April 4, 2024

Governor Hochul Announces $4 Million to Enhance Services for Individuals With Complex Mental Health Care Needs Statewide


Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that nearly $4 million has been awarded to 77 community-based providers to establish, enhance, or expand access to specialized treatment for New Yorkers with complex mental health care needs. Administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the awards are part of the Governor’s $1 billion plan to strengthen the state’s mental health care system by adding capacity system-wide, expanding existing programs with a record of success, funding new evidence-based initiatives, and increasing direct engagement at every stage of service. The $4 million will allow healthcare providers on the front lines to increase outpatient engagement, provide effective group intervention, and fast-track access to vital behavioral health programs, including for groups not historically reached by traditional systems of care. Read more here.

Governor Hochul Announces $30 Million to Expand Residential Treatment Facilities for Children and Adolescents With Complex Mental Health Needs


Governor Kathy Hochul last Thursday announced that $30 million will be made available to develop three new residential treatment facilities for children and adolescents that require on-site care. Administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the capital funding will help construct the new facilities in New York City, on Long Island, and throughout the Hudson River regions and provide added capacity for youth statewide. Read more here.

OPWDD Celebrates Autism Acceptance Month


April is Autism Acceptance Month, a month that until recently was referred to as Autism Awareness Month. Today, many agree that we have moved beyond general awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder and strive instead to work toward acceptance and understanding. As the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States, with an estimated 1 in 46 children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder, fostering acceptance and understanding of autism is not only vital to our OPWDD mission, but also to the integrity of our communities and society. Read more here.


Related: NPR - These twin brothers are identical, but their autism isn't

The Housing and Health Data Dashboard, a New HUD USER Resource for Researching Social Determinants of Health


Recently, HUD launched the Housing and Health Data Dashboard, a new and exciting resource that serves as a hub for users wishing to access HUD-owned or HUD-linked data to support health and housing research. HUD manages an extensive inventory of data on HUD-assisted households. Some of these data have been linked to national surveys and other data to better understand the health and well-being of HUD-assisted residents. Although much of this information is publicly available, it has not been summarized or organized in a single location. In response to requests from federal partners to make these resources better known and available to housing and health researchers, the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) consolidated its various housing- and health-related datasets and sources into a single, easily accessible database. Read more here.

Strategies to Support Children and Youth Mental Health Needs in New York State


Children and youth managing complex behavioral health needs, particularly those residing in New York State, are in desperate need of targeted support from state leadership. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing gaps within the nation’s behavioral healthcare system, leading to unmet clinical and social care needs such as peer interaction, family support and access to a trained mental health workforce. According to the CDC, from 2011-2021, over 40% of high school students reported symptoms of overwhelming sadness or hopelessness, severely disrupting their everyday lives. In New York City, 38% of high school students experienced similar feelings in 2021, with a noticeable disparity between Black and Hispanic students compared to their White counterparts. This has translated into increased rates of depression and suicide, especially among non-Hispanic black youth, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.


Related: Study describes more severe pediatric mental health crises during pandemic

Mental Health Care is Hard to Find, Especially for People with Medicare or Medicaid


With rates of suicide and opioid deaths rising in the past decade and children's mental health declared a national emergency, the United States faces an unprecedented mental health crisis. But access to mental health care for a significant portion of Americans — including some of the most vulnerable populations — is extremely limited, according to a new government report released Wednesday. The report, from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, finds that Medicare and Medicaid have a dire shortage of mental health care providers. The report looked at 20 counties with people on Medicaid, traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which together serve more than 130 million enrollees — more than 40% of the U.S. population, says Meridith Seife, the deputy regional inspector general and the lead author of the report. Read more here.

HRSA Hosts Roundtable on New National Survey on the State of the Nursing Workforce


The Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) convened leaders last week from over 25 nursing and health care organizations for a roundtable discussion on the newly released findings of the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses — the first comprehensive federal survey of nurses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The survey is a comprehensive picture of the nursing workforce, the largest health care profession in the United States, conducted every four years by HRSA’s National Center for Health Workforce Analysis in collaboration with the U. S. Census Bureau. Nearly 50,000 nurses responded to the survey questions and reported on topics such as education, training, job satisfaction, as well as their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.

Starting Treatment at Discharge for Alcohol-Related Hospital Stays Shows Benefits


Starting medication for alcohol use disorder (MAUD) at hospital discharge reduced readmission risk, a cohort study suggested. Of nearly 10,000 alcohol-related hospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries, only 2% (192) involved initiation of MAUD at the time of discharge, Eden Bernstein, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues found.

In this small number, MAUD initiation at discharge was linked with a 42% decreased incidence of returning to the hospital within 30 days (incident rate ratio [IRR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.45-0.76, the researchers reported in JAMA Network Open. Read more here.

