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Attorney General James Uncovers Major Problems Accessing Mental Health Care through Insurance Companies
New York Attorney General Letitia James today released a comprehensive report clearly demonstrating that health insurance companies are failing to offer adequate access to mental health care, exacerbating the mental health crisis in New York. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) surveyed nearly 400 mental health providers listed on health plans’ networks and found that the overwhelming majority, 86 percent, were “ghosts,” meaning they were unreachable, not-in-network, or not accepting new patients. Inaccurate network directories are worsening the statewide mental health crisis and disproportionately impact marginalized communities, leading to adverse health outcomes, and increasing costs for patients. Read more here.
Related: ‘This Isn’t Just a Payer Problem’: Health Plans and Providers Must Jointly Address Ghost Networks
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Nearly 400,000 New Yorkers Purged from Medicaid for Paperwork Issues
Despite efforts by the state Department of Health to inform the public that the pandemic-related pause in Medicaid eligibility checks is over, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have been dropped from public health plans for failing to complete reenrollment paperwork. Close to 800,000 New Yorkers — about 30 percent of those recently up for renewal — have been unenrolled from a Medicaid plan in a span of four months, with nearly half of those losing access to the program dropped for a paperwork issue rather than eligibility reasons, the newest state figures show. Read more here.
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Lacking Counselors, US Schools Turn To the Booming Business of Online Therapy
Trouble with playground bullies started for Maria Ishoo’s daughter in elementary school. Girls ganged up, calling her “fat” and “ugly.” Boys tripped and pushed her. The California mother watched her typically bubbly second-grader retreat into her bedroom and spend afternoons curled up in bed. For Valerie Aguirre’s daughter in Hawaii, a spate of middle school “friend drama” escalated into violence and online bullying that left the 12-year-old feeling disconnected and lonely. Both children received help through telehealth therapy, a service that schools around the country are offering in response to soaring mental health struggles among American youth. Now at least 16 of the 20 largest U.S. public school districts are offering online therapy sessions to reach millions of students, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. Read more here.
Related: NY Gets More than $100M for School Counselors, Crisis Hotline
Psychologists say they can't meet the growing demand for mental health care
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Federal Initiative Aims to Ease Doctor Shortage in Rural NY Counties
Lawmakers hope a federal initiative to ease immigration requirements on doctors will help address the shortage of medical professionals in rural areas of Upstate New York. The Northern Border Regional Commission will recommend to the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security that the “two-year home-country physical presence requirement” be waived for eligible doctors who seek work at healthcare institutions and practices in underserved areas Upstate and in other member states. Read more here.
Related: Despite Lingering Shortages, New York’s Health-Care Workforce Is Bigger Than Ever
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Governor Hochul Announces Doubling of Community Behavioral Health Clinics, Funding 13 New Clinics Across New York
Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced conditional funding for 13 new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, part of the Governor’s $1 billion plan to transform the continuum of mental health care. New York’s nation-leading work to bolster mental health services and create integrated care models will help the needs of New Yorkers regardless of their ability to pay and to close gaps in coverage. Administered by the state Office of Mental Health in partnership with the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, these clinics will receive $3.5 million, doubling the number of clinics statewide – including six new locations in New York City – and greatly expanding the areas providing person-centered and trauma-informed care for individuals experiencing behavioral health issues. Read more here.
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Governor Hochul Announces $17.7 Million to Expand HealthySteps Program Statewide
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced that more than $17.7 million was awarded to expand HealthySteps, an evidence-based program that pairs behavioral health professionals with pediatric teams to provide early childhood mental and physical health care in a pediatric setting. Administered by the state Office of Mental Health, the additional funding will help create 46 new pediatric sites next year, with a goal of expanding the program to 224 sites by 2027. Read more here.
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NY Lawmakers Looking To Address Promise, Threat Of Artificial Intelligence
State government is moving into a new frontier by confronting the extraordinary promise as well as the potential threats of artificial intelligence. More than a dozen active bills and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State speech in January will seek to nurture the computer technology that can greatly advance health care, create more creative jobs for people now toiling in repetitive ones and perform mundane tasks such as household chores and driving. At the same time, lawmakers also will be looking to guard against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence: a deeper gulf in income inequality, an erosion of privacy rights, and the broader threat of uncontrolled, self-aware computers. Read more here.
