February 2021
EAP & SUD Provider Network Newsletter
BPA Health News Updates and Reminders:
 
  • Starting 4/1/2021 EAP Providers will be getting a rate increase to conduct Critical Incident Response (CIR). The new rates include $150 per hour for conducting CIR, drive time ($1 per minute), and mileage reimbursement at the federal rate. Those wishing to be considered for CIR authorizations will be required to send in documentation of completing one of the trainings below. An email will be sent in March with further instructions.
  • BPA Health Critical Incident Response (see registration information below)
  • Disaster Event Management – R3 Continuum
  • Assisting Individuals in Crisis & Group Crisis Intervention – International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) [note: must attended both or combined training]
  • Green Cross Field and Certified Traumatologist
  •  UMBC Certification in Critical Incident Stress Management
  • Others may be considered on a case-by-case basis
 
  • Federal regulations are changing and it is important to stay on top of what this may mean for clinicians.
  • March 2021 Final Rule on 42 CFR Part 2, Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records will be revised to include alignment with the section 3221 of the CARES Act. ASAM has created a list of these changes. That list can be found here.
  • April 5, 2021 the 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule, also referred to as “Open Notes rule,” goes into effect. It addresses Interoperability, Information Blocking and ONC Health IT Certification. More information on this rule be found here. The American Psychiatric Association has also posted information which can be found here.

 
  • BPA Health is working in collaboration with the Idaho Lives Project in organizing support groups for young adults who have attempted suicide. We are now recruiting for volunteer peer co-facilitators for these upcoming eight-week groups that will be organized in late spring to early summer. If you know anyone who would be interested either in being a peer or would benefit from the group, please pass this link onto them so they can get on our list to receive information: Interest Letter for Upcoming Suicide Attempt Survivor Support Group

Resources/TIPs:
 

  • Counseling Assistance for Frontline/Essential Workers (Idaho): Know someone who provides face-to-face services in the community? Grocery workers, transportation workers, mental health or medical professionals, etc.? They may be eligible for five free counseling visits. Click here for details or call (866)536-0239 for a referral today.

  • Idaho Strong COVID Help Now Line (Idaho): 8 am – 8 pm MST/7 days a week. The COVID Help Now Line offers statewide support for Idahoans challenged by the stress associated with this global pandemic. Call or text (986) 867-1073 or toll free (866) 947-5186. You may also now chat with a live representative! Click here for more information. 
Training Opportunities:
 
Project ECHO has released their 2021 schedule found here and includes hour-long lunch-hour trainings and case presentations in multiple topics such as Opioids, Pain, and Substance Use Disorder, Behavioral Health in Primary Care, Counseling Techniques for Substance Use Disorders, and more.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 - 11:00 -12:30 p.m. MT - A SAMHSA-sponsored Webinar: Addressing the Adverse Impacts of COVID-19 on Children with Serious Emotional Disorders - Since March 2020, children across the country have been isolated at home participating in distance learning. The academic, social and emotional impacts have been staggering, particularly for children with pre-existing serious emotional disorders and their families. Join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for a roundtable discussion that explores the short- and long-term implications and provides insights and answers to your most pressing questions.

Tuesday, March 16, 2021 - 11:00 – 1:00 MT – Critical Incident Response Webinar - BPA Health will be offering a free webinar for providers in the BPA Health EAP Network on appropriate interventions when conducting a critical incident response. Participation in this webinar will meet new BPA Health requirements for those providers wishing to obtain these referrals after April 1, 2021. Free CEs. Offered by BPA Health. Register here.

Friday, March 19, 12:30-1:30 p.m. MT - Adolescent Social Isolation and Loneliness - Being socially disconnected or perceiving the absence of companionship and support can have a large effect on health and mortality risks for adolescents. This presentation will explore factors that lead to social isolation and loneliness; determine how physical and emotional health can be influenced; and discuss ways to improve social integration and support in order to improve outcomes and life satisfaction for adolescents.

April 7th, 8th, or 9th from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm MT. The Idaho Lives Project is sponsoring this virtual training from M. David Rudd, PhD - Assessing and Treating Suicide Risk – Training for Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Healthcare Professionals. This training is FREE and there are 6 Continuing Education credits available for licensed professionals with no CE fees. Register here. Registration closes March 26, 2021 at midnight.

May 3 - 5, 2021 various times – NatCon 21. National Council for Behavioral Health’s annual conference. Virtual this year. Over 500 world-class speakers, 200 exhibitors and sponsors and over 6,000 attendees expected this year at one of the largest Mental Health and Addiction conferences in the world. Learn more here.

Save the date - ICADD 2021 Virtual Conference Live on-line sessions 5/24-25/2021 and on-demand through 6/8/2021.
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February Blog: Establishing Healthy Relationship Skills for Teens to Build on for Life
 
by Starr Shepard
BPA Health Community Programs Manager
 
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. It is critical that we support our teens in preventing dating violence because those who suffer from this also suffer long-term consequences that include higher addiction rates, higher rates of depression and anxiety, higher risk-taking behaviors, and higher rates of suicidal ideation. Statistics show that 1 in 11 female teens and 1 in 15 male teens reported experiencing physical dating violence in the last year; 1 in 9 female high school students and 1 in 36 male high school students reported experiencing sexual violence in the past year; and 26% of women and 15% of men experienced intimate partner violence for the first time before age 18 (Centers for Disease Control, January 27, 2020). 
 
Relationships exist on a spectrum of healthy to unhealthy to abusive. Unhealthy relationships can set the stage for future abusive relationships, and to someone who is just starting to learn how to navigate romantic relationships, unhealthy behaviors can sometimes look a lot like loving behaviors. For example, frequent texting and constant communication can look a lot like, “they care so much about me that they want to stay in continual contact and always know where I am,” when it fact it can be a form of control. Another example is being “love-bombed,” or overwhelmed with lavish words of affection and extravagant attention. This can feel exhilarating to a teenager experiencing these things for the first time. However, insisting on someone’s undivided attention and doing things like claiming soulmate status early on can be a form of manipulation.
 
Those were two examples of unhealthy patterns that stem from the other person, but there can also be unhealthy patterns that stem internally. Codependence is one example and can be difficult to recognize in early stages because it can appear healthy and loving on the surface while having some deeper unhealthy elements to it. For instance, caring about a partner’s needs can become putting their needs before one’s own. Or, wanting to support a partner becomes wanting to rescue or fix them. Another example is that it’s normal for humans as social animals to want to be validated by their community. But it becomes unhealthy when a person becomes fixated on external validation for their self-esteem.
 
Relationship patterns often begin during the identity development phase of adolescence. Being so focused on another’s needs during this crucial phase can have lasting repercussions. One way to help teens overcome codependency is to guide them to focus on their own needs and to pursue their own interests. This may seem foreign to somebody who has spent so much energy focused on another’s needs, but in relationships, taking care of one’s own needs is a form of love for their partner. Being able to love and validate oneself is the first step to being able to love another in a healthy way. To quote the late motivational mentor Jim Rohn, “The greatest gift you can give somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, ‘If you will take care of me, I will take care of you.’ Now I say, ‘I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me.’”
 
Adolescence is a period of concentrated social and emotional learning which is a process of cultivating essential relationship skills that teens will build on throughout their lives. It involves learning how to identify and handle emotions, making responsible and increasingly mature decisions, and managing challenges ethically and productively. As adults with opportunities to positively influence teens, we can help them by learning how to identify these dynamics and intervene when necessary. Promoting healthy relationship skills is a significant way to prevent adolescent abuse and has the potential to break future patterns of abuse and dysfunction.
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