September 29, 2022

Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $1.6 Billion in Funds for Communities Addressing Addiction and Overdose Crises


Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is awarding more than $1.6 billion in investments for communities throughout the country addressing the addiction and overdose crises, as a part of President Biden’s comprehensive effort to prevent overdoses and save lives. The investments made through SAMHSA’s State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grant programs and HRSA’s rural communities opioid response programs will help communities looking to leverage every tool at their disposal – from prevention to harm reduction to treatment and recovery supports for people in need. Read more here.


Related article: DEA Announces Results of Enforcement Surge to Reduce the Fentanyl Supply Across the United States


White Paper: A Comparison of Substance Use Disorders before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

What's Really Causing America's Mental Health Crisis?


Recently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced recommendations that doctors screen all patients under 65 for anxiety. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we've heard about sharp increases in the number of people suffering from mental health problems. With a health care system already overburdened and seemingly unable to deal with the rise in mental health issues, America is facing what is being called a mental health crisis. But are we losing sight of another crisis - the political and social issues causing increased anxiety and depression in Americans? Read more here.


Related article: Feeling lonely, unhappy can accelerate aging more than smoking

Preventing Suicide Through a Focus on Firearm Access and Storage


The story of American suicide—more often than not—is a story about an individual who dies by self-inflicted gunshot wound, during their first ever suicide attempt, with a firearm they have owned for years. To put that in more concrete terms, 53 percent of American suicide deaths in 2020 were the result of firearm-related injuries, meaning more than 24,000 Americans died by suicide that year by this one method alone. This is true despite the fact that firearms account for less than 5 percent of annual suicide attempts. In other words, when somebody in America attempts suicide, they almost never use a firearm—and yet—when someone in America dies by suicide, more often than not they used a firearm. Read more here.


Related articles: Preventing suicide after psychiatric hospitalization


CVS makes strides on reducing suicide attempts by Aetna members by 20%

At This Recovery Center, Police Cope With the Mental Health Costs of the Job


HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — Ken Beyer can’t think of a day in the past few months when his phone didn’t flutter with calls, text messages, and emails from a police department, a sheriff’s office, or a fire station seeking help for an employee. A patrol officer threatening to kill himself with his service weapon before roll call. A veteran firefighter drowning in vodka until he collapses. A deputy overdosing on fentanyl in his squad car.


“It’s the worst that I’ve seen in my career,” said Beyer, co-founder and CEO of Harbor of Grace Enhanced Recovery Center, a private mental health and substance use recovery and treatment center for first responders in the waterfront Maryland town of Havre de Grace. Established in 2015, Harbor of Grace is one of only six treatment centers in the U.S. approved by the Fraternal Order of Police, the world’s largest organization of law enforcement officers. Read more here.

Mental Health Crisis Leads Hospitals to Create a New Type of ER


With mental health treatment in short supply, Americans experiencing a psychiatric crisis frequently land in a hospital emergency room—brought in by the police or loved ones—and usually stay there until they can be safely discharged or transferred. That means patients can spend hours or even days stuck on a gurney until a spot opens in a psych ward, the only other setting deemed appropriate.


The approach rarely offers any real treatment for mental health conditions, and it ties up scarce ER beds. That’s spurred some hospitals to try a new idea: mental health crisis units designed to treat people quickly in a more serene setting, so they can stabilize patients and send them home. Read more here.

Inside Google’s Tech-Enabled Approach to Revolutionize Addiction Treatment


Google’s life science-focused sister company Verily has made a bet on a brick-and-mortar opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment center. This comes as the technology conglomerate – along with its parent company and other business segments – continues to move further into behavioral health care. The Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL) life science subsidiary teamed up with providers Kettering Health Network and Premier Health to form the OUD treatment center nonprofit OneFifteen in Dayton, Ohio. It also worked with Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) on the location. Read more here.


