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Family Court Is Flooded by Cases It Can’t Address, Top N.Y. Judge Says
New York needs more resources to address issues like mental illness and housing to help reduce the number of cases that enter the family court system, which is often tasked to address cases it is not designed to handle, the state’s top judge said on Monday. The judge, Rowan D. Wilson, who oversees the state’s entire court system, said that the conditions that land families in legal trouble are often complex problems like mental illness, physical illness, violence, poor health and nutrition, inadequate medical care and housing instability. Many of those issues are rooted in poverty, and courts are not equipped to help families navigate them, Judge Wilson said. “If we had a magic wand we should use it to eliminate Family Court entirely by eliminating all the problems families have,” he said. “But that isn’t possible, because the root causes of the distress that families, parents and children have are not created by the courts, but are fomented elsewhere.” Read more here.
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Behavioral Health Conditions Outrank Diabetes, Cancers Among Commercially Insured
Chronic behavioral health conditions account for close to one-third of the most prevalent health matters among commercially insured patients. Anxiety disorders, mental illness and depressive disorders were the three most frequently observed across insurance claims in 2024 — surpassing obesity, diabetes, heart disease and a swath of other chronic diagnoses — according to a new report from FAIR Health. These three mental health conditions were among the top ten out of 44 total that were analyzed in the report, with anxiety disorders occurring in 14.6% of patient claims, mental illness accounting for 10.5% and depressive disorders at 8.8%. According to FAIR Health, 57.5% of commercially insured patients have at least one of the 44 chronic conditions, with 11.5% of patients having two co-occurring chronic diagnoses. Read more here.
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Chancellor King Announces Expansion of SUNY’s Mental Health Internship Program
State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. on February 12th announced the expansion of SUNY's Mental Health Internship Program, a workforce development initiative that provides paid, hands-on learning opportunities for community college students pursuing careers in mental and behavioral health. Launched as a pilot in Spring 2024, the program was developed by SUNY with support from the New York State Office of Mental Health to connect students with supervised internships at OMH-licensed facilities across New York. Read more here.
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How NYC Health + Hospitals Cut Behavioral Health Staff Turnover Rate to 8%
As the largest provider of behavioral health services in New York City, NYC Health + Hospitals delivers nearly 60% of all mental health and substance use services citywide. Omar Fattal, MD, system chief of behavioral health, told Becker’s Behavioral Health podcast how the system restructured its workforce strategy, centralized efforts across a complex system, and made difficult investment decisions to improve access and retention. Read more here.
Related: Culture is the cure for healthcare’s workforce crisis
How health systems are tackling AI’s workforce readiness gap
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VA Releases Annual Veteran Suicide Prevention Report, Updated with 2023 Data
The Department of Veterans Affairs on February 5 released the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, which analyzes Veteran suicide from 2001 to 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. The report shows there were 6,398 suicides among Veterans in 2023, down from 6,442 in 2022. The average number of Veteran suicides per day fell slightly, to 17.5 in 2023 from 17.6 in 2022. Other key findings from the report include:
- 61% of Veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving VA health care in the last year of their life.
- The suicide rate per 100,000 Veterans rose for both male and female Veterans in 2023. For women, the rate rose from 13.7 to 13.9, and for men, it rose from 37.3 to 37.8. Read more here.
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Are Chatbots Safe – and Are They Effective? The Former Head of the NIMH Weighs the Evidence
This may be the year when more people turn to chatbots than to human therapists for psychological support and guidance. The numbers point in that direction. Since the pandemic, according to a report based on the National Health Interview Survey, the share of U.S. adults in outpatient therapy has risen from 9.5% to 13.4%—roughly 36 million Americans. That’s a remarkable cultural shift in its own right. More people – a lot more people – are in therapy than ever before. But it may already be matched, or soon eclipsed, by something else. We don’t have precise figures for chatbot use, but ChatGPT estimates that about 20% of its roughly 800 million weekly users—some 160 million people worldwide—are seeking psychological support. Most of them are outside the United States, but if 16% to 18% are American, that translates to roughly 28 million Americans using just one chatbot for emotional or psychological help. Read more here.
Related: VERA-MH Findings Highlight Gaps in How AI Chatbots Respond to Suicidal Ideation
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Meta and YouTube Created ‘Digital Casinos,’ Lawyers Argue in Landmark Trial
In a crowded Los Angeles courtroom on Monday, Mark Lanier pulled three wooden children’s blocks from his bag and stacked them on top of each other. “This case is as easy as ABC,” said Mr. Lanier, a lawyer. “Addicting, brains, children.” His demonstration kicked off opening statements in a bellwether tech addiction trial in which a 20-year-old California woman has accused Meta, which owns Instagram, and YouTube of building their platforms to be addictive, leading to personal injury and other harm. The plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., became hooked on YouTube and Instagram as a child because the apps are like “digital casinos,” with features such as endless swiping that are comparable to the handle of a slot machine, Mr. Lanier said. K.G.M. represents a generation of young people who became addicted to social media, even as executives knew of the technology’s risks, he said. “They didn’t just build apps, they built traps,” Mr. Lanier said. “They didn’t want users, they wanted addicts.” Read more here.