The Texas Judge Who Orders Patients to Take Their Meds


SAN ANTONIO—Standing outside an old state psychiatric hospital in ostrich cowboy boots and jeans, Oscar Kazen doesn’t look like a judge about to walk into court. He zips on his black robe, settles into a makeshift courtroom in the hospital basement and prepares to make the same pitch to three people in, or who have been in, the hospital after a mental-health crisis. “Do you want to get out of that hospital? I can do that,” Kazen says, but “you gotta promise me three things: “One, you’ll always be honest with us.” “You’re always gonna show up.” And three: “I just want you to keep taking your medications, man. The whole way through. Now if you’ve got problems with the medications, we’ll talk about it.” Kazen, a jovial 61-year-old, is a pioneer in this kind of court-supervised treatment, which is designed to help people with the most severe mental illnesses who have already been jailed or treated in emergency rooms several times. Read more here.

Expanding the Clubhouse Model and Community Based Therapy


Clubhouses in the mental health space are a form of community-based therapy. The model was introduced in the 1930s and 1940s as a form of psychosocial rehabilitation. Clubhouses focus on providing services to people with serious mental illness. The goal is to rehabilitate members back into society where they can thrive and be healthy. Fountain House, a New York City nonprofit which has pioneered the clubhouse model, focuses on providing free, safe, and diverse spaces for its 2,000 members. The voluntary organization encourages members to help design and lead activities. Members also, through participation in the program, saw their Medicaid costs drop 21%, according to an NYU study. Read more here.

LGBT Adults’ Experiences with Discrimination and Health Care Disparities: Findings from the KFF Survey of Racism, Discrimination, and Health


LGBT adults in the U.S. are a growing population who have historically experienced health disparities. Past research shows that LGBT adults face increased challenges when it comes to mental health outcomes and access to care, experiences with serious mental health issues (particularly among trans adults), their physical health (including higher rates of disability among younger LGBT adults), and barriers to accessing and affording needed care. This report focuses on LGBT adults’ experiences with discrimination in their daily lives and in health care settings in addition to experiences with severe mental health crises, homelessness, well-being and stress, and experiences accessing mental health care. Read more here.

CHAUTAUQUA: Increasing Needs: County Homelessness Figures Hit New Peak


CHAUTAUQUA: JCC offering direct support professional microcredentials


CHEMUNG: Governor Hochul Announces Completion of 41-Unit Affordable and Supportive Housing Development in Elmira


CLINTON: New efforts to address growing homeless population in Northern NY


DUTCHESS: Anderson Center for Autism provides specialized assistance for people with autism


ERIE: Police: Patient at Buffalo Psychiatric Center brought knife into unguarded area, stabbed three employees


ERIE: "Celebrating Families" Event for Families in Erie County Who Utilize Mental Health Systems of Care


ESSEX: Community Conversations continue at four schools


ESSEX: 988 Lifeline now available 24/7


MONROE: St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center celebrates 30 years of service to community


NIAGARA: County announces 'Inspire a Well Niagara' campaign


NYC: Mayor Adams Announces New York City's First-Ever Nonprofit Advisory Council


NYC: East Flatbush nonprofit launches community service center in one of neighborhood's largest housing complexes


NYC: Over 5,000 People in Shelters Accessed Telehealth Through NYC Health + Hospitals Virtual ExpressCare


NYC: Cafe Joyeux in Midtown dedicated to giving disability community a space for work and joy


NYC: Council seeks additional $225M for mental health funding in budget response


ONTARIO: Ontario County Jail medical unit reaffirms quality healthcare commitment with accreditation


SCHOHARIE: Schoharie County Office of Community Services requests proposals for projects utilizing Opioid Settlement Funds


WESTCHESTER: Westchester County Executive George Latimer and County Leaders Shine Light on Autism Awareness in Commemoration of World Autism Day


WESTCHESTER: SHS Senior Receives Mental Health Award


WESTCHESTER: Redefining recovery: New outpatient facility in Westchester offers hope, safe space

Docs Don’t Want to Treat ‘Them’


It turns out that lifting restrictions on doctors prescribing buprenorphine, a controlled drug used to treat opioid use disorder, is only the first step to expanding access to addiction treatment. A 2022 law removed a requirement that practitioners undergo special training to prescribe the drug. But the measure hasn’t been the game-changer lawmakers and federal agencies had hoped it would be, according to Thomas Prevoznik, deputy assistant administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Speaking Monday at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, Prevoznik said the total volume of buprenorphine prescriptions dispensed since the law entered into force has remained around 1.4 million and hasn’t spiked up as expected, Carmen reports. Read more here.


Related: DEA and HHS issue letter supporting MOUD

Virtual Treatment Alone Can’t Solve Substance Use Disorder Epidemic, Experts Warn


Providers are throwing caution flags on the field of virtual substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Virtual SUD treatment boasts serious benefits, including convenience and accessibility, but not all patients are well-suited to receiving care through exclusively virtual means. While virtual therapy may be the best fit for some patients or the only option for patients unable to attend in-person appointments, the SUD industry may need to carefully consider virtual care’s role in treatment. Read more here.

