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September 10, 2021

In This Issue:


What's New:
 
Don't Miss These Headlines:
 
Resource Roundup:
including funding for workforce development, health equity, and rural behavioral health.
including learning opportunities for suicide prevention, housing supports, and crisis response.

Explore opportunities on NASMHPD's Job Board

Join the 988 Crisis Jam Learning Community!
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) 988 Crisis Jam Learning Community, powered by Crisis Now, takes place each Wednesday at noon eastern on Zoom! Join SAMHSA, the more than 56 national organizations, and all 50 states taking part in these weekly crisis jam sessions.
Add the 988 Crisis Jam Learning Community to your calendar
Access the
Zoom link now
A national three digit mental health and suicide prevention crisis hotline is probably the most significant public policy initiative impacting behavioral healthcare since Medicaid expansion. There are many questions that we all have and the learning collaborative is a forum for us to find solutions together. The outcome that we are looking for with the 988 & Crisis Services Learning Community is new learning and insights to more effectively respond to a rapid 988 implementation trajectory. You will find this collaboration to be stimulating, energizing, and fun, while the content and interchange is both pragmatic and enriching. And besides, you will be co-creating a better world. Sign up for weekly reminders and the #CrisisTalk newsletter.

Why Partnering With 911 and First Responders Is Crucial to the Success of 988


As communities explore ways to divert behavioral health and quality of life crises from law enforcement, they’re also asking when and how to best collaborate with police in the safest and least restrictive way for people in distress. This shift is necessary for people overall, says Dr. Margie Balfour, chief of quality and clinical innovation at Connections Health Solutions, but especially for those most at risk of police interactions turning deadly. However, diverting people from traditional first responders means fostering robust partnerships with them. She says that for 988 to work, at every potential entry point, first responders must be able to easily and rapidly connect people to care. Read the August 31 #CrisisTalk.

A Crisis Response May Be the Only Opportunity to Help Someone Battling Addiction


Rebecca Boss says a crisis response may be the first and only chance to help a person experiencing a substance use disorder. “Not only to affect the outcome of the immediate crisis but also a person’s overall recovery process,” she says. Boss is the former head of Rhode Island’s Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals. With 988 around the corner—the three-digit number for mental health, substance use, and suicidal crises telecom companies must make live by July 16, 2022—Boss says there’s an opportunity for parity. “Substance use disorders,” she says, “can’t be an afterthought in our approach to crisis care.” Read the September 7 #CrisisTalk.

NASMHPD Welcomes New Commissioner


NASMHPD extends a warm welcome to the following Commissioner, who was recently appointed:

Nora Bock
Director, Missouri Department of Mental Health

September is National Suicide Prevention Month
 September is National Suicide Prevention Month. As we recognize today as World Suicide Prevention Day, NASMHPD is grateful for the continued dedication and commitment at the national, state, and community level to reduce lives lost to suicide. Our goal is to ensure that all community members have appropriate access to crisis services and suicide prevention resources when experiencing a suicidal thought or a mental health crisis. With that in mind, NASMHPD has published a series of technical papers since 2016, known as Beyond Beds, focused on a robust crisis delivery system.
To raise awareness, NASMHPD’s colleagues from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has developed a two-page resource listing tips on how to take action to prevent suicide.

State Spotlight: Colorado’s Secure Transport Program at the San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group (SLVBHG)


In 2019, Colorado’s Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (the state’s Medicaid authority) partnered with the state’s Public Utilities Commission to pilot a program that trains drivers in de-escalation techniques. Each agency contributed funds to train local citizens in two rural communities on de-escalation techniques, and to secure and enhance a fleet of vehicles to make them safe for drivers to transport individuals in crisis to care. The program covers six counties over 8,700 square miles.
 
All SLVBHG drivers are trained in CPR, Mental Health First Aid, and given additional training on how to build rapport with their clients. A private security company that consists of former law enforcement officers was hired to serve as drivers. Each secure transport consists of two drivers for safety.
 
The agency purchased two Ford Explorers and had them retrofitted with Plexiglas to create a secure area in the back for the individual in need of transport; cameras were also added to the vehicles to ensure that events were recorded at all times to verify the safety of the drivers and the passenger. Individuals who are accepted to a hospital must be on the road within 30 minutes to ensure the bed at the hospital remains available.
 
