Dear Colleague,

As health centers and their communities grapple with damage from recent hurricanes, the lingering pandemic, and other developments, it is vital to support the mental health of patients and service providers alike. In October, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is honoring National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month and exploring new strategies to support our CHC workforce and communities.

In this issue, ACU is excited to highlight new webinars and resources to help health centers better support patient and staff mental health and prevent suicide. Read below about a new webinar and guide to help clinicians in training and practicing professionals integrate simple suicide prevention strategies in primary care, new findings on how to effectively retain medical and dental assistants, upcoming CHC vision care webinar, policy updates, and more.
Join Our Webinar on Simple Strategies for Clinicians in Training & Practicing Professionals to Help Prevent Suicide in Primary Care
Oct. 25: 12-1 p.m. ET | CME Credit Available
Healthcare professionals in training who will be entering primary care settings are likely to encounter patients at risk for suicide, but students often receive little training in prevention. Simple strategies can help save lives, and our new webinar will detail quick tips to help students or practicing professionals alike integrate suicide prevention strategies in primary care visits. Join Dr. Virna Little, Chief Clinical Officer at Concert Health, and Dr. Julian Mitton, System Director at CommonSpirit Health and Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, to understand the scope of the crisis, learn to recognize warning signs and screen for suicide, and implement simple, evidence-based interventions.
New Guide for Clinicians in Training Provides Strategies to Integrate Suicide Prevention in Primary Care
Nearly half of all individuals who end their lives by suicide visit a primary care provider (PCP) in the month before their passing, making these visits crucial opportunities to intervene. ACU's latest Suicide Safer Care guide, "Quick Tips for Medical Students and Other Primary Care Professionals in Training," provides an introduction to elementary suicide prevention strategies that clinicians can integrate in primary care visits. Read the guide to learn how to recognizing warning signs, screen and assess, and intervene.
In Case You Missed It: Learn How Primary Care Teams Can Help Prevent Geriatric Suicide in Our Recorded Webinar
Elderly individuals are at the greatest risk for completed suicide of all age groups in the U.S., but PCPs and teams working with these patients have vital opportunities to intervene. View our recent webinar recording and slides to better understand unique factors in geriatric suicide, take action for prevention, and access a new toolkit on geriatric suicide prevention.
Learn Best Practices for Opening Optometry Services at Your CHC in Our Webinar
Wednesday, Nov. 2: 3-4:30 p.m. ET
After you plan to begin offering vision services at your health center, what comes next, and what do you need to prepare? Join ACU, Prevent Blindness, and the National Association of Community Health Centers at our November webinar to learn about budgeting, best practices for hiring and staffing, and strategies for overcoming challenges as you take the next steps in providing vision services to patients. Don't forget to review earlier webinars in our "Eyes on Access" series to learn more.
In Case You Missed It: Publication Highlights Strategies to Attract and Retain MAs and DAs
Retaining medical assistants (MAs) and dental assistants (DAs) can be a struggle, but ACU’s STAR2 Center recently engaged two health center focus groups to share strategies and lessons learned to reduce the attrition of these critical staff members. Our new guide compiles these findings and provides participants' insights on best practices to recruit and retain MAs and DAs in the workforce. Learn additional insights in our recent webinar series.
Congress Averts Potential Government Shutdown with Continuing Resolution
On September 30, President Joe Biden signed into law a continuing resolution (CR) that prevented a government shutdown with 11 hours to spare. The CR extended the current levels of funding through December 16, giving both chambers additional time to negotiate the FY 2023 omnibus appropriations bill. With regards to healthcare issues, the CR also allows for the reauthorization of FDA user fees for another five years, which is necessary to avoid slowing down the review process of new lifesaving drugs. Stay tuned for more analysis and join us as an advocate to keep up to date.
Policy Roundup: White House Plan to End Hunger, Nursing Workforce, & More
President Biden recently presented his plan to improve health and end hunger in the U.S. by 2030, although midterm developments could challenge any proposed legislation. Furthermore, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced the National Nursing Workforce Center Act to create a 3-year pilot program through the Health Resources and Services Administration to support state-based nursing workforce centers to help address ongoing shortages of nurses. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency is working to create a national office of environmental justice to help address the disproportionate impact of pollution and climate change on BIPOC and low-income communities.
Welcoming Our Latest Member
ACU welcomes Mile Square Health Center (MHSC) as our latest Organizational Member. Beginning with a single neighborhood clinic in 1967 in Chicago, IL, MHSC now operates a network of health clinics offering vital primary care, vision and dental care, and more services to Chicagoans. An FQHC, MHSC strives to provide holistic, quality health services to Chicago's medically underserved communities, reaching approximately 24,000 patients each year. Is your organization committed to health equity? Learn about ACU membership and contact us with any questions. 
NOW OPEN: Apply to the NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP)
The National Health Service Corps' S2S LRP is now accepting applications! Open to students in their last year of medical, nursing, or dental school, the program offers up to $120,000 in loan repayment in return for serving for at least three years at an NHSC-approved site in medically underserved areas. This is an excellent opportunity for students to help pay off their loans while expanding access to care for under-resourced communities. Want to learn more? Attend a Q&A session on Nov. 8 at 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ET.
Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
ACU invites you to join us and the HHS Office of Minority Health and Health Equity in celebrating the many contributions, cultures, and histories of the Latinx community during and beyond Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15). Find more resources at the Office of Minority Health or revisit our webinar series (in English and Spanish) on how health centers can create inclusive organizations and achieve a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce.
The Latest from ACU's Career Center
Our Career Center is a great resource for job seekers or healthcare organizations looking to hire quality staff to serve under-resourced populations. ACU Members get premier access by logging in to our member portal and using the discount code. View recent postings:

Publications & Resources
Webinars
From the Blog & Podcast
Policy Updates


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STAR² Center Talks Workforce Success Podcast: Seasons 1-3
ACU is here to help: if we can do anything to better support your work to improve care and advocate for patients living in historically marginalized communities, please contact our Executive Director Amanda Pears Kelly with any feedback. Thank you for all that you do.
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