Related article: Therapy for People Who Can’t Go to Therapy

How to Pursue Behavioral-Physical Healthcare Integration in a VBC Framework


When MetNetOne Health Solutions established roaming physician teams that would go from practice to practice to help address chronic disease management needs around two decades ago, it became apparent that something was missing. The teams lacked a behavioral healthcare specialist.


From that realization, the organization developed its strategy around integrated behavioral and physical healthcare, which MedNetOne Health Solutions continues to prioritize. Early on, the organization’s medical director invited behavioral healthcare specialists to join his practice and to practice in the same building. The organization watched no-show rates drop as a result. Read more here.

Health For The Homeless


The homeless (or housing insecure) issue plagues city after city throughout the country. There are currently over 550,00 homeless Americans—and that number has been on the rise over the past three years. Most were individuals (70 percent), and the rest were people living in families with children.


Those individuals have a significantly shorter lifespan, averaging just 50 years for unhoused populations compared to the national average of 78.5 years for Americans with housing. This discrepancy is due to health problems, poor nutrition, and harsh living conditions. It is no surprise that health plans have started to focus on addressing the housing issue. Humana invested $25 million to expand affordable housing in states across America. Read more here.

BROOME: Broome County Hospitals Take Aim at Opioid Crisis


BROOME: With 211 calls at all-time highs, Broome County unveils text option


CHAUTAUQUA: County issues warning on ‘rainbow fentanyl’


CHAUTAUQUA: County awarded $1M grant to assist mental health services


DUTCHESS: Mental health organization honors law enforcement


DUTCHESS: Police officer and mental health pro save life of homeless man


ERIE: Erie County will create a domestic extremism task force that interacts with task forces statewide


ERIE: Behavioral Health Job Fair - Erie County Commissioner of Mental Health Mark O'Brien


JEFFERSON: Credo Community Center breaks ground on new $9 million facility


LEWIS: Lewis County Helping Those Touched By Suicide Loss


MADISON: Madison County and local school districts implement satellite therapists


MONROE: URMC targets early intervention in mental health


MONROE: Rochester brewery shares recipe for healing during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month


MONROE: Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $6.8 Million Supportive Housing Project in Monroe County


MONROE: Helio Heath has new inpatient recovery center in Brighton for substance abuse recovery


NASSAU: County funds set aside for opioid crisis


NYC: NIH awards CUNY SPH team $6.7 million to design park-based strategies to improve mental well-being


NYC: Willowbrook Mile ceremony celebrates progress, pushes for greater disabled awareness


NYC: What’s Behind the Increased Use of Kendra’s Law in New York City?


TOMPKINS: County announces data disclosure plan for local criminal justice system


WESTERN NY: New Federal Grant to Address Veteran Suicide Prevention & Mental Health

HHS Approves Groundbreaking Medicaid Initiatives in Massachusetts and Oregon


On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), approved groundbreaking Medicaid section 1115 demonstration initiatives in Massachusetts and Oregon. Both demonstrations aim to test improvements in coverage, access, and quality with innovative approaches to ensure more eligible people retain their Medicaid coverage, including by approving Oregon’s demonstration to keep children enrolled in Medicaid up to age six — preventing gaps in coverage that can cause children to lose access to needed care in their formative early years. Read more here.

Policy Brief: Examining the Burden of Public Stigma Associated with Mental Illness in the Rural United States 


The purpose of this policy brief is to describe the burden of public stigma associated with any mental illness in rural versus non-rural communities in the U.S. Using an established, nationally representative panel survey, it examines stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs towards any mental illness among the general population, including differences by rurality, age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Consistent with prior work, this brief focuses on any mental illness rather a specific mental health condition to enhance generalizability and contribute to a broad understanding of the current scale of public stigma associated with mental illness. Read more here.

Where 3 Payers Are Investing in Behavioral Care Networks


Payers are continuing to expand their mental and behavioral care provider networks in response to the growing need nationwide for services. Becker's asked three payers the following question: Where is your organization investing or directing resources to improve member access to behavioral healthcare?