Related: Attorney General James Urges Congress to Pass Senate’s Kids Online Safety Act
Instagram chief says he does not believe people can get clinically addicted to social media
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Autism Incidence in Girls and Boys May Be Nearly Equal, Study Suggests
A large longitudinal study challenged longstanding assumptions about the incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in boys and girls. Among 2.7 million people born in Sweden between 1985 and 2022 and followed from birth up to age 37, 2.8% were diagnosed with autism at a mean age of 14.3 years, reported Caroline Fyfe, PhD, of the Karolinska Institutet in Solna, and co-authors. Diagnosis rates increased steadily throughout childhood, peaking at 645.5 per 100,000 person-years for males ages 10-14 and 602.6 per 100,000 person-years for females ages 15-19, the researchers wrote in The BMJ. While the incidence of ASD was higher among males during early childhood, a marked female catch-up pattern was noted during adolescence, leading to a nearly 1:1 male-to-female diagnosis ratio by age 20. Read more here.
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Colorado Designs Behavioral Health Stackable Credentials for a Stronger Workforce
Partnerships between states and community colleges and high school career and technical education (CTE) programs can be a valuable strategy to build and sustain the behavioral health workforce. These education programs are uniquely positioned for scalable workforce pipelines, as they offer accessible, affordable entry points in the workforce, quick outcomes with rapid training and deployment, and opportunities for a career ladder. State officials can look to Colorado for an example of an efficient, scalable approach to collaborating with community colleges and CTE programs. These educational pathways can meet the needs of future behavioral health professionals and support their long-term career growth in the field. Read more here.
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Same Goal, Different Scorecards: The VBC Data Disconnect
Data is at the heart of value-based care contracting. While payers and providers can agree on this principle, they often disagree on what should be measured and what data should be shared. Providers entering value-based contracting can often be surprised by the information payers consider when entering these discussions. “The first time I walked into such a meeting, I was shocked at the gap of information between what the payers had and what we had as a provider,” Jeremy Klemanski, president and CEO of Gateway Foundation, said during Behavioral Health Business’ recent webinar. “They had much more longitudinal data than we did, because they are tracking all the claims and all the expense history of their covered lives. And we had a piece. We had a snapshot of our continuum of care, reflecting what we knew." Read more here.
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AHA, FBI Release Resource on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
The AHA Feb. 9 released a series of behavioral threat assessment and management resources developed in partnership with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit-1.
The report’s leadership guide provides practical, evidence-based and informed strategies to strengthen threat management protocols; guidance on involving local and national law enforcement in enacting BTAM efforts; and education for health care team members on successful BTAM. The guide includes case studies from AHA members Scripps Health, Ascension, Duke Raleigh Hospital and the University of Virginia Medical Center about how they have created and maintained BTAM teams, established partnerships with law enforcement and other community partners, and educated the workforce on identifying targeted violence threats. Read more here.
