The Massachusetts Association for Mental Health is pleased to be a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Outreach Partner. We disseminate science-based behavioral health information and are eager to grow partnerships that advance the health of individuals and
families throughout our Commonwealth.

*Please feel welcome to forward this newsletter to your networks. 

For a full copy of the update
Emerging Resources & Updates
  • In a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), researchers have identified differences in how the brains of irritable youth react to frustration. The findings, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, could provide new paths for developing treatments for children and adolescents with severe irritability.

  • The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) model, an important step in advancing the agency’s multi-pronged strategy to combat the nation’s opioid crisis.

  • The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a public education campaign on civil rights protections in light of the president’s opioid bill signing and HHS’s ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
New Publications & Resources
  • Research from NIDA suggests that Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) treatment reduces opioid misuse among chronic pain patients.

  • The National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) has helped shape the All of Us Research Program, providing expertise on community engagement and health disparities. Input from NIMHD staff informed the program’s commitment to prioritizing both diversity and inclusivity. 

  • This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) blog post discusses the new tool, the Early Serious Mental Illness Treatment Locator. This online tool allows users to search for specialty programs that treat early serious mental illness, including first episode psychosis.

  • This blog post published by SAMHSA's Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) addresses suicide among black Americans. While the need exists to expand research on suicide among Black populations in order to develop more effective prevention strategies, there are important steps that can be taken now to prevent suicide in this population, such as targeting those at highest risk, improving access to mental health services, and reducing access to lethal means among those in suicidal crisis.

  • This ACF newsletter highlights the opportunity for the child welfare system and its partners to invest in helping to make families more self-sufficient and increasing protective factors that can prevent entry into the foster care system.

  • This resource, published by HRSA, provides essential information about the opioid epidemic, opioid use disorder, and neonatal abstinence syndrome. It includes relevant research; offers strategies for early childhood, public health, and substance misuse and mental health treatment programs; and highlights promising efforts underway in Maine, Colorado, West Virginia, and Massachusetts.

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a new online training to help prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). It includes information about the risk and protective factors and outcomes associated with ACEs and evidence-based prevention strategies.
Get Involved
  • January 22-27, 2019: National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week® - National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) is a week-long series of events that links teens to science-based facts to shatter the myths about drugs. Healthcare professionals can participate in NDAFW by providing teens with free resources about drugs.

  • There are two grants available for early screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Early Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder. They can be found here and here.
We look forward to continuing to work together for change!