Meeting the Moment: Opportunities to Improve Health and Safety by Changing Medicaid’s Role When People are Incarcerated


Data behind OASAS commercial highlights new dangers for adolescents and drugs


End of Internet Subsidies for Low-Income Households Threatens Telehealth Access


As America grows more diverse, so does the need for bilingual substance use counselors


Leading Reform: Competence to Stand Trial Systems - Questions State Court Leaders Should Ask First


Banning teens from social media won’t help their mental health. Here’s what might


Clinician-Friendly Design Essential for Measurement-Based Care


NYS System of Care and Wraparound Training Institute Monthly Update - April 2024

UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS


Accountable Care Organization Primary Care Flex Model (ACO PC Flex Model) Overview Webinar

April 4, 2 - 3 pm, CMS


Naloxone in Public Housing: Success in St. Louis

April 4, 2 - 3:30 pm, SAMHSA


Expanding Peer Support Services in Rural, Remote, and Tribal Settings

April 4, 3 - 4 pm, SMI Advisor


Lessons from the Camden Coalition’s Care Management RCT

April 5, 12 - 1 pm, Camden Coalition


Empowering Change in the SUD Ecosystem

April 10, 12 - 1 pm, Health Management Associates


Person-Centered Service Planning in HCBS: Individual Rights and Modifications of the Settings Requirements of Provider-Owned or Controlled Residential Settings

April 10, 2 - 3:30 pm, CMCS


Advancing Crisis Communications: Highlighting Models of 911/988 Collaboration

April 11, 2 - 3 pm, NACo


Child and Adolescent Mental Health for Primary Care Clinicians

April 15 - 16, 9 am - 5 pm, Project TEACH


The Clubhouse Model: Designing Planned Communities to Empower People with Serious Mental Illness

April 16, 2 - 3 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies


Ask the Expert: Telehealth During Crisis Response

April 17, 2 - 3 pm, CSG Justice Center


Outreach and Unsheltered Homelessness: Strategies for Health Centers and Service Providers

April 18, 2 - 3 pm, HRSA


The Essentials and Beyond of Perinatal Psychiatry: Psychopharmacology & Psychotherapy

April 21, 12 - 4 pm, Project TEACH


Navigating Mental Health Care for Immigrant and Forcibly Displaced Communities

April 24, 12 - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing


Beyond the Numbers and Visuals: Building Your CBO Data-Driven Digital Marketing Strategy

April 25, 2 - 3:30 pm, SAMHSA


Training Treatment Court Teams: Navigating Harm Reduction in Drug Courts

April 29, 2 - 3:30 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center


Implicit Bias: Using Brain Science To Understand, Recognize and Counter It

May 2, 2 - 3:30 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing


Consumer Perspectives on the Camden Coalition care Management RCT Study Findings

May 9, 12 - 1 pm, Camden Coalition


2024 System of Care Virtual Summit 

May 14 - 16, 12 - 5 pm, NCCTAC


Innovative Approaches for Improving the Transition from Hospitals to Schools: Supporting Youth During and Following a Suicide-Related Crisis

May 16, 12 - 1 pm, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention


Identifying Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in a Death Investigation

May 16, 2 - 3 pm, OMH SPCNY


Introduction to Psychedelics for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorder

June 13, 1 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

GRANTS/FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES


Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)


HRSA Health Workforce


NYS Grants Gateway


NY Health Foundation


OASAS Procurements


OMH Procurements


OPWDD Procurements


Rural Health Information Hub - New York


SAMHSA Grants Dashboard

CLMHD CALENDAR


APRIL


LGU Clinic Operators Meeting

April 9: 10 - 11:30 am


Addiction Services & Supports (ASR) Committee Meeting

April 11: 11 am - 12 pm


Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting

April 11: 1 - 2:30 pm


Mental Health Committee Meeting

April 11: 3 - 4 pm


Children & Families Committee Meeting

April 16: 11:30 am - 1 pm


Membership Call

April 17: 9 - 10:30 am


MAY


Executive Committee Meeting

May 1: 8 - 9 am


Quarterly LGU Billing Staff Call

May 7: 11 am - 12 pm


CLMHD Spring Full Membership Meeting

May 8 - 10, Lake George, NY


LGU Clinic Operators Meeting

May 14: 10 - 11:30 am


Membership Call

May 15: 9 - 10:30 am


Children & Families Committee Meeting

May 21: 11:30 am - 1 pm


LSP Support Session

May 23: 1 - 2:30 pm

Links to State Guidance and Updates on COVID-19


NYS Coronavirus Vaccination Information

The Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors advances public policies and awareness for people with mental illness, chemical dependency and developmental disabilities. We are a statewide membership organization that consists of the Commissioner/ Director of each of the state's 57 county mental hygiene departments and the mental hygiene department of the City of New York.

Affiliated with the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC)
CONNECT WITH US!
Facebook  Twitter  Linkedin