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Governor Hochul Designates March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday issued a proclamation designating March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in New York State, as the Responsible Play Partnership, consisting of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, the New York State Gaming Commission, and the New York Council on Problem Gambling, continues to ensure New Yorkers are aware of problem gambling as well as the prevention, treatment and recovery services available across the state. Read more here.
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During Problem Gambling Awareness Month, NYS OASAS Highlights Ongoing Work & Services Available To Address Problem Gambling
To mark Problem Gambling Awareness Month, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) is taking new actions to address the needs of New Yorkers related to problem gambling. This includes establishing a new problem gambling bureau, administering a series of surveys to monitor gambling behaviors, enhancing and expanding effective services, and strategically allocating future gambling funding. The agency is also reminding New Yorkers of the various services and resources available across the state, including where to find treatment, and how to talk to young people about the risks of gambling. Read more here.
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Praise for New York's Mental Health Initiatives for Youth, but Staffing Needed
New York state is joining parents in the fight to help kids through a number of newly implemented initiatives as the rate of mental health problems among young people is raising concerns. Parents and professionals are weighing in on what they see works. Gov. Kathy Hochul last year unveiled a $1 billion multi-year initiative aimed at updating mental health care accessibility and significantly reducing unmet mental health needs statewide. The comprehensive initiative has been well received by school districts, which are embracing the investment. The governor’s initiative established mental health clinics in 137 school districts across the state in 2023, bringing the total to more than 1,200 sites. Read more here.
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One Twin Was Hurt, the Other Was Not. Their Adult Mental Health Diverged.
Twins are a bonanza for research psychologists. In a field perpetually seeking to tease out the effects of genetics, environment and life experience, they provide a natural controlled experiment as their paths diverge, subtly or dramatically, through adulthood. Take Dennis and Douglas. In high school, they were so alike that friends told them apart by the cars they drove, they told researchers in a study of twins in Virginia. Most of their childhood experiences were shared — except that Dennis endured an attempted molestation when he was 13. At 18, Douglas married his high school girlfriend. He raised three children and became deeply religious. Dennis cycled through short-term relationships and was twice divorced, plunging into bouts of despair after each split. By their 50s, Dennis had a history of major depression, and his brother did not. Read more here.
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Biden-Harris Administration Launches the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose
The Biden-Harris Administration announced on Wednesday the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose. The Challenge is a nationwide call-to-action to stakeholders across all sectors to save lives by committing to increase training on and access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medications. To help more Americans save lives, the Biden-Harris Administration is encouraging business leaders to commit to take simple measures that work, including training employees on opioid overdose reversal medications, keeping the medications in first aid kits, and distributing the medications to employees and customers so they might save a life at home, work, or in their communities. Organizations may make a commitment and share a story of how their efforts saved a life. Read more here.
Related: In Support of ‘Unity Agenda,’ Biden-Harris Administration Announces $50M Initiative to Support Rural Opioid Treatment Services
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Overdose or Poisoning? A New Debate Over What to Call a Drug Death.
The death certificate for Ryan Bagwell, a 19-year-old from Mission, Texas, states that he died from a fentanyl overdose. His mother, Sandra Bagwell, says that is wrong. On an April night in 2022, he swallowed one pill from a bottle of Percocet, a prescription painkiller that he and a friend bought earlier that day at a Mexican pharmacy just over the border. The next morning, his mother found him dead in his bedroom. A federal law enforcement lab found that none of the pills from the bottle tested positive for Percocet. But they all tested positive for lethal quantities of fentanyl. “Ryan was poisoned,” Mrs. Bagwell, an elementary-school reading specialist, said. As millions of fentanyl-tainted pills inundate the United States masquerading as common medications, grief-scarred families have been pressing for a change in the language used to describe drug deaths. Read more here.
Related: Shine a Brighter Light - A White Paper on Improving the Reporting of Drug Overdose Fatalities in New York State
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SAMHSA’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Seeks $8.1 Billion to Support Mental Health and Substance Use Services Across US
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 President’s Budget includes $8.1 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), $612 million more than the agency’s FY 2023 enacted budget. The FY 2025 budget proposal continues to support the President’s Unity Agenda to address the nation’s ongoing mental health crisis and overdose epidemic. SAMHSA’s FY 2025 budget proposal includes resources needed to increase access to suicide prevention and mental health services by serving anyone, any time, from anywhere across the nation through continued expansion of the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs. Given the approximately 8% increase in older adult suicide in 2022, the budget proposes a new grant program in conjunction with the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to reduce suicide among this growing population. Read more here.
