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CMS Announces Model to Advance Integration in Behavioral Health
On January 19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is announcing a new model to test approaches for addressing the behavioral and physical health, as well as health-related social needs, of people with Medicaid and Medicare. The Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model’s goal is to improve the overall quality of care and outcomes for adults with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorder by connecting them with the physical, behavioral, and social supports needed to manage their care. The model will also promote health information technology (health IT) capacity building through infrastructure payments and other activities. The IBH Model will be tested by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center). Under IBH, community-based behavioral health practices will form interprofessional care teams consisting of behavioral and physical health providers, as well as community-based supports. Read more here.
Related: New CMMI model integrates physical and behavioral health
CMS Announces $50 Million in Grants to Deliver Critical School-Based Health Services to Children
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NYSAC and CLMHD Release White Paper: Battling the Opioid Crisis in New York State
For more than two decades, New York State’s county governments have stood resolute on the frontlines of an opioid crisis that has ravaged families and communities, strained the criminal justice system, and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Fueled by the opioid lawsuit settlements and recent legislative actions, counties are now channeling new resources into reversing the harm inflicted by the opioid scourge and fortifying local treatment, recovery, and prevention initiatives. This report aims to highlight the strategies counties are employing in their relentless battle against opioid abuse and underscore the need for continued investment in county initiatives.
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Engaging with People with Lived Experience in Opioid Settlement Decision-Making
As states administer opioid settlement funds, they are seeking ways to engage people who have been affected by the opioid epidemic in decision-making, policy development, and program implementation. As of June 2023, 17 states require representation of people with lived experience in their opioid settlement decision-making and/or advisory groups. Effective collaboration with people with lived experience, particularly from racial and ethnic groups that have borne disproportionate harms from the opioid epidemic, can lead to the development of services that more closely meet the needs of those impacted. Based on interviews with experts and state officials, this resource summarizes strategies that states have adopted for engaging with people with lived experience in opioid settlement decision-making, as well as some lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid. Read more here.
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Proposed Federal Law Would Put Limits on Use of $50 Billion in Opioid Settlements
Some members of Congress are demanding federal oversight of billions of dollars in opioid settlements, which state and local governments began spending over the past two years — with some using it to plug budget holes rather than fight the addiction crisis. This month, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, and Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, introduced legislation that would write into law approved uses for the funds so they reach people most affected by the crisis. With more than 100,000 Americans dying annually of overdoses in recent years, "any effort we can make to try to turn the needle toward treatment, prevention, education, and enforcement is critical," Kaptur said in an interview. "This bill aims to ensure that these funds are used for those purposes and not as a piggy bank for other projects." Read more here.
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NYSAC Releases SFY 2025 Executive State Budget County Impact Report
Issued on January 16, the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC) interim county impact report details areas of the Governor’s proposed budget that will impact county functions, departments, services, and programs. The report will be updated as NYSAC continues its analysis and receives additional information. Read the report here.
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Counties with Urgent Mental Healthcare Needs Face Telehealth Barriers
Though telehealth can help expand mental healthcare access, United States counties where mental health resources are low tend to also lack broadband internet access, hampering telehealth use, according to recent research. Published in the Nature Mental Health journal, the study aimed to determine the relationship between access to broadband internet and mental health resources and to quantify the association between social determinants of health (SDOH) and broadband access in the United States. Many Americans do not have access to stable and reliable internet connectivity. Though a 2021 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report states that fewer than 14.5 million Americans lack broadband access, independent research by BroadbandNow reveals that the figure is grossly undercounted, saying that at least 42 million Americans lack this access. Read more here.
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Amid A Dire Nationwide Therapist Shortage, Could Lay Counselors Help Close The Gap?
One morning last May, 10 students and two instructors from across California gathered on Zoom to talk about empathy. Empathy, said instructor Elizabeth Morrison, is often undervalued. But it’s a crucial skill for any effective mental health care provider. People who find their way into this academy, she said, tend to already have a lot of empathy and be good at communicating it. The students on the screen, who nodded with interest, were not therapists or even formal students of psychology. They were workers from health clinics, public health organizations, and substance abuse treatment programs, with jobs such as case managers or community health workers. Read more here.
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988-Hotline Counselors Air Concerns: More Training Needed to Juggle a Mix of Calls
In the year and a half since its launch, 988 — the country’s easy-to-remember, three-digit suicide and crisis hotline — has received about 8.1 million calls, texts, and chats. While much attention has been focused on who is reaching out and whether the shortened number has accomplished its goal of making services more accessible to people in emotional distress, curiosity is growing about the people taking those calls. An estimated 10,000 to 11,000 counselors work at more than 200 call centers nationwide, fielding calls from people experiencing anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts. A newly released report, based on responses from 47 crisis counselors, explored variations in their training and work experiences. Read more here.
