Daniel’s Law – which is sponsored by state Sen. Samra Brouk and Assembly Member Harry Bronson, who both represent part of Rochester – aims to move mental health response away from police departments. Read more here.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40 states have reported increases in opioid-related deaths and ongoing concerns about individuals with mental illness or substance use disorder (SUD). Between March and May 2020, there was a 17 percent increase in drug overdoses reported during the first stay-at-home order period, with more than 60 percent of counties reporting an increase during that time (Alter & Yeager, 2020). Linking people who have recently overdosed or who are otherwise struggling with an opioid use disorder with treatment has been exceptionally challenging. The support system that people turned to before the pandemic is less accessible for such individuals, making the recurrence of substance use more likely. First responder-led diversion and deflection programs that incorporate peer supports into their work have found them to be an invaluable addition, providing connection and hope during this challenging time and offering innovative approaches to saving lives. Read more here.

"When the temporary order from the government to allow telehealth was announced, that gave agency providers hope that they could still provide services to the families they serve, while not financially draining them," said Sheila Hunt, the chief managed care officer at OLV Human Services. Read more here.

This brief shares considerations for health care organizations and government entities to build effective partnerships with the individuals and communities they serve to better address their health and social needs.

The program will open to 15 defendants who are charged with non-violent misdemeanors. Once they are arraigned, the court will look at criteria to determine if a defendant is eligible for diversion to the mental health court. Read more here.

The Osborne Association and the Buffalo Police Department announced the Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents Project to develop and enact a child-sensitive policing policy, protocols, and training to minimize the potential trauma for children from parental arrest and other police enforcement activities. A new consortium of WNY youth-serving agencies is advising the project and working to provide trauma-informed follow-up services to children and families.

The innovative training project is funded through a significant contribution from AT&T and an implementation grant from the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo through its “Moving Forward Together” initiative. Together, these grants will allow Osborne’s Buffalo FamilyWorks program and the Buffalo Police Department to address the harmful impact of a parent’s arrest on children and families. Read more here.

In February the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that the pandemic and economic recession that ensued had a negative impact on many people’s mental health.

Margaret Morse is the director of community services in Seneca County. Over the weekend she talked about some of the trends Seneca has experienced throughout the duration of the pandemic. Read more here.

New “State of the Industry” data released by the National Council for Behavioral Health finds 40% of mental health and addiction treatment organizations surveyed will not be able to keep their doors open past the end of the year without additional federal relief. The data arrives amidst rising concerns about mental health, increases in overdoses and a surge in overdose death rates in communities across the country. Compounding the problem, a recent report from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission found that only 36% of eligible mental health and substance use providers received Provider Relief Funds from the Department of Health and Human Services in 2020. Read more here.

After weeks of confusion, the Office of Children and Family Services on Monday released new guidance 

stating that residents of youth congregate facilities ages 16 and older are part of what’s known as “phase 1a” — the first group eligible to be vaccinated. Vaccines have not yet been approved for youth 15 and younger, though ongoing studies are expected to yield lower age limits by midsummer. Read more here.

Members of New York’s Responsible Play Partnership (RPP), which include the New York State Gaming Commission, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and the New York Council on Problem Gambling (NYCPG), announced a monthlong schedule of public events, professional trainings and general educational programming in support of National Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) in March. The initiatives highlight the RPP’s coordinated efforts to blanket the state with information about problem gambling and the availability of related prevention, treatment and recovery services. Read more here.

During the pandemic, teens' mental health services accounted for a much greater proportion of all their medical claims than in the past, especially last March and April, according to a FAIR Health "white paper".

That pattern persisted through the end of November 2020 -- the last month examined in the study -- but to a lesser extent, according to the report. Read more here.

Additional article of interest: ‘It’s everybody’s problem’: Goal to end youth suicide unites experts, organizations

It’s not Covid-19. It’s the country’s “other” health emergency: accelerating drug overdoses, which could soon, for the first time, claim 100,000 U.S. lives in a single year. Yet while Washington treated the addiction crisis as a top priority just two years ago, the pandemic has made it an afterthought. Read more here.

Additional articles of interest: PEW: Syringe Distribution Programs Can Improve Public Health During the Opioid Overdose Crisis

After almost a year since the pandemic began, the need for emotional support to help folks navigate COVID-19 continues. To meet this need, NY Project Hope is proud to announce that our crisis counseling program has expanded in 12 NY counties that have been highly impacted by COVID-19, including Dutchess, Erie, Nassau, NYC (all boroughs), Orange, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester. NY Project Hope has contracted with several local agencies in these 12 counties that will now provide COVID-19 related crisis counseling in their respective communities. By expanding the NY Project Hope crisis counseling program in these areas, more New York residents will be able to receive the emotional support they need, along with local resources and referrals from trained crisis counselors who know their community. For more information about our local provider agencies, visit https://nyprojecthope.org/providers/

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about NY Project Hope services, please contact Cheryl.Gerstler@omh.ny.gov.

The fundamental paradigm shift that has happened in addictions treatment financing and the future of “value” in addiction treatment were the focus of a great session, Addictions Treatment: The Case For Value at the OPEN MINDS 2021 Performance Management Institute. Ashley Gibson, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Director of Payer Relations, Contracts, and Utilization and Lauren Sims, Anthem’s Behavioral Health Program Director, presented their shared journey to value-based care. They discussed how the relationship between addiction treatment provider organizations and the health plans that pay them has been reshaped. The focus has moved away from length of stay in a singular level of care to consumer engagement at various levels of programming, and away from high clinical management to self-management.

The new measures of value. Part of the “growing pains” of value-based care is learning how to measure outcomes and how to demonstrate value with data. Read more here.