NYSCLMHD Weekly e-News

March 7, 2024

NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Launches Series of Empowerment Videos to Celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has launched a new series of videos designed to empower people with developmental disabilities and fight the societal stigmas that can stand in the way of them living full lives of their choosing. The videos were launched on March 1 to coincide with National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM). Read more here.

Solutions Sought for Severe Shortages in New York's Mental Health Workforce

Advocates and lawmakers are shining a spotlight on building the mental health workforce. Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State, said with budget negotiations on the horizon, now is the time to address severe shortages in the workforce across the mental health field. He said the organization is asking the state Legislature to expand upon the 1.5% cost of living increase for individuals in the field included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget for a total of 3.2%, equal to the consumer price index. He emphasized that as the state Assembly and state Senate prepare to release their budgets, it’s an opportunity to address the crisis. Read more here.

Governor Hochul Nominates Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden to Serve as Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the nomination of Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden to serve as Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Dr. Harris-Madden is an experienced nonprofit and community leader who currently serves as Executive Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau and will take office as Acting Commissioner on April 8. Read more here.

Governor Hochul Announces Federal Approval to Expand Access to High-Quality, Affordable Health Insurance

Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Treasury have approved New York's Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver application to expand the Essential Plan, a public health insurance program offered through the NY State of Health, to New Yorkers with incomes up to 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Line, $37,650 annual income for an individual. Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers allow states to pursue innovative strategies for providing residents with access to high-quality, affordable health insurance. The waiver was approved for five years, from 2024 through 2028. Read more here.

Transforming Behavioral Health Care Delivery in States: Critical Windows of Opportunity

Where do you obtain treatment for a mental health or substance use disorder? It’s not an easy question. In my former job as a social worker, it was not uncommon to find myself in a frustrating tangle of phone calls trying to locate behavioral health services for my clients. Is the provider taking new patients? Accepting Medicaid? Located near public transportation? Keeping a waitlist? Spanish-speaking? Able to support those with co-occurring disorders? What about childcare? If someone is brave enough to seek treatment for these too-often highly stigmatized conditions, it should be easier to receive it. Read more here.

Preschoolers with Depression at Greater Risk of Suicide during Adolescence

Preschoolers with clinical depression are more likely than their peers to have attempted suicide or to have had thoughts of killing themselves by age 12, according to a new study from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. The findings, published recently in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, suggest that preschoolers — children ages 3 to 6 — with depression would benefit from initial and ongoing mental health screenings and behavioral interventions.

Read more here.

Suicide Rates Are High And Rising Among Older Adults In The US

In November 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in the age-adjusted suicide rate since 2021. The report details that in 2021 and 2022, people ages 75 and older had the highest suicide rate among all age groups, largely driven by males. This report is a salient indicator of the challenge of identifying and addressing suicide risk among older adults amidst the well-publicized mental health crisis in the United States. Underpinning this profound challenge are the direct connections among social isolation, neglect, and suicide. Read more here.

AI Is Turning Social Media Into the Next Frontier for Suicide Prevention

“We stumbled upon your post…and it looks like you are going through some challenging times,” the message begins. “We are here to share with you materials and resources that might bring you some comfort.” Links to suicide help lines, a 24/7 chat service, and stories of people who overcame mental-health crises follow. “Sending you a virtual hug,” the message concludes. This note, sent as a private message on Reddit by the artificial-intelligence (AI) company Samurai Labs, represents what some researchers say is a promising tool to fight the suicide epidemic in the U.S., which claims almost 50,000 lives a year. Companies like Samurai are using AI to analyze social media posts for signs of suicidal intent, then intervene through strategies like the direct message. Read more here.

Podcast: Can Avatars Help Young Adults Manage Alcohol Use Problems & Suicidal Thoughts?

Alcohol-Related Deaths Spike By 29% in US, But Opioid Crisis Overshadows Alcohol Use Disorder

The number of people who died from alcohol-related reasons per year increased by more than 40,000 within six years, new CDC data revealed. Yet, alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains overlooked in the substance use disorder (SUD) industry, which is laser-focused on the opioid crisis, industry insiders told Addiction Treatment Business. More work needs to be done to educate the general public, primary care providers and the behavioral health industry to address the impact of AUD and excessive alcohol consumption. Read more here.

Xylazine-Laced Fentanyl Overdose: 'Make Sure They're Breathing'

With rising reports of the veterinary sedative xylazine -- also known as "tranq" -- being mixed in with illicit fentanyl, physicians should be aware that the clinical endpoint for "reversing" an overdose should be that the person is breathing, experts said during a CDC call for clinicians. "The idea that people have to wake up to be successful is a bit of a misunderstanding," Lewis Nelson, MD, chair of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, said during a CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call last week hosted by the agency's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC). Read more here.

How the U.S. is Sabotaging Its Best Tools to Prevent Deaths in the Opioid Epidemic

The opioid overdose epidemic has burned through the U.S. for nearly 30 years. Yet for all that time, the country has had tools that are highly effective at preventing overdose deaths: methadone and buprenorphine. These medicines are cheap and easy to distribute. People who take them use illicit drugs at far lower rates, and are at far lower risk of overdose or death. By beating back the cravings and agonizing withdrawal symptoms that result from trying to quit opioids “cold turkey,” methadone and buprenorphine can help people addicted to opioids escape an existence defined by drugs and achieve stable, healthy lives. But a yearlong investigation by STAT shows that virtually every sector of American society is obstructing the use of medications that could prevent tens of thousands of deaths each year. Read more here.

Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver Watch: A Closer Look at Recent Approvals to Address Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN)

In December 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Section 1115 demonstration waiver opportunity to expand the tools available to states to address enrollee health-related social needs (or “HRSN”). CMS defines health-related social needs as an individual’s unmet, adverse social conditions (e.g., housing instability, homelessness, nutrition insecurity) that contribute to poor health and are a result of underlying social determinants of health (SDOH). This issue brief identifies states with approved and pending Medicaid 1115 waivers with SDOH-related provisions and summarizes approvals under the new Biden administration HRSN 1115 framework, highlighting approved services, target populations, and key requirements related to financing HRSN services. Read more here.

Lessons from the Field: How Health Care and Homeless Service Providers Partner for Action

BROOME: Broome County program connects people charged with low-level crimes to addiction treatment

CHEMUNG: Chemung County SafeZones programs for LGBTQ+ youth

CLINTON: New mural will raise awareness of suicide and mental health in Plattsburgh

ERIE: Erie County and Erie County Department of Health Award ECMC Opioid Crisis Grants

FULTON: The Family Counseling Center Highlights work of Mobile Crisis Unit

MONROE: Youth mental health a 'hidden crisis' after COVID: Monroe County report

NIAGARA: NU expanding probation officer disability awareness training

NYC: Governor Hochul Announces Five-Point Plan to Protect New Yorkers on the Subway

NYC: Addressing New York's Youth Mental Health Crisis, Montefiore Announces Plans for New Pediatric Inpatient Psychiatry Unit

NYC: VIP Community Services celebrates new men’s homeless shelter in Harlem

NYC: New York’s Least Likely, Most ‘Magical’ Museum

NYC: Mayor Adams Announces Progress to Improve Care and Services for People in Custody, Advances Plans for Future Uses of Rikers Island

NYC: Migrant families suffering from PTSD find temporary relief from NYC shelter 60-day notices

NYC: Nonprofit serving families opens trauma recovery center in the Bronx

ONONDAGA: Safe Space: Syracuse non-profit provides tools for proactive mental health support

ONONDAGA: Youturn Health to Support Up to 375 Former Inmates as They Re-Enter Society in Onondaga County, NY

SARATOGA: One machine helps Saratoga County identify hundreds of drugs in minutes

ST. LAWRENCE: Group tries to get teens, adults to go 5 hours without social media

TOMPKINS: Alcohol & Drug Council to Close Amid Financial Struggles, Leaving Future of its Detox Facility Uncertain

TOMPKINS: Cyberattack Threatens Financial Stability of Cayuga Health, Senator Schumer Calls for Federal Assistance

WESTERN NY: BOCES secures $1M in COVID recovery funds

FORE Awards New Grant to Address Impact of Post-COVID Medicaid Policy Changes on Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

'Lost Patients' podcast examines America's "maze-like" mental health system

Care team ‘huddles’ reduced physical restraint events at children’s hospital

Brief: Waitlists in the Competence to Stand Trial System

Medicare’s Mental Health Care Problem

Louisiana Reforms Connect Medicaid Enrollees to Lifesaving Addiction Treatment

MSU study: Key mental health services could reduce jail time

Travis County (TX) to launch $23 million project to keep mentally ill from jail

UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS

Aligning Health and Safety: A New Tool for States to Transform Behavioral Health and Justice Systems

March 7, 3 - 4 pm, CSG Justice Center

Advocating for School Based Mental Health

March 7, 7:30 - 8:30 pm, MHANYS

Treating Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder

March 8, 12 - 1 pm, Providers Clinical Support System

Creative Solutions for Mobile Crisis Teams to Effectively Engage With Rural and Frontier Communities

March 12, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Examining the Burden of Public Stigma Associated With Mental Illness in the Rural U.S.

March 12, 1 - 2 pm, Rural Health Research Gateway

Scaling SUD Treatment through AI-Powered, Asynchronous Video Assessments

March 12, 1 - 2 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Detection of Suicide-Related Emergencies Among Children Using Real-World Clinical Data

March 12, 2 - 3 pm, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

Strategies for Discussing Race, Racial Discrimination, and Racial Trauma with Youth

March 12, 3 - 4 pm, CEMHTTC

FREE Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for Specialty Providers in Capital Region

March 13, 9 am - 3 pm, MHANYS

Paving the Path Forward: A Systems-Relational Exploration of SUD-Related Policies

March 13, 12:30 - 1:30 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

AI in Behavioral Health: The Future is Here

March 13, 2 - 3 pm, National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Opportunities to Address SDOH in 1915(c) and 1915(i) Medicaid HCBS Programs

March 13, 2 - 3:30 pm, CMCS

Emotional Attachment Behavioral Therapy: An Innovative Approach to Behavioral Health Treatment

March 13, 3 - 4:30 pm, NAADAC

State Policy Landscape to Address the Opioid and Overdose Crisis in 2024

March 13, 3 - 4:30 pm, FORE

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

Building & Strengthening School Mental Health Referral Pathways to Support Student Mental Health

March 13, 12 - 1:30 pm, MHTTC

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

Mental Health and Harm Reduction: Meeting Clients Where They Are

March 15, 12 - 1 pm, SMI Advisor

REGISTRATION OPEN: What It Takes: Supervising Peer Support Specialists

March 15 & 22, 9 am - 4 pm, PeerTAC

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

Bridging Public Health and Managed Care: A Collaborative Approach to Community Health Assessments

March 21, 1 - 2 pm, Manatt

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 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

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

GRANTS/FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)

HRSA Health Workforce

Rural Health Information Hub - New York

SAMHSA Grants Dashboard

CLMHD CALENDAR

MARCH

LGU Clinic Operators Meeting

March 12: 10 - 11 am

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

SAVE THE DATE: CLMHD Spring Full Membership Meeting

May 8 - 10, Lake George, NY

Links to State Guidance and Updates on COVID-19

NYS Coronavirus Vaccination Information

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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