In addition to driver training, the transport service provides snacks, cold drinks, and blankets for individuals to consume and use during their ride. Upon discharge from inpatient care, the secure transport program brings individuals back to the wellness center to re-engage individuals in community-based treatment. At this stage, SLVBHG also provides cellular phones, clothing, and food. 
 
Not only does this program provide safe, timely transport to and from inpatient facilities, it is designed with recovery and comfort in mind. This approach helps to reduce the trauma and eliminate the stigma of transport to an inpatient facility. The program has also helped to improve the agency’s relationship with local law enforcement, as law enforcement is no longer the first call to respond to an individual in crisis and transport them to inpatient care.
 
Contact Tammy Obie at tammyo@slvbhg.org for more information on the program.

The Disaster Distress Helpline is Here to Help


In light of recent natural disasters and global events, many of our colleagues and individuals we serve may be struggling with various stressors. The Disaster Distress Helpline remains an important resource  to get help and support for any distress that you or someone you care about may be feeling related to any disaster. Learn more.
 

Register for the 62nd Annual National Dialogues on Behavioral Health Conference!


Date: Each Thursday, September 30 - November 4, 2021

Join NASMHPD for an incredible opportunity for learning and dialogue on behavioral health. The focus of the conference is on the design of the future behavioral health system for specific populations based on our current knowledge base and the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include: models and programs for persons with serious mental illness, persons with substance use disorders, children and adolescents, and persons who experience system disparities; new models of crisis services; emergent models of physical/behavioral health integration such as CCBHCs and FQHCs; and challenges faced by behavioral health leadership and advocates.
Register Here.

FDA Approves 6-Month Long-Acting Injectable for Schizophrenia
Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first twice-yearly long-acting injectable treatment for adults with schizophrenia. The paliperidone palmitate is a product of Janssen Pharmaceuticals.  A 12-month, randomized, double-blind, noninferiority Phase 3 global study found over 92% of those administered the drug were relapse-free at one year. Learn more. View a video describing effective communications strategies for clinicians to implement long-acting injectables in their patients’ treatment plans.

SAMHSA Awards Grants to Strengthen Youth Mental Health
As students head back to school, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is awarding grants that will strengthen the structures that serve the mental health needs of our nation’s youth. The first raises awareness of mental health issues for youths and trains school personnel. The second coordinates treatment for young people who have emotional disorders.  The first-year awards for the two programs total $74.2 million. Read the press release.

Kentucky Offers Comprehensive, Statewide IPS Services
Kentucky’s Individual Placement and Supports (IPS) Supported Employment services are provided by its Adult Mental Health and Recovery Services Branch within the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. This Branch oversees and supports regional Community Mental Health Centers, and other behavioral health providers, offering services to adults with serious mental illness, including IPS. Leveraging federal block grants, state general funds, and agreements with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Kentucky has made a comprehensive IPS program available throughout the State for individuals with mental health challenges who wish to attain and maintain employment. Read more about Kentucky’s commitment to IPS.

SAMHSA Awards Rural EMS Training Grants
On August 31, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded $5.6 million to 32 grantees for emergency medical services (EMS) training in rural communities. The grants fund recruitment of EMS personnel in rural areas and training in addressing mental health and substance use disorders.

Read the press release.



The team at the IPS Employment Center has defined the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach to supported employment. The center’s activities focus on employment for people with serious mental illnesses. The center offers training, educational materials, and consultation services.  Learn more about training available through the IPS Employment Center.

Don't Miss These Headlines
Presidential Proclamation for National Recovery Month
Executive Office of the President | Federal Register

The Presence and Potential Impact of Psychological Safety in the Healthcare Setting
Grailey et al. | BMC Health Services Research O. Randi | National Academy for State Health Policy

Study Points to Soldiers Most Likely to Attempt Suicide Within 30 Days of Suicidal Thoughts
American Psychiatric Association

Mental Health and Substance Use Among Adults with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

People With Disabilities at Elevated Risk of Suicidal Behavior, Study Suggests
American Psychiatric Association

Comparison of Teleintegrated Care and Telereferral Care for Treating Complex Psychiatric Disorders in Primary Care
J. Fortney et al. | JAMA Psychiatry