Related: New Resource: Examining the Use of Braided Funding for Substance Use Disorder Services
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The Difficulty of Accessing Methadone
DETROIT — Every morning, Rebecca Smith, nursing a surgically repaired knee, carefully walks down the hallway of her brutalist brick apartment building, takes the elevator one floor to the lobby, and negotiates the sharply angled driveway outside. There, she waits for an Uber to take her to the last place she wants to go: her methadone clinic. It is her most despised ritual. Smith, 65, is a former medical assistant, a grandmother, and a widow. She has not used illegal drugs in over five years, thanks in large part to methadone, a common medication that is highly effective at treating opioid addiction. But methadone, which once promised Smith freedom from drugs, has made her a prisoner to the drug-treatment system. Like hundreds of thousands of other Americans, she spends each morning journeying to and from her clinic, all so she can wait in line to swallow a small cup’s worth of medication. Read more here.
Related: New methadone rules are about to take effect. Here are 6 ways treatment could shift
Patients’ Insurance Status Major Factor in Opioid Treatment, Retention
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From Psychedelics to Weight-Loss Drugs: Examining New Approaches to SUD Treatment
When Peter Loeb co-founded Lionrock Recovery in 2010, the business of treating substance use disorders (SUDs) was very different. SUDs were stigmatized as taboo addictions, drug laws were stricter and models like Lion Rock charging clients for telehealth visits had not started. At the same time, there were fewer acute problems around SUDs – the number of annual fatal overdoses in the U.S. has soared over 300% since 2010, largely due to opioid misuse, according to the CDC. Additionally, more than 46 million Americans 12 or older meet the applicable criteria for having an SUD, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Read more here.
Related: Opioids, AI and a plan to save lives
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Addressing Social Drivers Of Health In The Medicaid Managed Care Environment
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, states were already working toward addressing social drivers of health (SDOH) within Medicaid managed care, which provides health care for seven in 10 Medicaid beneficiaries. Most states that provide Medicaid managed care services had already included some SDOH requirements on one or more of the following domains: screening, data collection and reporting, care coordination, staffing dedicated to SDOH activities, provider training, member education, performance measures, and payment. Then, the pandemic laid bare profound health disparities and exposed the deep impact of underlying sociopolitical factors on health and well-being. Read more here.
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Interoperability of Behavioral Health Data a Priority for 2024
Behavioral health integration is an increasingly high priority for both the healthcare industry and the federal government, and with the focus on is expected to increase throughout the year, leaders at the Office of Policy of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) are looking to revamp electronic health records systems to be friendlier towards behavioral health needs. Thomas Novak, senior advisor, state and policy at ONC, spoke to the issue during his keynote address at the Behavioral Health Forum at HIMSS24 in Orlando on 3/11. One of the big issues facing providers is that behavioral health data – such as it is – doesn't move efficiently and isn't easily accessible. Read more here.
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Pew Study: How Teens and Parents Approach Screen Time
Today’s teenagers are more digitally connected than ever. Most have access to smartphones and use social media, and nearly half say they are online almost constantly. But how are young people navigating this “always on” environment? To better understand their experiences, we surveyed both teens and parents on a range of screen time-related topics. Our questions explored the emotions teens tie to their devices, the impact of smartphones on youth, and the challenges parents face when raising children in the digital age. Fully 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and about six-in-ten say they use TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram. But do teens think they spend too much time in front of screens? Read more here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS
A Blueprint to Transform Mental Health and Substance Use Services in New York State
March 14, 12 - 1 pm, NY Health Foundation
Enhancing Maternal Health Outcomes Through Integrated Care for Women of Color
March 14, 12 - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Closing the Gap: Addressing Racial Disparity in Licensure Exam Rates
March 14, 1 - 2 pm, Social Current
Mental Health and Suicide on US Farms: Muckville Movie Viewing and Conversation
March 14, 1 - 2 pm, Agrisafe
What you Say Matters: Words and Actions Last a Lifetime – Best Practices in Suicide Death Investigations
March 14, 2 - 3:30 pm, OMH/SPCNY
From Care to Productivity: Leveraging Mental Health First Aid Strategies to Cultivate a Thriving and Resilient Workforce
March 14, 3 - 4 pm, NACo
Mental Health and Harm Reduction: Meeting Clients Where They Are
March 15, 12 - 1 pm, SMI Advisor
First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act — Prospective Applicant Webinar
March 15, 1 - 2 pm, SAMHSA
When Mental Health and Housing Subsidies Clash
March 19, 1 - 2:30 pm, MHTTC
Hardwired for Fear and Connection: The Intersection of Brain Science and Equity
March 19, 1 - 4 pm, Social Current
Assuring a Child Welfare Competent Mental Health Workforce: An Overview of the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training (NTI)
March 19, 2 - 3 pm, SAMHSA
Improving Continuity of Care for Justice-Involved Individuals: Lessons from the Field
March 19, 3- 4 pm, PSCC
Transforming Mental Health in Healthcare
March 20, 1 - 2 pm, HANYS
LA CRISP: The Role of Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists in Reentry
March 20, 1 - 2 pm, CSG Justice Center
Let’s Talk Resilience as a Three-Pronged Approach!