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Behavioral Health News: “The Role of Housing and Employment in the Recovery Process”
Click here to read the Winter 2024 issue.
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States Get Serious About Limiting Kids’ Social Media Exposure
An increasing number of states are moving to require social media companies to create child-safe versions of their sites as Washington struggles with how to shield kids. Connecticut in June updated a privacy law to require online platforms to conduct children’s safety assessments, make design changes to help kids avoid harmful material and limit who can contact minors using messaging tools. Vermont introduced a similar bill earlier this month and an Illinois lawmaker will introduce one next week. Legislators in New Mexico, Maryland and Minnesota are in the process of updating bills submitted last year. Read more here.
Related: NYC issues public health advisory about social media, designates it an "environmental health toxin" due to its impact on kids
NYCDHMH Health Commissioner’s Advisory declaring social media a public health crisis
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‘Housing First’ Increased Psychiatric Care Office Visits And Prescriptions While Reducing Emergency Visits
One of the approaches to end homelessness in the US is “Housing First,” which recognizes the connection between housing stability and use of health services. Previous research has identified the effectiveness of permanent supportive housing on reductions in jail time and other outcomes. However, evidence of its impact on health care use has been less documented. In a new study, released ahead of print by Health Affairs, the authors analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial from 2016-20 of Denver area participants in a supportive housing program. They found that two years after joining the program, participants had an average of eight more office-based visits for psychiatric diagnoses, three more prescription medications, and six fewer emergency department visits than the control group. Read more here.
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Federal Scientists Recommend Easing Restrictions on Marijuana
Marijuana is neither as risky nor as prone to abuse as other tightly controlled substances and has potential medical benefits, and therefore should be removed from the nation’s most restrictive category of drugs, federal scientists have concluded. Recommendations are contained in a 250-page scientific review provided to Matthew Zorn, a Texas lawyer who sued Health and Human Services officials for its release and published it online on Friday night. An H.H.S. official confirmed the authenticity of the document. The records shed light for the first time on the thinking of federal health officials who are pondering a momentous change. The agencies involved have not publicly commented on their debates over what amounts to a reconsideration of marijuana at the federal level. Read more here.
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Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Awards $172 Million in Grants To Advance Health Equity Across New York
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation recently announced it has awarded 514 grants totaling $172 million to support nonprofit organizations addressing community health needs and disparities in health outcomes across New York State in 2024. Based on an analysis of community needs and feedback from frontline healthcare and social service providers, the Foundation refined its grantmaking strategy last year to focus on five core program areas: Access to Healthcare, Basic Needs, Healthcare Workforce, Mental and Behavioral Health, and a General Fund. This includes support for increasing access to medical care among underserved communities, addressing social determinants of health like food and housing, building a more diverse healthcare workforce amid staffing shortages, and supporting mental and behavioral care for vulnerable New Yorkers. Read more here.
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SDOH, Transportation Access a Problem for 5.7% of Patients
Transportation access continues to be a leading social determinant of health, with new CDC data showing it affected 5.7 percent of adults over the course of 12 months. The report, which used 2022 data, also showed that women were more likely than men to face transportation access barriers, with 6.1 percent and 5.3 percent reporting as much, respectively. Transportation access has an impact on numerous functions of daily living, the CDC researchers acknowledged. Without regular access to transportation, it can be hard to get to work, attend doctor’s appointments, and even drive to get the essentials, like groceries. Read more here.
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States Pursue Single Social Work License to Boost Labor Supply
Lawmakers in more than 20 states aim to pass legislation this year that would establish a common, multistate license for social workers to help address behavioral health workforce shortages and gaps in mental health-care access across the country.
The Social Work Licensure Compact has gained significant traction so far in 2024, with legislators in states like Colorado, Nebraska, and Virginia introducing bills this month to adopt the professional agreement. In total, 22 states have introduced such legislation, in addition to Missouri, the only state that has accepted the compact. At least six states need to follow Missouri’s lead to officially establish a single license allowing social workers with a college degree or clinical license to serve clients in each compact state. Read more here.