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Officials Prepping Legislative Agenda to Aid New Yorkers with Disabilities
New York's Chief Disability Officer Kimberly Hill Ridley has been busy since the office was created nearly two years ago. The office within the Executive Chamber helps connect New Yorkers with disabilities – especially people with physical or sensory disorders – to resources to secure employment, housing, emergency preparation and home care, among others. "If you're a person with a physical disability or any type of sensory disability, there really is no go-to point in New York for those individuals," Chief Disability Officer Kimberly Hill Ridley said Friday. "Our office solidly represents that group of people." Read more here.
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Fall 2023 Edition of OMH News Now Available
The latest edition of the New York State Office of Mental Health's newsletter, OMH News, has been published to the OMH website. The lead stories for this edition discuss the 2023 New York State Suicide Prevention Conference and Governor Hochul’s mental health initiatives, which focus on youth and communities. OMH News is published for people served by, working, involved or interested in New York State's mental health programs.
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New Resource: Foundation Work for Exploring Incompetence to Stand Trial Evaluations and Competence Restoration for People with SMI/SED
Competence to stand trial is a critical issue in the legal and clinical systems. Many states report an increase in referrals for competence to stand trial evaluations and competence restoration while state psychiatric hospitals report an increase in forensic patient stays, all of which are contributing to lengthy jail or hospital stays among this population in the face of insufficient community resources. This new guide provides the latest insights regarding competence evaluation and competence restoration among people with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders who are in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Users can find important introduction and overview material on the full scope of the issue, as well as a summary of 10 major issues in the competence to stand trial system.
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Solving The Loneliness Crisis: Embracing Connection at Work
Loneliness, often underestimated in its impact, is a significant crisis affecting millions of people. Before the pandemic, statistics revealed that 61% of Americans felt regularly alone. However, Steven Van Cohen, author and leadership consultant, emphasizes that the pandemic has exacerbated this issue, with 72% of people now admitting to feeling lonely on a monthly basis and 55% experiencing loneliness every week. He joined Negotiate Anything to share his expert insights for building meaningful connections in the workplace and beyond. Read more here.
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The Promise and Pitfalls of Value-Based Addiction Treatment
Payers and providers have struggled to draw out a roadmap for value-based care in addiction treatment. As a result, the adoption of value-based contracting in substance use care remains low. Still, some payers and providers blazed the trail over the past several years, highlighting some core do’s and don’ts for value-based care contracting. “I’ve been hearing for 10 years that we’re on the edge of this,” Dr. Tom Britton, CEO of American Addiction Centers, told Behavioral Health Business. “Maybe we are? It’s happening in other disciplines for chronic disease … and I think many of them are working.” Read more here.
Related: Expanding Access to MAT for Addiction Care Critical, But It Isn’t a ‘Silver Bullet’
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New KFF Survey Documents the Extent and Impact of Racism, Discrimination Across Several Facets of American Life, Including Health Care
In a reflection of how pervasive racism and discrimination can be in daily life, a major new KFF survey shows that many Hispanic, Black, Asian, and American Indian and Alaska Native adults in the U.S. believe they must modify both their mindset and the way they look to stave off potential mistreatment during health care visits. KFF’s 2023 Survey on Racism, Discrimination and Health, the first in a series, also documents the pernicious association of racism and discrimination with worse health and well-being, including heightened tendencies toward feeling anxious, lonely, or depressed. Read more here.
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How Workflow Factors Sway Social Determinants of Health Screening Rates
Primary care providers looking to increase their rates of social determinants of health screenings might consider having advanced practice providers administer them, among other factors, according to a JAMA Network Open study. The study, completed by experts at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Arnold School of Public Health, looked at the features that influence whether a patient completes an SDOH screening in the primary care setting, helping to flag workflow details that could help increase completion rates. Read more here.