March 20, 3 - 4:30 pm, NAADAC
Criminal Justice and Mental Illness: A Webinar on The State of The Issue
March 20, 4 - 5:30 pm, NAMI
Bridging Public Health and Managed Care: A Collaborative Approach to Community Health Assessments
March 21, 1 - 2 pm, Manatt
Crisis Stabilization Considerations for Children, Youth, and Families
March 21, 1:30 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Implementing Complex Care Models to Reduce Frequent Service Utilization among Individuals Experiencing Mental and Substance Use Disorders
March 21, 1:30 - 3 pm, SAMHSA's GAINS Center
From Numbers to Visuals: Unleashing the Power of Data to Create Narratives for CBO Impact
March 21, 2 - 3:30 pm, SAMHSA
The Community Behavioral Clinic Experience in Advancing General Health Integration
March 26, 12 - 1 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing
The Power and Promise of AI for Health Equity
March 26, 1 - 2 pm, NIHCM
Financing Peer Recovery Support: Opportunities to Enhance the Substance Use Disorder Peer Workforce
March 26, 1 - 2 pm, SAMHSA
Mental Health Parity Update 2024: The Latest Regulatory and Litigation Trends
March 26, 1 - 2 pm, Manatt
Tech-Enabled Solutions for Addressing Health-Related Social Needs: Experiences from Iowa and Kentucky Medicaid
March 26, 2 - 3:15 pm, Center for Health Care Strategies
Opioid Settlement Fund Quarterly Community Webinar
March 27, 12 - 1 pm, OASAS
Restorative Justice Practices and Credible Messengers: Promising, Innovative Approaches for Improving Outcomes for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
March 27, 2 - 3 pm, CSG Justice Center
The Neurobiology of Trauma and its Application to Successful Treatment
March 27, 3 - 4:30 pm, NAADAC
Beyond the Numbers and Visuals: Building Your CBO Data-Driven Digital Marketing Strategy
April 25, 2 - 3:30 pm, SAMHSA
From Impact to Investment: Leveraging Your CBO’s Story for Funding, Impact, & Internal Growth
May 23, 2 - 3:30 pm, SAMHSA
Financing Peer Recovery Support: Opportunities to Enhance the Substance Use Disorder Peer Workforce
March 26, 1 - 2 pm, SAMHSA
Insights from the Reaching Rural Initiative - Navigating Leadership, Innovation and Community Impact in Addressing Substance Use Disorder in Rural Communities
March 27, 3 - 4 pm, NACo
Rural Mental Health Resilience Program Launch
March 27, 7 - 8 pm, Rural Minds
Comorbidities In Patients Living With Bipolar I Disorder
March 28, 12 - 1 pm, PsychU
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CLMHD CALENDAR
MARCH
Addiction Services & Supports (ASR) Committee Meeting
March 14: 11 am - 12 pm
Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting
March 14: 1 - 2:30 pm
Mental Health Committee Meeting
March 14: 3 - 4 pm
IOCC Meeting
March 18: 1 - 3 pm, Empire State Plaza, Albany
Children & Families Committee Meeting
March 19: 11:30 am - 1 pm
Membership Call
March 20: 9 - 10:30 am
Mental Hygiene Planning Committee
March 21: 1 - 3 pm
APRIL
Executive Committee Meeting
April 3: 8 - 9 am
LGU Clinic Operators Meeting
April 9: 10 - 11:30 am
Addiction Services & Supports (ASR) Committee Meeting
April 11: 11 am - 12 pm
Developmental Disabilities Committee Meeting
April 11: 1 - 2:30 pm
Mental Health Committee Meeting
April 11: 3 - 4 pm
Children & Families Committee Meeting
April 16: 11:30 am - 1 pm
Membership Call
April 17: 9 - 10:30 am
SAVE THE DATE: CLMHD Spring Full Membership Meeting
May 8 - 10, Lake George, NY
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