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Tweaking Doesn’t Cut It to Change Practice in Crisis Care
March 30, 2021
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Michelle Edwards, Lived Experience Lead at Gold Coast Mental Health Specialist Services (GCMHSS), and Dr. Kathryn Turner, Clinical Director for GCMHSS, talk with #CrisisTalk about their publication "Gold Coast Crisis Reform: A Strategic Approach to Transforming Mental Health Crisis Care." "Choice," says Edwards, "is important, and crisis care systems need to make the full gamut of services available. Choice means having a variety of professions available, including peers, all of whom are able to provide the level and type of support the person desires." Read the March 30 #CrisisTalk.
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GA’s Crisis System Transformation and Lessons Learned in Anticipation of 988
March 23, 2021
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The Georgia Crisis and Access Line or GCAL is a call center integrated into the local healthcare system with 24-hour mobile crisis response coverage within 100 miles of every community. It’s allowed the state to react quickly to Covid challenges and is a striking match for the vision of 988. Judy Fitzgerald, the commissioner of DBHDD, and Debbie Atkins, director of Crisis Coordination at DBHDD, share Georgia’s crisis system transformation and the lessons they’ve learned in anticipation of 988.
Read the March 23 #CrisisTalk.
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2021 Special Enrollment Period Extended to August 15 and Reduced Costs for Marketplace Coverage
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On March 23, 2021, President Biden announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending access to the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) until August 15 – giving consumers additional time to take advantage of new savings through the American Rescue Plan. This action provides new and current enrollees an additional three months to enroll or re-evaluate their coverage needs with increased tax credits available to reduce premiums.
On April 1, 2021 Secretary Becerra announced an average of four out of five consumers currently enrolled in a plan will be able to find a plan for $10 or less per month, and an average of three out of five uninsured adults eligible for coverage may be able to access a zero-premium plan.
Consumers who want to access the SEP to enroll in coverage can visit HealthCare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov. Consumers can also call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596, which provides assistance in over 150 languages. TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325. Consumers can also find a local assister or agent/broker in their area.
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State Spotlight: Georgia’s Paint & Prevent Virtual Event
The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants (OBHPFG) and the Georgia State Opioid Response (SOR) hosted an innovative program, Paint & Prevent, designed as an opportunity for youth of all ages to have the chance to be creative through virtual paint instruction and learn key substance use prevention information. Art supplies were provided and mailed to participants to facilitate an accessible event. Local artists known in the community directed the artmaking and the discussion was led by Nykia Greene-Young, Substance Abuse Prevention Senior Coordinator at OBHPFG, Brian Le, SOR Senior Coordinator, and other members of the SOR Team.
The event was extremely successful, with 800 individuals registering. The Department plans to host two more Paint & Prevent events to accommodate those on the waiting list during National Prevention Week and for Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with reactions such as “It was awesome! Have more events like this,” and “I really enjoyed the webinar. Painting and talking about positive life events and sharing crisis resources was thought provoking from my perspective.”
See more on this event and other innovative programs by Georgia at their website or on Facebook.
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IIMHL/IIDL Board of Directors Appoints New President and CEO
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NASMHPD congratulates Steve Appleton who has been appointed as the new President and CEO of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership and the International Initiative for Disability Leadership (IIMHL/IIDL).
Mr. Appleton will begin his new role in April. He has worked for IIMHL/IIDL as the European Regional Lead and he brings extensive experience in mental health, substance misuse and disability.
IIMHL/IIDL will be working on a transition plan from now until March 2022 when Fran Silvestri retires from being President and CEO.
Congratulations Steve, and we look forward to our continued partnership with IIMHL/IIDL!
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NASMHPD Town Hall Series: Innovative Practices to Support Behavioral Health Peer and Direct Care Staff during COVID-19 Crisis
Please join us for our Town Hall series to learn about innovative practices for outreach and support of peer and direct care staff during the epidemic. These forums will be led by peers and direct care staff from hospital and community settings around the country. Learn more about the town hall topics.
All Events held from 2p-3:30p Eastern
- 4/16 - Providing Equitable Community Based Peer Support during COVID-19
- 4/30 - Receiving Equitable Community Based Peer Services during COVID-19
- 5/13 - Perspectives & Experiences from Inpatient and Individuals in Congregate Settings during COVID-19
- 5/26 - Innovative Practices to Support Hospital Staff during COVID-19 – Part 2
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Using IPS to Assist Job Seekers and Workers with Mental Health Conditions
Webinar Recording from the LEAD Center
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The LEAD Center hosted a webinar offering an introduction to Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and exploring the role of the workforce system in its implementation. The benefits of IPS for all stakeholders were discussed, including job seekers, employers, and workforce programs. Subject matter experts highlighted promising implementation practices, including involvement of the workforce development system in securing IPS supports. Speakers included international IPS expert Robert Drake and experienced practitioners from Illinois and Missouri. View the webinar recording above.
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Division Spotlight: Medical Directors Division Presentation on The Pandemic(s) and the Mental Health of Black and Brown People
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On March 18, 2021, Dr. Charles Dike, Chief Medical Officer, Office of the Commissioner, CT DMHAS/Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Law and Psychiatry Division of Yale School of Medicine, presented on - The Pandemic(s) and the Mental Health of Black and Brown People to the NASMHPD Medical Directors Division. View the presentation at the link above.
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SAMHSA-Sponsored Webinar: Improving Access to Behavioral Health Crisis Services with Electronic Bed Registries
April 13, 2021, 2:00-3:30 pm Eastern
Register here
As states struggle to find available appropriate crisis services including inpatient and crisis beds to treat behavioral health disorders, more and more of them are establishing a web-accessible, electronic database of beds, “bed registry” to organize and monitor critical behavioral health resources, direct individuals in crisis to available treatment settings, and improve communication among providers. NASMPHD administered Transformation Transfer Initiative (TTI) grants, funded by SAMHSA, to 23 states in 2019 to help them launch or expand bed registries. Please join us for a nationwide webinar to explore this new technology and how states are using it to improve crisis care.
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Recent Dementia or MCI Diagnosis Linked to Greater Suicide Risk
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Veterans 50 years and older with a recent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia diagnosis were found to be at a higher risk of attempting suicide, according to a longitudinal study published online March 24 in JAMA Psychiatry. Amy Byers, PhD, MPH, with the University of California San Francisco and the San Francisco Veterans Administration Health Care System, and colleagues found that the risk for attempting suicide was 23 percent higher for study participants with a recent dementia diagnosis and 34 percent higher for those with a recent MCI diagnosis. Patients with MCI or dementia and a co-occurring psychiatric disorder (i.e., depression, PTSD, anxiety) were not at an elevated risk of attempting suicide.
The study’s findings highlight the need for clinicians to be mindful of the psychological impact these diagnoses have on patients. They authors recommend involving support services at the time or shortly after a dementia or MCI diagnoses to mitigate the risk of suicidal behaviors. Read the study.
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Many Young Children with Autism Who Use Psychotropic Medication Do Not Receive Behavior Therapy
L. Wiggins et al. | The Journal of Pediatrics
Telehealth Access Disparities In COVID-19 Virtual Care Boom
H. Nelson | mHealth Intelligence
Senators Press VA, DoD for Swift Action to Prevent Veterans' Suicides
S. Firth | MedPage Today
Associations of loneliness with risk of Alzheimer's disease dementia
Laws Mandating Coprescription of Naloxone and Their Impact on Naloxone Prescription in Five US States
T. Green et al. | American Journal of Public Health
ASPE