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Weight of the Jersey: Why Mental Health is Vital in High School Sports
From a distance, the average high school athlete appears to be the vision of wellness: daily conditioning, competitive and full of discipline. But beneath the surface, a different story is unfolding. In the United States as a society, we have spent decades focused on strength training, diet and nutrition in sports. It is only recently that we are discovering the key to an athlete’s wellbeing and performance also includes a focus on their mental health as well. A recent study published in the National Library of Medicine in early 2024 entitled, “Prevalence of Stress Amongst High School Athletes,” cites a staggering 91% of high school student-athletes report experiencing some level of stress associated with balancing sports and academics. Fifty-eight percent report experiencing moderate to severe stress. Other studies highlight the prevalence of anxiety, depression, burnout and other stress-related conditions among high school athletes. Only 10% of student-athletes seek professional mental health care. Read more here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
Becoming a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor
February 12, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Redefining Recovery: Addressing TBI as a Chronic Condition
February 12, 2 - 3 pm, Brain Injury Association of America
Toolkit for Trauma-Informed Care
February 12, 2 - 2:30 pm, NCSACW
NACo Policy Insider Webinar Series: Understanding the Federal Landscape for Counties
February 12, 3 - 4 pm, NACo
Mental Health Matters Day 2026: Introduction to Advocacy
February 12, 7 - 8 pm, MHANYS
Workforce Solutions Jam: Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce - Training the Allied Workforce
February 17, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Integration Under the Microscope: Proving Outcomes as Behavioral Health Enters a New Era of Accountability
February 17, 2 - 3 pm, Behavioral Health Business
AI and Youth Well-Being: Why One-Size-Fits-All Narratives Fall Short
February 18, 1:30 - 2;30 pm, JED Foundation
From Awareness to Action: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace
February 18, 2 - 3 pm, EARN
Expanding Access to Community Health Workers in Rural Communities
February 18, 2 - 3:15 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies
The Virginia Model: Enhancing the Quality and Impact of Competence to Stand Trial Evaluations
February 18, 3 - 4:30 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Integrated Safety Planning (Suicide Safety Plans & Overdose Safety Plans)
February 19, 12:30 - 1:30 pm, Zero Overdose/Zero Suicide
Older Adults Behavioral Health Services
February 19, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Crisis Is Not the Start: Prevention, Partnership, and Protection in Children, Youth and Families in Crisis Care
February 19, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA
Peer-to-Peer Learning Session: Service and Support Considerations for Individuals with Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Across the Crisis Continuum
February 23, 3 - 4 pm, SAMHSA
North Country Telehealth Partnership Webinar
February 24, 10 - 11:30 am, CMS, NGS
Contingency Management Programs: State Lessons from Planning to Scaling
February 24, 12 - 1:15 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies
Partnering with Emergency and First Responders: Collaborative Models of Crisis Response
February 24, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA
Beyond Recidivism: Measuring Employment Data After Incarceration
February 24, 2 - 3:30 pm, CSG Justice Center
Process Addictions: Maladaptive Coping Across the Ages
February 25, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Faith, Belonging, and Mental Health: Supporting Inclusive Communities
February 25, 1 - 2 pm, Temple University Collaborative
How AI Is Changing Admissions and Intake in Behavioral Health
February 26, 12 - 1 pm, Behavioral Health Business
Getting Ready for Medicaid Work Requirements: Strategies for Supportive Housing Providers
February 26, 1 - 2 pm, CSH
Transforming Futures: Education, Law, and Youth Wellbeing - IN PERSON
February 27, 9:30 am - 3 pm, Albany Law School Government Law Center
Solutions Not Suspensions
March 2, 1 - 2 pm, NAMI New York State
Addressing Veteran Substance Use: Promoting Recovery Through Collaboration and Compassion
March 3, 2 - 3:30 pm, SAMHSA
Collaborating to Support Youth Returning from Incarceration: What Child Welfare Leaders Need to Know about Medicaid Webinar
March 4, 2 - 3 pm, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model Cohort II Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Webinar
March 5, 2 - 3 pm, CMS Innovation Center
Building a Licensed Workforce: Organizational Support for Clinical Licensure
March 5, 2:30 - 3:30 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Reducing Problem Gambling Stigma Through Language and Action
March 6, 1 - 2 pm, National Council on Problem Gambling
Strengthening Helping Professionals: Ethics, Resilience, & Attachment-Informed Approaches
March 11, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
From Feedback to Impact: How CCBHCs Can Use Experience Management to Improve Quality and Engagement
March 11, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Means Reduction Counseling and Overdose Prevention Strategies
March 12, 12:30 - 1:30 pm, Zero Overdose/Zero Suicide
Having an Impact: Young Adult Change-Makers Explore Mental Health Challenges and Accomplishments
March 17, 12 - 1 pm, NYS Public Health Association
Workforce Solutions Jam: Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce - Technology as an Extender
March 17, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
An Introduction to Problem Gambling Screening Tools
March 17, 1 - 2 pm, National Council on Problem Gambling
Leading Change With H.O.P.E. — How Leaders Can Enable Change That Sticks
March 18, 1 - 2 pm, Positively Partners
Understanding The Role of Toxic Shame in Substance Use Disorders
March 25, 12 - 1:30 pm, NAADAC
Workforce Solutions Jam: Extending the Behavioral Health Workforce - Lived Experience as a Resource
April 21, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
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CLMHD CALENDAR
February
Mental Health Committee Meeting
February 12: 3 - 4 pm
CLMHD Office Closed - Presidents Day
February 16
Membership Call
February 18: 9 - 10:30 am
Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting
February 19: 1 - 2 pm
March
Executive Committee Meeting
March 4: 8 - 9 am
Mental Hygiene Planning Committee Meeting
March 5: 1 - 3 pm
LGU Clinic Operators Call
March 10: 10 - 11 am
Addiction Services & Recovery Committee Meeting
March 12: 11 am - 12 pm
Mental Health Committee Meeting
March 12: 3 - 4 pm
Children & Families Committee Meeting
March 17: 12 - 1:30 pm
Membership Call
March 18: 9 - 10:30 am
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