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Governor Hochul Announces $2.3 Million in Addiction Services Support
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced $2.3 million to support addiction prevention efforts and enhance access to transportation services for treatment. Administered by the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, the funding will help establish four prevention coalitions in New York City and enhance non-medical transportation services for individuals having difficulty accessing addiction treatment in Western New York and the Finger Lakes.
The funding will provide a total of $1.8 million to establish four New York City-based addiction prevention coalitions to better engage vulnerable populations and isolated communities in developing and implementing environmental change and prevention strategies. Read more here.
Additional article of interest: New laws are meant to help people with addictions to access care
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State Department of Health Warns the Public in Central New York About Alarming Increase In Opioid Overdoses
The New York State Department of Health has been made aware of a rapid increase in opioid-related overdoses in the Central New York region. Other areas of the state should also be aware and take precautions. These overdoses are likely linked to fentanyl, which is a powerful opioid that is often added to other drugs like heroin, as well as, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and illicitly manufactured pills, including benzodiazepines and other psychostimulants like Molly and MDMA.
Fentanyl is 50-100 times stronger than heroin and has contributed to an increase in opioid overdose deaths in recent years. Nearly half of all overdose deaths in New York State now involve fentanyl. Read more here.
Additional articles of interest: A Case for Permanent Adoption of Expanded Telehealth Services and Prescribing Flexibilities for Opioid Use Disorder
On International Overdose Awareness Day, HHS announces awarding of $79.1 million in overdose prevention grants
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Treatment Deserts Fray New York's Capacity to Deal with the Opioid Crisis
On the same day that New York state and local health officials raised concerns over a spike in opioid-related overdoses in parts of Central New York, a presentation made by the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) laid bare several “treatment deserts” in upstate New York where overdose prevention services are not available.
At a meeting of the Opioid Settlement Advisory Board, OASAS indicated there are treatment deserts of various kinds in counties throughout upstate. Read more here.
Additional article of interest: Opioid Settlement Board makes progress on recommendation report
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Governor Hochul Announces $4 Million to Increase Mental Health Workforce Diversity
Governor Kathy Hochul last week announced $4 million in federal funding to support underrepresented students entering or enrolled in mental health degree programs at State University of New York or City University of New York campuses. Through a partnership with the New York State Office of Mental Health, SUNY and CUNY will each be provided $2 million to support tuition assistance, paid internships, and direct stipends for minority and multilingual students. Read more here.
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This Teen Was Prescribed 10 Psychiatric Drugs. She’s Not Alone.
One morning in the fall of 2017, Renae Smith, a high school freshman on Long Island, N.Y., could not get out of bed, overwhelmed at the prospect of going to school. In the following days, her anxiety mounted into despair. “I should have been happy,” she later wrote. “But I cried, screamed and begged the universe or whatever godly power to take away the pain of a thousand men that was trapped inside my head.”
Intervention for her depression and anxiety came not from the divine but from the pharmaceutical industry. The following spring, a psychiatrist prescribed Prozac. The medication offered a reprieve from her suffering, but the effect dissipated, so she was prescribed an additional antidepressant, Effexor. Read more here.
Additional article of interest: ‘The Best Tool We Have’ for Self-Harming and Suicidal Teens
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At 988 Call Centers, Crisis Counselors Offer Empathy - and Juggle Limited Resources
On a Friday evening at a call center in southeastern Pennsylvania, Michael Colluccio stirs his hot tea, puts on his headset, and starts up his computer. On the screen, calls are coming in to the suicide prevention lifeline from around the state. The 38-year old Colluccio says he knows what it's like to be on the other end of one of those calls.
"So I had a suicide attempt when I was about 10, 11 years old," Colluccio says. "And we do get callers who are about that age, or quite young, and they are going through similar stressors." Read more here.
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New York Officials: Planning Needed for People with Developmental Disabilities
New York officials are working to develop a years-long strategy to aid the long-term planning needs for some of the state's most vulnerable residents. State lawmakers and agency leaders pointed to an ongoing housing crisis facing the community as one of its most pressing needs. Assemblywoman Sarah Clark, along with Assemblywoman Jen Lunsford and Office for People with Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Kerri Neifeld on Tuesday met with family members and community advocates to discuss the issue. Read more here.
Additional article of interest: Helping People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Get Dental Care
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Making Emergency Rooms OUD-Ready
The emergency room often is considered the front door for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), but access to standardized care has been limited in part by the stigma surrounding addiction. A partnership of three organizations, funded by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE), is seeing success in its efforts to expand access to OUD treatment in emergency departments.
“The emergency room for many individuals is the first contact with health professionals after an overdose,” says Ken Shatzkes, FORE’s program director. “It’s an opportunity to engage with an individual, connect them with social services and remove some of the stigma so that when they do want to participate in treatment, they’ll feel more comfortable doing so. A lot of it has to do with that first contact point.” Read more here.
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Relias Survey Highlights Trends, Gaps in Crisis Training For Behavioral Health and I/DD Professionals
Relias, trusted partner to more than 11,000 healthcare organizations and 4.5 million caregivers, has released a new report that identifies areas of improvement for crisis prevention and intervention (CPI) training among behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) professionals. The 2022 Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Report, based on a survey of 2,952 behavioral health and IDD professionals, examined how providers train their staff on CPI techniques, which are vital to mitigating crisis situations with clients. Read more here.