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New York State Announces Training Center for Behavioral Health Providers Serving Children and Families
The New York State Office of Mental Health recently announced a new training center dedicated helping behavioral healthcare providers implement evidence-based practices free of charge so they can offer improved services to children and their families. Supported with a $4.3 million investment of state funding, the Center for Workforce Excellence will bring evidence-based behavioral health training and technical assistance to eligible community-based organizations serving youth and families, which will help reduce disparities for people served by smaller providers, such as in rural areas. Read more here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
The Importance of Professionals and Community Members as Recovery Allies
January 24, 3 - 4 pm, NAADAC
Treating Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders through a Recovery Lens
January 25, 12 - 1 pm, CEATTC
The Community Resiliency Model (CRM) as a Self-Care Practice to Reduce Burn-Out
January 25, 12 - 1:30 pm, SEMHTTC
Policy and Regulatory Opportunities to Address the Opioid and Overdose Crisis in 2024
January 25, 3 - 4:15 pm, FORE
Family-Centered Fridays: ACEs-Informed Courts
January 26, 12 - 1 pm, National Center for State Courts
Fundamentals of Media Relations for Counties
January 30, 10 - 11 am, NYSAC
Understanding Integrated Care
January 30, 12 - 1 pm, Partnership for Integrated Care
Advancing Measurement-Informed Care (MIC) in Behavioral Health
January 30, 12 - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Responding to a Growing Demographic: Supporting Older Adult Populations within the Criminal Justice System
January 30, 12:30 - 2 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Overdose Safety Planning in Rural Communities
January 30, 1 - 3 pm, NCROTAC
Community Chat: Building Behavioral Health Awareness in Rural Areas
January 30, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Embedding Equity in 988 Crisis Systems
January 31, 1 - 2 pm, SAMHSA
Lessons Learned from Iowa: Integrating Primary Care and Behavioral Health Care
January 31, 1 - 2:30 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Stigma, Self-Reliance, and Substance Use in Rural Communities
January 31, 1 - 3 pm, NCROTAC
Medicaid Coverage of Medications to Reverse Opioid Overdose and Treat Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders
January 31, 1:30 - 2:30 pm, SAMHSA
Using advances in technology to advance the understanding, prediction, and prevention of suicide
January 31, 3 - 4 pm
Born This Way? The Role Of Early Life Stress In Adult Mental Illness
February 1, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
Bridging the Data Gaps in Behavioral Health: Why Payors and Providers are Turning to AI
February 2, 12 - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Opioid Overdose Reduction Continuum of Care (ORCCA)
February 2, 3 - 4 pm, Addiction Policy Forum
FREE Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for Specialty Providers in Capital Region
February 6 & 8, 9 am - 12 pm, MHANYS
Understanding the New ACOG Clinical Practice Guidelines for Screening and Diagnosis of Mental Health Conditions During Pregnancy and Postpartum
February 7, 12 - 1 pm, Project TEACH
Comparing Healthcare AI Platforms: 7 Must-Haves For Any Behavioral Health Organization
February 7, 1 - 2 pm, OPEN MINDS
Clinical Supervision within the Substance Use Workforce: Addressing the Generational Gap
February 13, 1 - 2:30 pm, MPATTC
The Next Step in Suicide Prevention
February 13, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Establishing mobile crisis teams as trusted partners in communities of Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF)
February 13, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
The Connection Between Heart Disease and Mental Health in the Black Community
February 15, 12 - 1 pm, CEMHTTC
Navigating the Competency to Stand Trial System for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD)
February 15, 1:30 - 3 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
Exploring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Treatment Landscape & Unmet Needs
February 28, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
2024 NYCPG Annual Conference - Registration Open!
March 5 - 7, Albany Marriott, NY Council on Problem Gambling
Creative solutions for mobile crisis teams to effectively engage with rural and frontier communities
March 12, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
FREE Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for Specialty Providers in Capital Region
March 13, 9 am - 3 pm, MHANYS
SAVE THE DATE: What It Takes: Supervising Peer Support Specialists
March 15 & 22, 9 am - 4 pm, PeerTAC
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CLMHD CALENDAR
FEBRUARY
Quarterly LGU Billing Staff Call
February 6: 11 am - 12 pm
Executive Committee Meeting
February 7: 8 - 9 am
LGU Clinic Operators Meeting
February 13: 10 - 11 am
Addiction Services & Supports (ASR) Committee Meeting
February 8: 11 am - 12 pm
Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting
February 8: 1 - 2:30 pm
Mental Health Committee Meeting
February 8: 3 - 4 pm
Quarterly AOT Coordinators Call
February 9: 10 - 11:30 am
Children & Families Committee Meeting
February 20: 11:30 am - 1 pm
Membership Call
February 21: 9 - 10:30 am
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