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HHS Takes Additional Action to Keep People Covered as States Resume Medicaid, CHIP Renewals
On Monday, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new flexibilities to help keep Americans covered as states resume Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) renewals. The new flexibilities were announced in a letter Secretary Becerra sent to the nation’s governors urging them to adopt all available flexibilities to minimize avoidable coverage losses among children and families. Read more here.
Related: Meaningful Healthcare Access Requires So Much More Than Insurance Coverage
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New York State Department of Health Extends Medicaid and Child Health Plus (CHPlus) Postpartum Coverage from 60 Days to One Year
The New York State Department of Health on Wednesday announced that New York Medicaid and Child Health Plus (CHPlus) will extend the duration of postpartum health coverage from 60 days to a full year following pregnancy. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the benefit extension, effective today, allowing New York State to provide pregnant enrollees with 12 months of postpartum coverage, regardless of immigration status or how the pregnancy ended. Read more here.
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CMS Announces Multi-State Initiative to Strengthen Primary Care
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new primary care model – the Making Care Primary (MCP) Model – that will be tested under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in eight states. Access to high-quality primary care is associated with better health outcomes and equity for people and communities. MCP is an important step in strengthening the primary care infrastructure in the country, especially for safety net and smaller or independent primary care organizations. The model seeks to improve care for patients by expanding and enhancing care management and care coordination, equipping primary care clinicians with tools to form partnerships with health care specialists, and leveraging community-based connections to address patients’ health needs as well as their health-related social needs. Read more here.
Related: Proposed Rules from CMS Could Bolster Access to Care for Beneficiaries in Medicaid and CHIP
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Lack of Mental Health Specialists Limits Treatment
With more focus on the scope and scale of the national mental health crisis, counties are pointing to the dearth of trained personnel as the linchpin to tackling the growing problem. A NACo survey found that 71% of county respondents said that lack of direct service providers was a primary barrier to providing or expanding access to behavioral health systems, with as many indicating that workforce shortage was a major problem. Three-quarters of responding counties saw an increase in incidence of behavioral health conditions over the past year, with nearly 90% noting an increase over five years. Even in the most populous county in the country, staffing remains challenging. Read more here.
Related: Infographic: How to grow the behavioral health workforce
More Licensure Levels Needed for Services in Primary Behavioral Care
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Research: How Successful Health Care Organizations Keep Worker Morale Up
The workforce burnout and retention crisis has been dominating health care for the last three years, but data (finally) shows some encouraging trends. Analyses of survey responses from the last three years show that the decline in workforce “engagement” has flattened out and “resilience” is actually improving. The data also shows a spreading of the pack — with bigger variation between organizations where workforce morale and retention is improving versus others where the slide continues. This article will capture some of the best practices that have the potential to turn a vicious cycle into a virtuous one. Read more here.
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Rockefeller Center Policy Outsider Podcast: "Investing in New York's Mental Health Services"
Public investments in mental health services are needed to deal with worsening mental health connected to, among other things, the pandemic, economic anxiety, rapidly changing technologies, and global geopolitical distress. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Senior Fellow for Health Policy Courtney Burke and New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Sullivan discuss the importance and timeliness of New York State’s $1 billion investment for mental health services in the 2023-24 budget. The conversation outlines what policies and programs will be enabled by the new funding and the people it will support.
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SAMHSA Releases New Data on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Behavioral Health
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on Tuesday released a new data report Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Behavioral Health: Results from the 2021 and 2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, indicating that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults are more likely than straight adults to use substances, experience mental health conditions including major depressive episodes, and experience serious thoughts of suicide. Read more here.
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Counties Invest Opioid Settlement Funds to Save Lives
In recent years, multiple pharmaceutical companies have settled lawsuits to address their harmful role in the overdose epidemic. Since the 2022 settlement with opioid distributors and a manufacturer was finalized, NACo has been convening county leaders across 15 states as they deliberate how best to use these funds to save lives and curb the overdose epidemic. The Opioid Solutions Leadership Network (OSLN) consists of county elected officials and health officials, many with lived and professional experience as health care providers. This group gathered for the first time in April in Granville and Vance counties, in North Carolina, to learn from experts, share their local strategies and observe the region’s opioid solutions in action. Read more here.
Related: Planning Principles Toolkit for the Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation
An Early Look at State Opioid Settlement Spending Decisions
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Services Expand for People Battling Problem Gambling
As program manager of the Northeast Council on Problem Gambling, Kelley Delaney fields calls from people who are experiencing negative consequences from gambling and their family members.
“It feels great to be able to give back what I was given,” said Delaney. It's her job to connect those clients with treatment. She knows all too well how they might be feeling.
“I did not realize problem gambling was a thing,” said Delaney. “I was one of the many people that don't know that that's an addiction. I knew that my family member had struggled with past addictions, but I thought that that was behind them." Read more here.