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Proven Models Help Behavioral Health Operators Overcome Carve-Out, Data-Sharing Challenges in VBC
The road to value-based care (VBC) contracting in the behavioral health sector is slow moving. In order for VBC to evolve in the behavioral health sector, both payers and providers need a seat at the table. Operators provide clinical expertise and troves of data about the patient experience. And these assets could put providers in the driver’s seat when it comes to the future of VBC in behavioral health, industry stakeholders told Behavioral Health Business.
“Health plans, traditionally, have seen enough data in a member-centric view to have a sense of spend and utilization patterns,” Samir Malik, co-founder and CEO of serious mental illness patient-engagement company firsthand, told BHB. Read more here.
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Counties Urge State to Address Need for Secure Housing for Violent Teens
Leaders of organizations representing New York county governments and probation departments say implementation of a law raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18 has resulted in “severely negative consequences.”
“The lack of specialized secure detention beds across the state is putting our communities, affected youth, and the public at risk,” said Martha Sauerbrey, president of the New York Association of Counties; Luci Welch, resident of the state Council of Probation Administrators; and Marc Molinaro, president of the County Executives Association, in a recent letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Read more here.
Additional article of interest: Lawmaker wants Medicaid reimbursement for violence prevention
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NY School Districts Should Have Uniform Safety Guidance, State Teachers Union Says
The state should issue uniform school safety guidance for all districts, from single points of entry to lockdown procedures, while establishing staffing ratios for school social workers, counselors and psychologists, according to a new report from the New York State United Teachers. In the wake of the shooting in May at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead, the union Tuesday released a report detailing local, state and federal policy recommendations to address violence in schools. Read more here.
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Advocates Push to Center Youth Mental Health as New School Year Begins
At a virtual rally on Sunday, parents, young people and advocates in the city and across the state shared stories about the impact of the pandemic and renewed calls for elected officials to invest more in behavioral health programs and services for children and teens, which experts say have been underfunded for years and are now at a breaking point, with increased demand spurred by the coronavirus crisis.
As a new school year kicks off next week—the third since the pandemic began—local advocates and families are calling for New York lawmakers to prioritize mental health resources for youth, pointing to the impact of COVID-19 on a system they say was strained across the state well before the crisis. Read more here.
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Recovery is For Every Person, Every Family, and Every Community
This September, the New York Council on Problem Gambling (NYCPG) celebrates National Recovery Month. Recovery is for everyone: every person, every family, and every community. Along with Faces & Voices of Recovery, this month is a time to celebrate the strides made by those in recovery from substance misuse, mental health issues, and problem gambling.
Problem gambling is often a “hidden addiction”; therefore, we must make it a priority to talk about, prevent, educate, and screen for issues. We know that many people can be impacted by problem gambling, including family members and communities. It takes the advocacy, support, and awareness of everyone to make sure that those looking for recovery have many pathways to get there. Read more here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
Using PSYCKES Quality Indicator Reports
September 1, 1 - 2 pm, OMH
Saving Our Children: Current Considerations for Preventing Suicide in Children and Adolescents
September 6, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Barriers and Facilitators of Jail-Based Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs: Setting up for Success
September 7, 2:30 - 4 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Rural Areas
September 8, 3 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
988 Celebration Webinar
September 12, 3 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
988: What’s The Scoop? A Discussion With Experts In Suicide Prevention & Mental Health
September 13, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Kinship Families Affected by Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders
September 14, 1 - 2 pm, SAMHSA
DLTSS Training Series: Building on Successes Toward Implementation of EVV for HHCS
September 14, 1:30 - 3 pm, CMS
A Patient-Centered Complex Care Research Agenda: Recommendations for Collective Action
September 15, 12 - 1:30 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies
America’s Growing Drug Overdose Crisis
September 15, 1 - 2 pm, NIHCM Foundation
Lessons Learned in Community-Based Recovery Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic
September 15, 3 - 4:30 pm, Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts
Fostering Connection Across the Lifespan: 2022 New York State Suicide Prevention Conference
September 20 - 22, Virtual - OMH SPCNYS
Implementing Tech-Enabled Innovation in Medicaid Managed Care: Opportunities to Advance Health Equity and Quality
September 20, 1 - 2 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies
Using Local Innovation to Address Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice Programs
September 20, 2 - 3:30 pm, CSG Justice Center
Consent, Emergency, Quality Flag: PSYCKES Levels of Access
September 21, 10 - 11 am, OMH
Defining, Evaluating, & Implementing Digital Health Tools
September 21, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Quality Matters: An Update From NCQA On Behavioral Health Measurement Trends
September 27, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Alcohol Use Disorder: Our Nation’s Hidden Epidemic
September 28, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Decreasing Disparities and Improving Outcomes: A Closer Look at Standardization Tools Around Service Intensity
September 29, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
NYS Justice Center Code of Conduct Train-the-Trainer
October 4, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, NYSJC
NYS Justice Center Code of Conduct Train-the-Trainer
November 9, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, NYSJC
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CLMHD CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER
CLMHD Office Closed - Labor Day
September 5
CLMHD Executive Committee Meeting
September 7: 8 - 9 am
Addiction Services & Recovery Committee Meeting
September 8: 11 am - 12 pm
Mental Health Committee Meeting
September 8: 3 - 4 pm
LGU Clinic Operators Meeting
September 13: 10 - 11:30 am
Children & Families Committee Meeting
September 20: 11:30 am - 1 pm
CLMHD Membership Call
September 28: 9 - 10:30 am
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