Related: White House releases playbook to address the social determinants of health
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
The Double-Edged Sword of Representation: Lived Experience, Tokenism and the Portrayal of Addiction Recovery Stories
December 7, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Addressing equity in home and community-based services among older adults of color enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid
December 7, 2 - 3 pm, Camden Coalition
Fostering a Healthcare Workforce for Today's Social Health Challenges
December 7, 3 - 4:30 pm, SDOH Academy
Rural Communities, Substance Use, and the Social Determinants of Health
December 8, 10 am - 12 pm, NCROTAC
OMH All Provider Meeting – Hospital & Community Connections
December 11, 10 - 11 am, OMH
How Technical Assistance Improves Responses to People with Behavioral Health Needs in the Justice and Crisis Systems
December 11, 12 - 1:30 pm, CSG Justice Center
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program in Rural Areas
December 11, 1 - 2 pm, Rural Health Information Hub
New(er) MHFA Instructor Speed Coaching: Tips for a Successful Start
December 11, 1 - 2:30 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Stimulants 2023: Cocaine and Methamphetamine
December 11, 2:30 - 4 pm, COSSUP
Collaborating to Improve Children’s Behavioral Health- A Comprehensive Playbook to Fostering Healthy Behavioral Health in Children
December 12, 12 - 1 pm, HMA
Burnout Prevention for Community-Based Complex Care Teams
December 12, 1 - 2 pm, Camden Coalition
Communities Talk to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse: Launching New Cycle in 2024!
December 12, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA
Virtual Town Hall: Advancing Equity in 988 Crisis Response
December 12, 3 - 4:30 pm, NAMI
The Poison Center's Role in Suicide Prevention: Seasonality and Suicide Risk
December 13, 10 - 11 am, OMH, Upstate NY Poison Center, NYSSPC
Overdose Safety Planning in Rural Communities
December 13, 1 - 3 pm, NCROTAC
American Tragedy: Dopesick Author Beth Macy on the Opioid Crisis, Overdose Deaths and What's Next
December 13, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
The Intersection of Harm Reduction and Peer Support: Moving Beyond Abstinence-Based Models
December 13, 2 - 3:30 pm, Peer Recovery COE
Addressing New York’s Opioid Crisis Through Integrated Systems of Care
December 14, 12 - 1 pm, NY Health Foundation
Equity in Action: Caring for Incarcerated Individuals Living with HIV/AIDS
December 14, 12 - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Health Center Preparedness and Response Forum
December 14, 1 - 2 pm, National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs)
Strategies to Reduce Recidivism and Prevent MOUD Diversion in Jails and Prisons
December 14, 1 - 2:30 pm, COSSUP
Promoting Equity through Police-Mental Health Collaborations (PMHCs): A Community Workshop
December 14, 1:30 - 3 pm, CSG Justice Center
Child Welfare and Housing Agency Partnerships Using Federal Housing Vouchers to Support Youth Transitions
December 14, 2 - 3 pm, Corporation for Supportive Housing
NAMI Ask the Expert: Suicide in Pretrial Detention and Expanding the Crisis Care Continuum
December 14, 4 - 5 pm, NAMI
Harm Reduction Principles: Foundations to Implementation in Treatment and Community Settings
December 15, 10 am - 12 pm, NCROTAC
Exploring Technology Solutions for Criminal Justice, Substance Use Treatment, and Mental Health Agency Partnerships
December 19, 12:30 - 2 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Engaging and Leveraging Community-Based Organizations in Your Crisis System
December 19, 2 - 3:30 pm, CSG Justice Center
Trauma Informed Care - Individual and Agency Assessment of Preparedness
December 20, 10 am - 12 pm, NCROTAC
Community Connections: Working with Justice-Involved Individuals
December 20, 12 - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
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CLMHD CALENDAR
DECEMBER
LGU Clinic Operators Call
December 12: 10 - 11:30 am
Mental Health Committee Meeting
December 14: 3 - 4 pm
Membership Call
December 20: 9 - 10:30 am
Mental Hygiene Planning Committee Meeting
December 21: 1 - 3 pm
CLMHD Office Closed - Christmas
December 25
Deputy DCS Call
December 26: 10 - 11 am
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