Warm Handoff Eases Transition to Mental Health Care Services
J. Tumolo | Psych Congress Network

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on LGBT+ People’s Mental Health
L. Dawson | Kaiser Family Foundation
 

Resource Roundup
New Brief: The United States Justice Involved Population and Tobacco Use. This brief from the American Lung Association was developed to provide context on the public health problem that exists with respect to tobacco use in U.S. jails & prisons, in addition to discussing the health disparities that exist among this population. Additionally, the brief dives deeper into what cessation services looks like in prisons & jails, along with different ways states assist individuals with access to healthcare services, including tobacco cessation, once they have been released from a correctional facility.
New Tools for Self Direction & Integrated Healthcare. A recent webinar, New Tools For Self Direction & Integrated Health Care: UIC’s Solutions, discusses UIC Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery. The webinar discusses many of the amazing FREE tools that University of Illinois Chicago has to offer, including: Nutrition and Exercise for Wellness and Recovery, Wellness Activities Manual, Online Diabetes Education Toolkit, Wellness in 8 Dimensions and the Wellness Daily Plan, Promoting Wellness for People in Mental Health Recovery: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning and Conducting a Health Fair, and Physical Wellness for Work.
The Ad Council's Rural Resource Toolkit for COVID-19 Vaccine Communications. The COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative is led by the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative to provide access to information about COVID-19 vaccines. The Rural Resource Toolkit contains resources created specifically for rural communities to meet residents where they are, giving equal access to information on COVID-19 vaccinations.
988 Model Legislation is Available. Please find the latest version of 988 Model Legislation here on the NASMHPD website.
SAMHSA Resource: Crisis Services: Meeting Needs, Saving Lives. SAMHSA has published Crisis Services: Meeting Needs, Saving Lives, composed of SAMHSA’s National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care: Best Practice Toolkit and related papers on crisis services.
NASMHPD's EIP Resource Center. The Early Intervention in Psychosis virtual resource center, made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is designed to provide reliable information for practitioners, policymakers, individuals, families, and communities in order to foster more widespread adoption and utilization of early intervention programming for persons at risk for (or experiencing a first episode of) psychosis. Visit the resource center. These TA resources were developed with support from SAMHSA.
Crisis Service Resources: NASMHPD's 2020 Technical Assistance Coalition Working Papers. NASMHPD's 2020 TAC papers continue the Beyond Beds theme, highlighting different aspects of crisis services: 
Visit the SMI Adviser website for evidence-based education, consultation, and resources on serious mental illness (SMI). Request a free clinician-to-clinician consultation. Access dozens of online courses and earn free continuing education credits. Learn about the My Mental Health Crisis Plan app. See data on serious mental illness in the U.S. Find resources on COVID-19, clozapine, and long-acting injectables.

Upcoming Webinars:

Culturally-Informed Psychopharmacology for Patients with Mood Disorders
September 10, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm Eastern
Credit: 1.0 CME, 1.0 NCPD
 
Treating Co-Occurring Opioid Use Disorder in Mental Health Settings
September 16, 2021 , 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern
Credit: 1.0 CME

EPINET is a national learning health care system from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) that links early psychosis clinics through standard clinical measures, uniform data collection methods, data sharing agreements, and integration of client-level data across service users and clinics. Clients and their families, clinicians, health care administrators, and scientific experts now have the opportunity to partner within EPINET to improve early psychosis care and conduct large-scale, practice-based research. Learn more about EPINET. Download a shareable flyer about EPINET. 

The MHTTC Network accelerates the adoption and implementation of mental health related evidence-based practices across the nation, develops and disseminates resources, provides free local and regional training and technical assistance, and heightens the awareness, knowledge, and skills of the mental health workforce.

The Network is comprised of 10 Regional Centers, a National American Indian & Alaska Native Center, a National Hispanic & Latino Center, and a Network Coordinating Office. Find your Center and get connected to free products and free training and events. Stay up to date with resources by following @MHTTCNetwork on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the monthly e-Newsletter, Pathways.
NASMHPD Staff
NASMHPD Board of Directors
Submissions? Please send by email to nasmhpd.news@nasmhpd.org
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Website
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
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Alexandria, VA 22314

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