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Health Plan Multi-tasking
Nearly 6,000 health plans exist in the United States. And as provider organization executive teams look at growth and expansion into new services and/or new geographies, the number of health plan contracts held by any single provider organizations is likely to grow. For example, a provider organization that wanted to serve all Medicare consumers in the greater Miami area would need contracts with over 70 health plans. Not surprisingly, there are costs associated with managing health plan contracts. There are costs related to architectural complexity – managing multiple rates, eligibility determinations, accreditation and licensure requirements, contract maintenance cycles, etc. There are contractual complexity costs: pre-authorizations, treatment plan submissions, continued care reviews, quality reviews, and more. Finally, there are compliance costs for billing. As managed care accounts for a greater proportion of reimbursements, the goal of provider organization executive teams is to reduce the proportion of each dollar received that is spent on these contract administration costs. The question is: How do we best manage multiple health plan contracts? Read more here.
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State Education Department Releases Framework for Safe, Supportive, and Affirming School Environments for Transgender and Gender Expansive Students
The New York State Education Department on Monday released a framework and legal update to support schools in fostering an educational environment that is safe, supportive, and affirming for transgender and gender expansive (TGE) students, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced. The framework provides legal updates and best practices to facilitate compliance with state and federal laws concerning bullying, harassment, discrimination, and student privacy. The update also reflects outreach to include the voices and experiences of transgender and gender expansive students in New York schools. Read more here.
Related: New Legislation Dedicates $300M to School-Behavioral Health Provider Partnerships
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University Police at SUNY Cortland to Host Inaugural Wellness Symposium
The University Police at SUNY Cortland are thrilled to host and extend an invitation to the inaugural Wellness Symposium at SUNY Cortland, on July 21, 2023, from 8 am to 5 pm. This symposium is exclusively designed for Law Enforcement Personnel, Probation Officers, District Attorneys, EMS professionals, and Firefighters. Throughout the day, presentations will be held to highlight successful wellness programs currently in operation. The primary objective is to provide attendees with a diverse range of options to either establish their own wellness programs or enhance existing initiatives. Read more here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
Older Adults and Suicide Prevention
June 14, 10 - 11 am, New York City and Upstate NY Poison Centers
DLTSS Training: Outcome-Based Payments in 1915(c) Waiver Programs
June 14, 1:30 - 3 pm, CMS
Building Successful Overdose Prevention and Response Programs in Community Corrections
June 14, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Developing Culture Champions to Promote an Inclusive and Welcoming Organizational Culture
June 14, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Back Office / Revenue Cycle Management Best Practices and Core Competencies CM
June 16, 12 - 1 pm, MTM Services
Integration Optimization: Understanding Equity and What it Means to Provide Responsive Care
June 20, 1 - 2:30 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Integrated Care & Addressing the Needs of Black & African American LGBTQ+ Youth
June 20, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Fentanyl Use Prevention in Youth and Young Adults
June 21, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA
Rural Telehealth & M-Health for Immigrants & Migrants
June 22, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
CCBHC/FQHC Partnership Series Session 1: CCBHC and FQHC 101: Back to the Basics
June 27, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
When Recovery is Work: Promoting Wellness in Peer Support Roles
June 27, 3 - 4:30 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Criminal Justice Diversion: Reimagining Appropriate Pathways to Care
June 28, 12 - 1 pm, MTM Services
Strengthening the Future of Mental Health Care in New York State
June 28, 3 - 4 pm, NY Health Foundation
Embracing Recovery-Oriented Harm Reduction in Medication Assisted Treatment
June 28, 3 - 4 pm, NAADAC
Emerging Respite Care Strategies in Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waivers
June 29, 3 - 4 pm, NASHP
Peer Support via Telehealth Platforms
June 29, 3 - 4 pm, NAADAC
New York State Summit on Peer Mentor Programs for Military Veterans
July 11 - 12, National Veterans Resource Center, Syracuse
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CLMHD CALENDAR
JUNE
CLMHD Office Closed - Juneteenth
June 19
Children & Families Committee Meeting
June 20: 11:30 am - 1 pm
Membership Call
June 21: 9 - 10:30 am
Deputy DCS Call
June 27: 10 - 11 am
JULY
CLMHD Office Closed - Independence Day
July 4
Addiction Services & Supports (ASR) Committee Meeting
July 13: 11 am - 12 pm
Mental Health Committee Meeting
July 13: 3 - 4 pm
LGU Clinic Operators Call
July 11: 10 - 11:30 am
IOCC Meeting - Albany, In-Person
July 18: 1 - 3 pm
Membership Call
July 19: 9 - 10:30 am
Deputy DCS Call
July 25: 10 - 11 am
Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting
July 27: 1 - 2:30 pm
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