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.

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For a full copy of the update
Emerging Resources & Updates

  • The latest annual report of federal statistics on the health and well-being of America’s children and youth is now available. The 2018 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, highlights six measures on the status of children and youth who face heightened risks to their well-being.

  • The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded $12.4 million through two programs designed to support the mental health of women and children across the United States (U.S.). Approximately $7.9 million of the funding will support 18 states to integrate behavioral health into pediatric primary care using telehealth through the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program. An additional $4.5 million will support seven states to implement the Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression and Related Behavioral Disorders Program. Read more here.

  • The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced it has awarded up to $61.1 million in grants to be disbursed over several years for suicide prevention programs. Read more here.


  • Nearly 125,000 hospitalizations among older Americans involved opioid-related diagnoses in 2015, according to an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report that provides new insights into how one of the Nation’s most urgent public health problems is impacting the senior population. Read more here.

  • The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released national and state-level findings from its most recent analysis of Veteran suicide data, from 2005 to 2016. Read more here.

  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding three centers that will conduct research on all forms of child abuse and neglect. The Capstone Centers for Child Maltreatment Research promise to identify best practices for prevention and screening, as well as treatment of children affected by abuse. Read more here.
New Publications & Resources
  • The public health emergency of opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose affects millions of Americans and requires innovative scientific solutions. National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow and NIH Director Francis Collins discuss an important step towards these solutions through the HEALing Communities Study – an integrated approach to test an array of interventions for opioid misuse and addiction in communities hard hit by the opioid crisis. 

  • This series of four fact sheets emphasizes the importance of continuing a mother's treatment for OUD throughout pregnancy.

  • This report summarizes data from CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding violent deaths from 27 states that collected statewide data for 2015. The majority of these deaths were suicides, followed by homicides.

  • The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced the availability of informational resources for clinicians interested in initiating buprenorphine treatment in emergency department settings.

  • This toolkit—now available in Spanish--helps senior centers integrate suicide prevention into activities that support well-being is now available.

  • This guide helps local systems use data to implement Crisis Intervention Team programs that can improve the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement response to people experiencing behavioral health crises.

  • This report presents results from the Mental Health Client Level Data and Mental Health Treatment Episode Data Set for individuals receiving mental health treatment services in 2016, as well as selected trends in data collected from such individuals between 2013 and 2016.

  • This fact sheet provides an overview of Bureau of Justice Assistance resources and initiatives about the intersection of criminal justice and mental health.
Get Involved

  • Join NIMH for a webinar on irritability in children. Wednesday, November 7, 3:00-4:00pm. The webinar will cover common signs of severe irritability; how parents can help a child with severe irritability; what treatment options exist, such as cognitive behavioral therapy; and ongoing irritability research conducted at NIMH.

  • HRSA’s “Addressing Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnant Women and New Moms” Challenge will award $375,000 in prizes to support tech innovations to improve access to quality health care, including substance use disorder treatment, recovery, and support services for pregnant women with opioid use disorders, their infants, and families, especially those in rural and geographically isolated areas. Phase I submissions are due on November 19, 2018, by 5:00 PM ET.
We look forward to continuing to work together for change!