses is very, very high."
Researchers from the nonprofit institute said the 41-page report represents the first attempt at placing a price tag on the economic impact of opioids on the Island. In the workplace, opioid addiction reduces workers' productivity while it increases their use of health care and social services, the researchers said at a news conference at the Hauppauge drug treatment center called THRIVE.
Drug treatment advocates said the Island's business community has lagged in joining the battle. They hoped the report would make the case in dollars and cents. Read more
here.
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Addiction Treatment 'On Wheels' Helping Capital Region Residents
Scott T. tried to get sober many times in the decade he was addicted to heroin, but it wasn't easy.
There were waiting lists for treatment programs and waiting lists to see the few doctors willing to prescribe medicine to quiet his cravings. There were battles with insurance companies, and the perpetual conundrum of finding transportation to and from appointments.
This spring, ashamed of buying addiction medication on the street - but too exhausted to keep fighting his doctor and insurance company for it - Scott called the number for a local program his friend had recently told him about. It was called the COTI Project, and a man by the name of Chad Putman answered. Read more
here.
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HHS Releases $1.8 Billion in Funds to Fight Opioid Epidemic
The federal government on Wednesday released another $1.8 billion to fuel state efforts to fight the opioid epidemic.
The sum includes $932 million in state opioid response grants from the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration, guaranteed by last year's congressional opioid legislation. The only strings attached to this funding is that any grant recipient provide patients with access to medication-assisted treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will spend $900 million over the next three years for 47 states, the District of Columbia and two territories to build out
drug-use surveillance programs. The goal is to shrink the lag time between the calculation of overprescribing, addiction and overdose rates and finding an appropriate response. Read more
here.
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Treating Mental Illness in the ED
Three years ago, a patient grappling with suicidal thoughts came to the University of North Carolina (UNC) Medical Center's emergency department in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for help. Her parents made the 11-hour drive from Michigan before the patient was even seen by a psychiatrist.
And that wasn't out of the ordinary. At that time - before the hospital implemented a major overhaul of its emergency behavioral health services - patients were spending up to 48 hours in the emergency department before being evaluated.
Since then, the hospital has created a division of emergency psychiatry, complete with its own psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, and nurse practitioners. Patients now receive care within 2 hours. Read more
here.
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New Funding Opportunity: NYSHealth 2020 Special Projects Fund
The New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) 2020 Special Projects Fund Request for Proposals (RFP) is now available. Applicants must submit an online inquiry form to determine whether a proposed project fits the funding criteria. There are two funding cycles for the Special Projects Fund. Deadlines for the online inquiry form are October 3, 2019 and March 4, 2020. Selected organizations will be invited to submit full proposals, with deadlines of December 2, 2019 and May 11, 2020.
NYSHealth Special Projects Fund awards are one-time, nonrenewable funding opportunities consistent with the Foundation's mission to improve the health of all New Yorkers but outside of its main priority areas.
Read details on the 2020 Special Projects Fund RFP and Frequently Asked Questions.
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OASAS Announces Launch of New Educational Program to Raise Awareness About Addiction Prevention, Treatment & Recovery Services in NYS
The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) announced the launch of a new educational program to help New Yorkers understand alcohol and drug addiction, including where to find help and services. The program is titled "New Hope, New Life with OASAS," and will help inform New Yorkers about substance use disorders, including the warning signs, resources available, and where to find help. The program is being funded with $500,000 distributed through the federal state opioid response grant.
The program is a 30-minute discussion format, with participants that include González-Sánchez and various OASAS-certified providers, individuals in recovery, and OASAS staff. It will air on major broadcast stations at various times in the following markets through Sept. 29: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Elmira, New York City, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Watertown. Read more here.
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HRSA: A Guide for Rural Health Care Collaboration and Coordination
This new resource was created by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and the Health Centers program at the Health Resources and Services Administration. It discusses how rural providers can work together to identify health needs in their communities, create partnerships to address those needs, and develop a "community-minded" approach to health care. The guide illustrates through case studies how providers in two communities created networks and partnerships to improve the efficiency of care, optimize resources, and improve the lives of their residents. Click
here
to access the full guide.
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In the space of a decade, most consumers with complex needs are enrolled in some type of managed care plan. This is 15% of Medicaid consumers with an intellectual and developmental disabilities, and 40% of consumers who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare are in some type of managed care plan. This has been a big shift for executives of health plans and provider organizations.
How provider organization executives can partner with health plans to manage these new demands was at the center of a conversation with Michael J. Hammond, MSM, Vice President of Product and Partnership Development, Optum Behavioral Health. Optum's integrated care solutions for complex consumer populations have been top of mind in recent years, thanks to a series of investments, including Optum's latest ventures in: new Virtual Visits; Genoa Healthcare pharmacy; Mindstrong Health technology to track and analyze how smartphone users engage in behavioral health care; and a number of value-based partnerships.
Mr. Hammond explained that for all consumers, including those with severe mental illness, Optum is re-examining and re-tooling its care management approaches. Read more
here
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