Brooke Tomblin. Clinical Program Director of Health Equity and Language Services at Cigna (Bloomfield, Conn.): Cigna provides a comprehensive offering that spans the spectrum of support — from network, access, and utilization management to intensive coaching. Read more here.

New program in Maine will allow EMS clinicians to initiate Suboxone treatment after overdoses


San Diego County seeks shift away from locked psychiatric units. ‘The change that we need in behavioral health is dramatic’


Flesh-eating drug ‘tranq’ meant for animals now linked to thousands of heroin, fentanyl ODs


US teens are drinking, smoking less but vaping, using marijuana more, study finds


Rural-Urban Differences in Child and Adolescent Access to and Receipt of Mental Health Services Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic


Addressing ACES in Early Childhood to Mitigate Future Police Contact

UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS


How Using Contingency Management Can Support Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders

September 29, 1:30 - 3 pm, SAMHSA


Decreasing Disparities and Improving Outcomes: A Closer Look at Standardization Tools Around Service Intensity

September 29, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing


New York State Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board Meeting

September 30, 10 am - 4:30 pm, OASAS


National Family Caregiving Strategy: A State Roadmap for Supporting Family Caregivers

October 3, 2 - 3 pm, NASHP


NYS Justice Center Code of Conduct Train-the-Trainer

October 4, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, NYSJC


Introduction to PSYCKES

October 4, 10 - 11 am, OMH


Identifying and Reaching Family Caregivers: Innovative State Strategies

October 6, 1 - 2 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies


Involving Community Partners in Data and Policy Initiatives to Advance Health Equity

October 11, 12 - 1:30 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies


Professional Boundaries for OASAS Providers

October 12, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, NYSJC


Using Public Safety Funds to Support Community Members’ Behavioral Health

October 12, 3 - 4 pm, NACo


PSYCKES for Health Homes and Care Management Agencies

October 12, 3 - 4:30 pm, OMH


Integrating Harm Reduction into the Substance Use Disorder Care Continuum

October 13, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing


Navigating PSYCKES Recipient Search for Population Health

October 18, 10 - 11 am, OMH


Understanding & Supporting Teen Emotional, Mental & Sexual Health

October 18, 7 - 8 pm, NYS School MH Resource & Training Center


Women Veterans’ Definitions of Peer Support: Importance for Mental Health & Well-being

October 20, 6 - 7 pm, NASW-NYS


Exploring the Intersections of Gender-Based Violence and Suicide

October 21, 12 - 1:30 pm, NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence


PSYCKES Mobile App for iPhones & iPads

October 25, 11 am - 12 pm, OMH


State Integration Models of Recovery Support Services

October 27, 11:30 am - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing


Diversity, Equity and Belonging focused Solutions to Recruit & Retain the Workforce

November 3, 3 - 4 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing


NYS Justice Center Code of Conduct Train-the-Trainer

November 9, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, NYSJC

CLMHD CALENDAR


OCTOBER


Quarterly LGU Billing Staff Call

October 6, 2 - 3 pm


AOT Coordinators Meeting

October 7, 10 - 11:30 am


CLMHD Office Closed - Columbus Day

October 10


LGU Clinic Operators Call

October 11, 10 - 11:30 am


Executive Committee Meeting

October 12, 8 - 9 am


Addiction Services & Recovery Committee Meeting

October 13: 11 am - 12 pm


Mental Health Committee Meeting

October 13: 3 - 4 pm


Children & Families Committee Meeting

October 18: 11:30 am - 1 pm


CLMHD Fall Full Membership Meeting

October 20-21, Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, Rochester


Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting

October 27, 1 - 2:30 pm

The Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors advances public policies and awareness for people with mental illness, chemical dependency and developmental disabilities. We are a statewide membership organization that consists of the Commissioner/ Director of each of the state's 57 county mental hygiene departments and the mental hygiene department of the City of New York.

Affiliated with the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC)
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